Hi forum!
Is it okay to erect a prefab house on a day when it rains? How bad is it if walls and other parts get rained on and wet before the roof is in place?
Our builder says it's okay, and I assume he knows what he's talking about. But it would be fun to hear other people's opinions!
Is it okay to erect a prefab house on a day when it rains? How bad is it if walls and other parts get rained on and wet before the roof is in place?
Our builder says it's okay, and I assume he knows what he's talking about. But it would be fun to hear other people's opinions!
Exactly. The insulation must not be in the walls and be wet. It needs to be removed from the walls and dried if it got wet. Wet timber dries but it can take some time. Moisture is generally not good as a rule. Hence, it's an advantage to build with loose timber in good weather until the roof is on, for example. That's optimal. Alternatively, use prefab in good weather. It should actually be prohibited to erect prefab in heavy rain. Not a great start but it doesn't have to end up badly if the situation that arises is handled seriously.
My question is about a prefab house with insulation in the walls, however, boards inside the insulation. The foundation is a concrete slab on the ground.
Should one require their builder to wait for good weather when raising the house? That is, if it rains on the intended day, should the raising be postponed?
Our builder has said that they will raise it anyway, even if it's pouring rain. I understand that it is expensive to cancel when a crane has been booked, the truck is on its way, and the entire crew is booked.
Should one require their builder to wait for good weather when raising the house? That is, if it rains on the intended day, should the raising be postponed?
Our builder has said that they will raise it anyway, even if it's pouring rain. I understand that it is expensive to cancel when a crane has been booked, the truck is on its way, and the entire crew is booked.
With the conditions you describe, it is not okay without weather protection. The contractor who says otherwise is, in my opinion, unprofessional or uninformed. If there were boards on both sides, it would be better, but the indoor plasterboard shouldn't get wet either.
If I were building a house, I would have demanded it, yes.
If I were building a house, I would have demanded it, yes.
Just have to accept the situation and hope for good weather. I think it's very difficult to find a house supplier that postpones due to bad weather, at least if it's one of the larger suppliers you're building with. If there's moisture in the walls, you can place a dehumidifier in the house and let it run for a while before sealing the construction.
I know that several of the major small house manufacturers adapt to the weather forecast. Of course, the weather can turn out worse than expected. But let's say you plan to assemble the house sometime during weeks 30-31, you can try to fit it in good weather. Sure, it costs more, and the customer ultimately pays, but it's not just about setting up a dehumidifier and thinking it will solve all the problems. For a dehumidifier to help, the house must be completely sealed, which doesn't happen until the plastic sheet is installed, meaning it can't dry inward either. Placing a dehumidifier in a non-sealed house during summer is completely pointless; the air might be around 80% RH, which means upwards of 15-20g/m3 of moisture.
That sounds really unprofessional to have that attitude. Sure, you can't guarantee a rain-free day, but they must have accounted for some flexibility.andersjm said:
Is it really the house supplier saying this (if so, one would wonder which one), or is it the construction company? If it's the latter, I would contact the house supplier immediately.
People complain about moldings and stuff with their new houses, which can be discussed, but certain things just have to be done right, including things that can cause moisture problems.
It sounds good if the supplier checks the weather forecast, but as mentioned, it's no guarantee that it's dry. It's not easy for the supplier either, as usually everything is packed the day before and starts being transported in the afternoon. If it then rains (not a deluge of the century, of course) in the morning when they're supposed to start, they don't have much choice. Of course, they can wait until the worst is over, but waiting until it's completely dry is hard to imagine the house supplier allowing the truck to just sit there costing money for a day. Probably it needs to deliver a new house the very next day as it's usually more or less fully booked 4-5 months ahead.
I don't even think it's possible to adjust erection according to the weather. How would that logistics look? The house kit is loaded on a truck, the mobile crane is ordered, and the crew performing the assembly is on site. Who would pay for that? The house is ordered several months in advance and has a completion date with a penalty clause, so how would that be resolved? The first house in January maybe, but by September, there would likely be a delay until the following year and then it would snowball. No, real house suppliers deliver wall blocks with insulation, and the vapor barrier acts as protection. The innermost and final insulation is installed on site after electrical wiring is completed. The timber is likely to get only superficially wet and dries quickly with the help of a dehumidifier.