OKEMOS, MI--(Marketwired - Oct 29, 2014) - Cold temperatures are creeping back in to the state, but that doesn't mean your house will be an icebox, the Michigan Manufactured Housing Association says.
Manufactured homes have been found to leak less air than homes built on site. Less air leakage means that manufactured homes keep heat inside the home, instead of allowing it to escape through poorly insulated areas, like windows and doors. Because warm air is kept inside the house, homeowners have lower energy bills and better heated homes.
"Because of the way manufactured homes are constructed, they usually have about 30 to 50 percent less air leakage than stick-built homes," Bobby Campbell, director of value engineering for Champion Homes Inc., says. "The University of Michigan did a study a few years ago that tested stick-built homes against manufactured and modular homes and found that the manufactured homes were 'tighter' than stick-built homes."
Part of the reason these homes may leak less air than site built homes is because they are built to a special national code that site-built homes are not. Based on manufactured home construction and safety standards set by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, different regions of the country fall under thermal categories determined by their climates. Michigan is located in Zone 3, which mandates the strictest heat leakage protection.
In addition to the national and state codes manufactured homes are required to meet, many homeowners are choosing energy efficient features to keep their homes better protected against the cold. Special insulation, high-performance windows and other materials reduce overall energy costs and use fewer natural resources, which is a perk for many environmentally and budget conscious homeowners.
The Michigan Manufactured Housing Association is a non-profit trade association representing the system-built industry in Michigan. MMHA works to improve the image of system-built housing by educating consumers, media and government about the quality, affordability, design and beauty of the homes. It also works to protect the interests of the industry and the owners of system-built homes. For more information about system-built housing, visit www.michhome.org, call 800.551.1315 or contact MMHA, 2222 Association Drive, Okemos, MI 48864-5978; 517.349.3300.