Quote:
Originally Posted by djlnc
Aside from possible limited design options, is anyone aware of any drawbacks to the use of the precast walls they are now using for homes here?
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I had no clue The Villages were now using precast concrete for home construction.
#1 drawback in my opinion (I only do commercial construction now), is there's little or no flexibility, once the structure is done. You can't change much of anything and even something as simple as running a cable for your TV, can become a huge job. Everything that runs through the house, is run through a conduit in the walls ... anything you add, has to go on the wall.
The other potential issue I suspect, is that each pre-fab panel is probably a structural unit and necessary for the integrity of the home. That means, you can't just enlarge an area or change an interior dimension or wall.
Again, I don't do this for a living and have only done commercial versions, so I could be all wrong here and they have some new techniques, which allow precast to be practical in a residential environment.
There is no question that panelized construction, done inside a factory, can generally produce much higher quality and better tolerances, than site-built products.