Construction method: Prefabricated house Solid house Construction supervisor Architectural planning

Hello construction expert,

it's okay, I didn't understand it that way either.

I think it is purely a gut feeling which type of construction you choose - the only important thing is that you are 100% convinced of the construction principle.

The moisture and black mold in the basement that you mentioned are indeed a bitter pill, but I also wonder whether the basement was botched, possibly the soil survey was faulty or not even done, or maybe a severe water damage was the cause.

On the way to our house we also viewed one or two existing properties, which only strengthened our decision to build ourselves every time.

The "nastiest" property was a mix of a solid house (basic building structure) with a wooden cantilevered bay window over two floors.

The entire transition between the bay window and the "main house" consisted of cracks up to 1 cm wide – these cracks also ran along the entire transition from the knee wall to the roof.
The house was only 8 years old at the time of the viewing...

The executing companies named were a renowned construction company and a well-known carpenter from the region.

Regards,

Dirk

That is an interesting approach

Yes, that sounds strange, but all the obvious reasons why one would choose a construction partner apply to both providers, so we are not really making progress at that point.

One more thing occurs to me (and if the topic gets too extensive, I will happily start a separate thread about it): we want to build a house with a flat roof, in the direction of Bauhaus style. All the solid house providers we have spoken to over the months have advised us against a detached house because of the flat roof – basically saying: sooner or later the flat roof always leaks, and wood and moisture are not a good combination.

Now I just assume that a professionally installed and maintained flat roof stays watertight – are there still reasons against the combination of flat roof and timber frame construction??

Thanks & regards
Sandra

A flat roof with a bitumen top layer has a lifespan of 20-30 years, as told to me by various "house building experts." A metal roof lasts about 10 years longer. A "professionally installed and maintained flat roof," as you write, remains watertight. A sloppily built gable roof with tiles can start to rot away after just 5 years – and the wooden studs underneath as well.

Tip: A shed roof with a low pitch (min. 3°) is cost-effective, does not have standing water, and externally resembles the Bauhaus style.

Good evening Sandra,

we want to build a house with a flat roof, in the Bauhaus style direction. All the solid house providers we have spoken to over the months have advised us against a flat roof on a single-family house - with the motto: sooner or later the flat roof always leaks and wood and moisture is not a good combination.

Well, then I would definitely not buy a masonry garage with a flat roof from the aforementioned solid house providers; from the construction point of view roughly identical to a flat roof from a prefabricated house provider.

Now I simply assume that a professionally installed and maintained flat roof stays watertight

That is correct. Generally applies also to masonry garages with flat roofs

Rhineland regards

And yet I also have this "prejudice". It is probably always a matter of the probability of occurrence and the consequences if this occurrence actually happens.

I consider – completely without expertise and biased – the probability of water ingress on a flat roof to be higher than I would expect for a "normal" roof. Here I assume initially that both roofs are professionally and well constructed.

IF water should actually penetrate, the impact on a prefabricated house would reportedly be much greater than if it happened with a solid house.

For "insurance reasons" (I regard every protective measure as a kind of insurance), I would probably also choose the shed roof with a low pitch if it is to be a flat roof at all.

By the way: Is a "versetztes Satteldach" actually a shed roof or a gable roof?

Good morning,

against a prefabricated house – aside from the actual decision between a prefabricated house or a solid house – speak, for example, the things you mentioned in your post no. 12. Added to this is the note that the mortgage lending value is often lower as well.

IF water should really enter, then the effects on a prefabricated house would reportedly be much greater than if this were to happen to a solid house.

They (the effects) are always greatest when mineral insulation is exposed to the weather.

My esteemed colleague, a red competitor, builds double-shell with inner mineral insulation; mostly sells faced single-family homes. For the keen homebuyer par excellence, it cannot go fast enough to move into his dream house, thus the advertising message "construction period 3 months – if necessary, with tent (perforated, chargeable as well as a brilliant advertising move)" falls on very open ears. With the magic 3, like a little devil sitting on the shoulder, all reservations against this extremely short construction time are thrown overboard. Among other things, this construction time is adhered to by building the inner and outer shell parallel to each other. A bold scoundrel who publicly states that rain during the shell construction phase will lead to long-term complications; highly paid lawyers who put this poor chap in his place.

Just one example of many ... with solid construction; no need for discussions about flat roofs

By the way: is a "staggered gable roof" actually a shed roof or a gable roof?

Honestly – I don’t know either... for sure. It depends on how the responsible caseworker in the planning committee wants to designate this roof form. It may well be that she/he wants it to be understood as a "pitched roof."

Rhineland regards