Building in winter has its challenges:
Shorter days
Cold temperatures
Frost
Wet weather
All this makes building difficult:
With short days less work can be done in a day
Working in the dark is less efficient and risky.
Cold temperatures and wet weather make applying expanding foams, glues and tapes impossible.
Frost on the roof must be melted and dried off before apply roof underlay Frost on the structure or scaffold is a safety issue.
Wet weather damages materials and raises moisture content of the structure delaying internal lining and can cause longer term damage.
What is the solution:
Off-site manufacture and on-site assembly of prefab panels is one solution.
Off-site manufacture:
Manufacturing prefab panels within a building provides many advantages:
Controlled environment - which is dry, warm, frost free.
Longer working day - with artificial light.
Quality - is easier to achieve and monitor.
Productivity increased - as work is not slowed by darkness and weather.
Systemization - materials can be ordered ahead of time and stored under cover, materials can be pre-cut, assembly can be set up as a production line.
Waste - is generated off-site and recycling is easier to achieve.
Travel - reduced to remote sites lowering travel cost.
On-site assembly:
Assembly of prefab on-site provides many advantages:
Less time on site - less exposure to poor weather and lower travel costs
Lower Preliminary and General costs - scaffold, site fence, site shed and portable toilet costs reduced.
Less site waste - as most waste is generated off-site an on-site skip should not be required.
Health & Safety - less time spent working in the higher risk on-site environment.
How can a prefab build be achieved
It requires design and documentation that reflects the prefab nature of the build and a builder who can carry out the off-site manufacture and co-ordinate this with the on-site assembly.
If you need a hand with a prefab build come talk to me.
