Until recently skeptical of prefabricated houses, the Bulgarians are beginning to get used to the idea that they do not have to build a home for years, dig deep foundations and cast concrete slabs as they can build a home in just a few months using the latest state-of-the-art technologies.
More and more often young people are starting to choose as an alternative to a new home prefab house. The supply of different technologies is getting bigger and there are details to be considered when choosing the technology and the company that offers it.
The construction of a home is a pleasant but rather difficult undertaking, especially in Bulgaria, which for decades can not emerge from the economic crisis and is the poorest country in the European Union. Still, for the courageous, let us explain the technologies for building a prefabricated house and the recommended by them for our climatic conditions. Like everything, the prefabricated houses have both advantages and disadvantages, and it is good to keep them up to date. The documentation, however, is almost the same as in traditional construction and takes almost the same time. Perhaps only the building permit is easier to obtain due to the lightweight construction and the less dependence on the type of terrain and plot we have decided to build. Water installations are a bit easier to do, and if you stop at your own home purification plant, things are greatly simplified.
The beautiful “American type” prefabricated houses
Let’s start with the American-type prefabricated houses with skeleton-beam structures. The wood is in principle a material that traditionally participates in the construction of houses in Bulgaria, but in the case of American-type prefabricated houses it is a basic building structure and these houses are considerably lighter and therefore with good performance they are extremely resistant to earthquakes. This is an advantage that is not to be neglected. Adding the warmth and coziness that the tree gives to a home and the fact that construction does not take more than 4 to 6 months, then one such house becomes more attractive to most people.
However, there is a particular disadvantage that the tree is a fairly easily combustible material, and if you stop this construction, it needs to be seriously restrained. In addition to fire resistance, it is also necessary to secure against wood, mold and fungus, which requires serious pre-treatment of the wood.
The prefabricated houses with skeleton-beam structures are very easy to turn into a modern low-energy home, as they incorporate thermal insulation from modern materials, which can be:
- Stone wool – It is made of volcanic rock and has a high density and insulating qualities. Serious advantage is that it is fire resistant and is a natural material that provides a high degree of sound insulation.
- Polyurethane foam – this is an insulating material with better thermal insulation properties than stone wool, but it is not as fire resistant and is not a good sound-insulator.
- Styrofoam – good thermal insulation qualities, but it is easily flammable and with poor sound-insulating qualities.
When choosing a prefabricated house technology, it is very important to take into account the climatic features of the place where we have decided to be our home. The high humidity, the seismic activity of the region, the abrupt climate change, features are of particular importance and must be respected by the contractor. You should never save on insulation and quality materials. Wooden structure of well-treated wood with a stone wool insulation with a density of 40-50 kg. of m3 is a good solution according to the experts for a low-energy prefabricated house of “American type”.
Prefabricated houses with metal construction
These are prefabricated houses with a bearing structure of hollow metal profiles assembled by welds or bolts. These types of structures are very resistant to earthquakes. If you want a two-storey house it is possible to place special damp connections that make it even more stable. There is also the possibility of upgrading in these houses, as the height should not exceed 5 floors.
Insulation is like other houses with a wooden construction, but the particular thing about the metal is that the structure itself should also be well insulated to remove the thermal states. Additionally, this type of prefabricated structure requires mandatory and good lightning protection.
In most cases, regardless of the type of construction, the walls of the prefabricated house are multi-layer sandwich panels that are pre-finished and have very good insulation properties. The mineral wool filling makes these walls often much more energy-saving than a brick wall, and the sound insulation is even better.
Usually prefabricated houses are very beautiful. In most cases, we have ready-made projects and we have a choice of choice. If we choose the contractor to comply strictly with all building technologies, we could have a new home for about 6 months.
Whenever you choose a company, want to see houses built by her and talk to their owners.
Prefabricated houses with a log construction
In this type of construction, a cylindrical log construction is used, as they are designed to have a specific fastening fit for precise fitting of the elements and walls. Usually there is a sealing strip between the beams themselves and the outer walls are insulated either from stone wool or wooden lining. The walls themselves are glued wooden beams (two or three layers) with an assembly, and the intersections are specially cross-assembled.
Their roof is made of wood and is made of wooden farms with a solid wood trim – well-worked beams. The windows and doors are also made of solid pine wood, and this type of prefabricated houses are called wooden houses of the Russian-Finnish type.
Wooden houses of Russian-Finnish type become enchantingly beautiful and are very warm and cozy. Of particular importance are the quality wood pre-treatment and fire safety, which is important for every home. The life of such a house is in no way shorter than traditional brick construction, and the warmth and coziness of it is much more.
The prefabricated houses in all their variants and technologies are becoming more and more popular due to the dry construction, the fast times and the better prices. One such house is much more inexpensive than the terrain and the place we have for construction, as well as the preparation of the necessary documentation for its legalization.
It is of utmost importance, however, to choose the right builder and to strictly adhere to the technology of construction with quality materials without saving them for greater profit. Of course, this is of paramount importance for any type of construction.