Normally, I am turned off by real estate
books with clever, cute titles such as "Prefabulous" by
Sheri Koones. However, I am "turned
on" by this great, new, beautiful
book that completely changed my mind
about so-called "prefab" homes,
which are custom built in factories to
the specifications of the buyers. As
with all Taunton Press
"coffee-table-quality" books
with lots of color photos, the only word
to describe this one is "amazing." It
includes all prefab systems that are
used to engineer and assemble homes in
factories, then ship them on trucks to
the home site. Panelized, log, timber-frame,
concrete, hybrids and steel-frame homes
are included. As famous author and home
designer Sarah Susanka says in her forward
to the book, "For some people, words
like modular, manufactured, panelized
and prefabricated conjure up visions
of ticky-tacky subdivisions in which
every house looks just the same. But
the biggest story in 'Prefabuous' is
that just because something is made in
a factory doesn't mean it has to be boring
or the same as hundreds of other houses."
This ultracomplete book not only shows
the many varieties of prefab homes now
available, but the author has done an
admirable job of educating readers about
what they need to know. If you are considering
building your home on a lot you already
own or want to acquire, this book will
open your eyes to show what can be done
with prefab homes, which look like custom
homes but cost a lot less. The many examples
and explanations show what can be accomplished.
On my scale of one to 10, this superb
book rates an off-the-chart 12.
--Robert J. Bruss, Inman
News
Americans build about 40,000 modular homes
a year. Imagine if new-home buyers and
builders realized all the advantages of
building a home in a factory setting. No
exposure to the elements. No loss of materials.
No work days lost to bad weather. The ability
for more precise measurements. In Prefabulous:
The House of Your Dreams Delivered Fresh
From the Factory (Taunton Press, $25),
Sheri Koones gives readers an up-close-and-personal
look at the modular industry. Unlike site-built
homes, modular homes often are built stronger,
with tighter insulation and more efficient
use of materials. Koones' book examines
modular structures from Long Island, N.Y.,
to San Francisco and building techniques
that range from sticks to concrete. If
you're considering a new home, this book
is a must-buy.
- Newsday
[Koones] clearly explains
eight types of prefab components and how
they can be used to create custom log homes,
traditional bungalows, timber-frame barns
and concrete- or steel-frame contemporaries.
All are welcome improvements over their
often-ugly predecessors. Prefab construction
saves time, money and materials because
everything is made to precise specs indoors.
Bad weather is simply not a delaying factor.
Once the foundation is set, the rest of
the house -- walls, floors, dormers and
roofing -- can go up in a matter of weeks
or months. How prefabulous.
--Annie Groer, The Washington
Post
It's clear from the title
that Sheri Koones' new book isn't going
to tell us that there's something wrong
with the resurrection of prefabricated
home building. Prefabulous glorifies the
technique by
showing beautiful homes that even an expert
would not guess had been built, in pieces
or in whole, in factories. That's OK --
as Koones tells it, this can be a cheaper
and greener way to build than stick by
stick. She does explain the various systems
of prefab -- including modular, panelized,
SIPs, concrete, steel and log -- and gives
pluses and minuses for each.
--Susan Fornoff, San Francisco
Chronicle
"Prefabulous, the House of Your
Dreams Delivered Fresh from the Factory" (Taunton
Press, $25) will shatter your misconceptions
about small, boxy and modern structures.
These prefabs are customized and so rich
in detail and style they are hardly distinguishable
from "traditionally" built
homes. Sheri Koones brings together the
prefab building systems - new and old
- describing and comparing the advantages
and disadvantages of each. It's hard
to believe after seeing the photos, but
each featured home was manufactured partially
or completely in a controlled factory
environment then moved to the site.
--The Cincinnati Enquirer
Sheri Koones demystifies the concept of
the prefabricated house, and explains why
these factory-built homes are greener,
more efficient, sturdier and more cost-effective
than site-built homes. The book examines
all types of prefab houses, including modular,
panelized, timber frame, concrete and steel,
as well as log construction and homes built
with structural insulated panels (SIPs).
--Smart Homeowner
In her foreword to Sheri
Koones' new book, architect Sarah Susanka
makes an intriguing point: We'd never agree
to have a new car assembled in the driveway
or a new dishwasher put together on the
kitchen floor. Yet when it comes to houses,
many of us assume one built on site is
superior to one constructed in a factory.
Prefabulous offers evidence to the contrary.
Factory construction, Koones' book argues,
saves time, money and building materials,
and can result in sturdy houses that require
less energy and maintenance. Yet as her
book illustrates, it doesn't require sacrifices
regarding the home's design.
--Akron Beacon Journal
This is the only book that
gives homeowners who are dreaming about
building or planning to build a new home
the good and the bad on all types of
prefabricated houses. Shows that prefabricated
can be mainstream traditional design
and does not have to look like a mobile
home or a modular
"Dwell" box.
Prefabulous describes the
many systems available for prefabricating
all or parts of a new home, including timber
frame and log, as well as modular, panelized,
structural insulated panels, steel framing
and concrete systems, which are relatively
new. Prefabulous describes these systems,
compares their advantages and disadvantages,
and shows beautiful examples of houses
built using these techniques. Although
all of these "prefabricated" houses
look very different, all of them were manufactured
partially or almost completely in a controlled
factory environment and transported to
the home site to be erected. As a group
these systems offer a faster, more energy-efficient,
and sometimes more cost-efficient method
of building.
Includes a foreword by Not
So Big House author Sarah Susanka, who
writes: "For homeowners who want to
know the options, the advantages and disadvantages
of those options, and to see how those
prefabricated parts come together into
a good, attractive home, read this book."
