Modular homes are rapidly increasing in popularity these days, as people’s lifestyles have changed immensely. More people are moving away from traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ homes and either renting modular homes in different locations, or owning their own modular home and moving it around.

However, transporting modular homes is not always a simple task, as several factors need to be considered :-

• travel distance
• method of transport
• load dimensions (height, length and width)
• craneage or lifting gear at point of loading and arrival

Cost of transport is nearly always critical, and this is why it pays to ‘think smart’ about the type of modular home you may be interested in.

Width is often the critical factor in transporting modular homes, as although the height can be reduced by folding down, if a modular home is particularly wide then it often involves transportation permits, vehicle escorts, restricted hours of travel etc. – which all increase the cost and time of transportation.

Dismantling and refixing

Clearly, if you’re thinking about transporting modular homes, it often pays to ensure your modular home is constructed of practical materials that are easy to dismantle/re-fix.

The more rigid a modular home is, the less easy it usually is to transport – which ultimately costs more.

Although it may sound a little extreme, if we take into consideration only one aspect of a modular home – the roof – then we start to see why it’s worth rethinking the material and construction methods of modular homes.

Let’s say a modular home was constructed using a system such as Metrotile’s lightweight steel roofing tiles. When the house is constructed/in place, the home will benefit from increased durability, weatherproofing and energy efficiency with modern steel rather than traditional clay or slate roof tiles.

When it comes to the home needing to be moved, the modular roof tile system can be partially dismantled to suit the transportation method, and then easily fitted back into place once the modular home is at its destination.

Usually, traditional modular homes have roofs that are either :-

• ultra practical for moving (and often perform poorly when it comes to weather proofing, heat retention and durability).
• extremely energy efficient and weatherproof, but expensive to dismantle, or worse still, are not able to be dismantled and refitted and will therefore need a new roof installing on arrival (thus being far more expensive).

So, if you’re looking into transporting modular homes, it pays to consider the construction and packing for transportation, as it can save time and money. By implementing a roof system using steel roofing tiles that can be easily dismantled and refitted, your modular home can be transported more compactly (and cheaper) whilst also increasing benefits in your home such as better insulation, more weatherproofing and better energy efficiency.

To find out more about modular homes and roofing, get in touch with Metrotile by calling us on 01249 658 514 or you can fill in our contact form.