Each Module is
moved on air.
 
We practice careful
air-sealing.
 
Less Screws = Better Finish.
 
High Performance Wall Systems.

 

  
RESPONSIBLE MODULAR HOUSING: Now more than ever manufacturers, builders and homeowners are migrating towards energy efficiency and green building practices. Currently green homes incorporate environmental considerations and resource efficiency into every step of the building and development process to minimize environmental impact. The design, construction, and operation of a home must focus on energy and water efficiency, resource efficient building design and materials, indoor environmental quality, and must take the home's overall impact on the environment into account.
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 Building for Social Responsibility and Energy Efficiency
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 Efficient Building Practices
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 Energy-Efficient Features
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 Water-Efficient Features
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 Resource-Efficient Features
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 Indoor Air Quality Features
Building for Social Responsibility and Energy Efficiency
Preferred Building Systems (PBS) is a leader in the Responsible Modular Housing market, employing the latest technologies and systems to produce an energy efficient and green modular home component. PBS is a subsidiary of the LaValley Building Supply family of businesses and focuses on prefabricated modular homes for our builder customers. Each one of our standard home components that we build is shipped ENERGY STAR® compliant from the PBS factory. While many manufacturers advertise and promote green building — yet struggle to deliver on the promise, PBS can actually deliver a Silver or Gold Rated Green Built home right from the factory. (Whether you subscribe to the LEEDS program or the NAHB Green Building program) Builders and their homeowners can then complete the home, with instruction from the factory, to achieve the highest rating available for their particular project. Right-sizing your home, careful design to eliminate unused material, using material with recycled content, and recycling our waste are steps that PBS takes to use our resources carefully.
Efficient Building Practices
Modern technologies in the modular home industry make it possible to create a superior product using better performing components. Homes that are built under the factory roof never experience moisture, the root cause of mold and mildew. Factory built homes also produce less material waste because we maximize the usage of all raw materials through our design and production planning, leaving very little scrap. The PBS factory is organized in a horseshoe style and we use low-pressure air-pad system to hovercraft or move our modules through the manufacturing process. This system allows us to adjust to current conditions within the factory flow for alterations in the production schedule. Our factory is equipped with high output energy efficient lighting and the air compressor system used for production and module movement is the most efficient of its kind. Efficient building practices also extend into durability and lifespan because modular homes are constructed stronger than stick built because they must survive the assembly process, delivery and crane ride into their final resting place.
Energy-Efficient Features
Insulation in the home is one of the most important components of energy efficiency. PBS uses Nuwool, a blown-in cellulose dense-pack insulation. Nuwool is an engineered energy-saving insulation that is composed of 85% post consumer recycled newspapers and it offers superior thermal and air infiltration properties. Cellulose dense-pack insulation provides up to 40% savings on the homeowners heating bill compared to conventional insulating materials like fiberglass. In addition to using the dense-pack insulation PBS practices infiltration air-sealing in each module. This step helps create a tight home and reduces air leakage and promotes a better whole house envelope. Door and window headers are insulated and solid foam blocks are used to insulate the floor rims. All homes must pass an in plant Thermal Bypass Inspection and modules are randomly scanned with an infrared camera.

High performance lighting systems are a standard in each modular home because nearly 20% of household electricity is used for lighting, and our ENERGY STAR® fixtures use two thirds less energy than traditional lighting.

PBS also offers several high performance wall systems that result in less thermal bridging. This reduces unnecessary wood in the wall and adds an exterior insulated skin. PBS measures wall performance beyond the rating system that is listed on a bag of insulation. This is known as Whole Wall Thermal Performance and reflects how all the design and all the components in a wall work to give a total R-value. A typical 2x6 wall may have a fiberglass batt insulation of R-19 and the performance rating may only be R-12. Our standard wall has an insulation rating of R21.9 and a Whole Wall Thermal Performance of R18, a 50% improvement. Optional wall systems can increase the Whole Wall Performance to R32. This level of efficiency is unheard of in the modular home manufacturing industry. Careful moisture management outside and inside the home increases the durability of our homes.
Water-Efficient Features
Fixtures and appliances such as low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets, and ENERGY STAR® dishwashers and washing machines all conserve water and some of these items can be installed by PBS at the factory. PBS uses PEX tubing and can upgrade to a “home run” manifold system to reduce hot water heat loss, and all domestic hot water lines are insulated. Low flow and dual flush toilets and low flow faucets are available options. PBS can also ”up fit” your project with partial piping for grey water recycled systems.

Resource-Efficient Features
PBS offers many different home styles that when carefully planned can offer you a lifetime of comfort and enjoyment and still maintain that level of environmental consciousness that a homeowner desires. Preferred Building Systems uses an all-wood open web floor truss system that is finger jointed and glued with low VOC glue that eliminates the metal plates. The engineered strength of triangulation uses solid sawn lumber to its maximum capacity and creates natural voids for electrical and plumbing components. These natural voids speed the production process and the use of trusses reduces the need for milling of old growth lumber typically used for solid wood floor joists.

PBS uses the AdvanTech™ floor-sheathing product that is produced with sustainable fast growing tree species and “GreenGuard” adhesives. We use engineered finger jointed studs that are straighter than traditional studs and the process of attaching the sheetrock delivers a straighter and better quality wall system. This eliminates the waste typically associated with warped and twisted studs that must be discarded. The finishing touch on our modular home components consist of moldings and trims that are produced using medium density fiberboard or finger-joint wood products that are environmentally conscious.

Indoor Air Quality Features
PBS uses high efficiency bath fans with programmable timers and vented kitchen range hoods to ensure proper exhausting of stale, moisture-laden air from your home. All paints have low to no VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). All of our adhesives are low-VOC and most meet “GreenGuard certification for Children and Schools”. Heat recovery ventilation systems are optional as well as whole house vacuum systems, which lift the air quality in your home.

Preferred Building Systems is committed to Responsible Modular Housing and understands the need to produce a high performance modular home that is healthy to live in and uses natural resources wisely. We are constantly researching and developing new and better ways to conserve energy and produce a superior product to what the industry is building.