One of the first kid-friendly Deltec home building projects at CiderFest 2017, a fundraiser for our friends at the WNC Green Building Alliance

Being in quarantine, especially for parents of young children, is a new normal that most are not used to. Ideas for keeping the kids busy are running low, but fear not, we’re here to help! Over the years, we’ve participated in several events in our community and have found that one of the most popular activities to  keep the kids entertained is building their own Deltec out of Popsicle sticks.

Thanks to our amazing engineering department (and a special shout out to our panel designer, Philip Graf, and truss designer, Christian Funk), you can have the same fun with your kids at home with our newly available blueprints and DIY instructions.

Our Engineering Department put together blueprints for your kids to build their own Deltec home

Click here to download the plans

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One of the advantages of using a pre-built structure, like Deltec, is the time savings during construction.  Typically, you can shave about one month off the typical building schedule because of the speed of the shell assembly. (The shell is structure of the home – the “bones” so to speak.  We build the components that comprise the shell in our production facility, allowing the typical home to be weathertight in about a week, often less depending on the size.)

The time savings from the pre-built Deltec structure is significant, but many people want to go further.  We interviewed two Deltec designers and Deltec’s in-house builder (with a combined 50 years of experience), and here are several steps they shared to make your building process more efficient:

1. Create a timeline.  For a well-managed project there is no substitute for planning ahead.  Your Deltec designer will give you a timeline for your project when you begin the design process.  Take the time to really understand each step.  Understand what items you need to complete to help the design process run smoothly.  Planning ahead will allow you to be flexible when the inevitable curve ball comes your way.
2. Pick a floorplan you like as a starting point.  Each Deltec home is designed to meet your needs – whether that’s capturing an amazing view, living sustainably, standing up to hurricanes, or all the above.  However, that doesn’t mean you need to start with a blank sheet of paper. Our designers encourage you to find a plan you like as a starting point.  Check out our website or ask about our planning catalog and floorplan gallery.  Making changes to an existing plan can dramatically speed up the design process while still allowing space for your creativity.   Another approach is to create a bubble sketch.  Simply sketch out the perimeter of your home, and then draw bubbles in the areas where you would like different rooms or activities to take place.  Your Deltec designer can take this and turn it into a floorplan quite easily, especially if you give them a list of your “wants” (things you’d really like to have) and “needs” (things that are required and non-negotiable).
3. Buy land early.  While Deltec regularly helps customers to design homes before they’ve found their perfect lot, if speed is your objective then it definitely pays to find your perfect property as early as possible.  Having your land decision finalized will allow you to fully investigate your local permitting requirements and give your builder a head start on pricing your project.
4. Research the permitting requirements.  With thousands of different jurisdictions in the United States alone, there may be unique permitting requirements in your area.  Researching the requirements as early as possible will allow you to adapt your timeline to ensure you meet all necessary permitting requirements.  For example, in some areas you may have to get a particular permit (like a septic permit or coastal permit) before you are allowed to file for your building permit.  Discuss these rules and regulations with your builder or building department as soon as possible to give you the ability to apply earlier if needed.
5. Minimize changes.  You may have heard from a friend or family member that a good way to keep the cost of your project under control is to avoid making changes after you begin construction.  This philosophy can also increase the speed of your design process, but it is important to understand that changes are a natural part of the iteration required during design. One way to help manage changes during the design process is to set your design goals early on and use these goals as a check and balance on your whims.  For example, if your top three design goals for your home are capturing the breathtaking southeastern views, creating a kitchen for entertaining, and having a net-zero home, then when you consider whether or not it is worth making a last minute plan change to a window on the north side, you have a framework for understanding how this change fits with your design goals.
6. Be clear about your budget.  Budget can be a sensitive topic, but one of the most common delays we see on a project is a disconnect between the customer and the designer or builder on the budget.  A great deal of time can be wasted creating a design that is out of a customer’s price range, and that can lead to frustration all around.  If you have a firm budget, let your designer and building team know.  If you are not sure what your budget is, ask for help in developing one early on.
7.  Start early.  Yes, yes, this may seem obvious, but the earlier you start, the better chance you will have of hitting your desired move-in date.  In our experience, most people wish they had more time in the design process.  One example of this is working with a builder. Most builders cannot dedicate a large amount of time for prospective customers until a full set of plans has been developed.  Once the plans are ready, a builder can dig into the project with much more detail and certainty, produce more accurate pricing, and more.  So, the sooner you start the design process, the sooner you can engage in a meaningful way with your building team.

Have more questions?  The Deltec team is here to help.  Call us at 828-253-0483.

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Piggs Brothers—a Certified B Corp, just like Deltec Homes—was founded as far back as 1840 to bring innovation to the housing industry. They have a rich history of testing building materials for structural integrity.  Though at first known primarily for their early R&D failures—who can forget the disasters of the straw houses of the late 1800s— they’ve since become a powerhouse in wind testing, and we’re excited to be able to use their new test facilities to push the limits of our wind resistant design. Their expertise is in part due to the peculiar methods employed by their Director of Wind Testing, Dr. B Brad Wolfe, who has developed his own patented testing method that the company calls their Huff and Puff system.  Since there are very few wind tunnels in the world that can create wind conditions strong enough to challenge a Deltec Home, we needed to turn to the best.

“The strength of the Deltec design comes from the round shape of our structures, the quality of materials we use, and our focus on critical connections,” explains Matt Oblinsky, Director of Engineering for Deltec Homes. “The round shape optimizes wind pressure build up. Our quality materials, such as plywood instead of OSB, and diamond grade machine stress rated truss lumber, perform at known higher capacities.  And our typical fastening and attachment schedule uses tighter patterns than most in the industry.  The result is a structure that has been optimized from roof to foundation to resist winds.  However, we wanted to engage in wind testing from the most reputable company possible, to help us continue to improve our designs.”

Some might ask how Deltec’s wood-framed design might stand up against the Piggs Brothers’ more well-known invention, the brick house.

“We’ve actually gone away from materials like that,” says Alex Pigg II, VP of Operations for Piggs Brothers.  “Stone is hard to find, while brick and concrete are very energy intensive to produce, and they all have dismally low insulating value. It is imperative to reduce the energy use and the total embodied energy of homes, and I’ve always said that brick and stone just weren’t the right avenue from a total energy perspective. I’ve finally brought my brothers on board with that way of thinking. Our earlier errors were that we needed higher quality sticks with better attachment points.  Adding in innovations such as off-site fabrication, which improves quality, construction tolerances and speed of dry-in time for the structure is a real game-changer. A more efficient shape helps too, benefiting wind resistance, waste optimization, and energy efficiency by offering reduced exterior surface area for the same interior square footage.  That’s why we’re excited about the testing process with Deltec.  They are really bringing forward the way wood-framed construction should be done.”

At an undisclosed location, Dr. Wolfe will perform the Huff and Puff process himself.  He has informed us that he requires several weeks of preparation to get ready.  He also cautions us not to be too optimistic:  his test is rigorous, and many homes of all construction types have not been able to withstand the forces.

But we’re not worried.

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The mission of Green Opportunities is to “train, support, and connect people from marginalized communities to sustainable employment pathways.” The non-profit offers carpentry training to students, and this year’s class will take part in finishing out the interior of this customized Ridgeline F as part of their curriculum. Last June, the students toured our manufacturing facility to get a firsthand understanding of building a panelized home. They’re now nearing completion of the Ridgeline model that was panelized in our facility this past December. Deltec is excited to be part of this opportunity to offer training to the next generation of contractors. The Housing Authority for the City of Asheville will maintain ownership of this home—and two more structures to be built by the students over the next few years—as affordable housing for community members. Each building will be a duplex with one bedroom on each side.

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Prefabricated

Prefabricated homes (or “prefab”) is a broad term that refers to several different types of building. Technically, any home that has sections of the structure built in a factory and then assembled on site falls under the “prefab” definition. Therefore, modular and panelized are types of prefabricated homes.

Panelized

With a panelized building system, the structural components of a home (walls, roof and floor systems) are constructed in a factory and delivered to the jobsite where it is  and finished just like a stick-built home. Panelized houses must follow state and federal building code requirements and can be regularly inspected, just like site-built homes.

Modular

Modular homes are built almost entirely in a factory. The house is constructed in separate box-like modules—complete with attached walls, floor, ceiling, wiring, plumbing and interior fixtures—which are transported and put together onsite. This is typically a more affordable option to panelized building.

Which type is Deltec considered?

Deltec is a panelized building system. Our standard home package comes with all the necessary components to dry the home in (i.e. make it weather-proof). Once dried in, it is completed just like a traditional, stick-built home. This allows you to get the quality construction that panelized building offers and the customization that stick-built offers. In addition to the standard components, we have several options you can add, such as pre-installed siding and windows, allowing your builder to save even more time in the field.

Check out the timelapse below to see the full construction of a Deltec:

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