FAQs:
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions.
Q. How do I order a Cottage prefab house kit?
A. Easy! Just contact
us! That starts the dialogue - so we can give you the
information you need, answer the questions you have, and start the
process to begin your energy efficient cottage house kit journey.
Q. Does this kit house come complete?
A. No. : )
The kit includes our exterior Wall and Roof Packages, which are SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) and provide great insulation. In fact, the R value for the 8 3/8” roof panels has an R-value of 29.3 when tested at 75 degrees F and a 31.6 when tested at 40 degrees F. The 6 5/8” wall panels have an R-value of 22.6 when tested at 75 degrees F and a 24.3 when tested at 40 degrees F.
Note: If you need higher R-values, we can adjust our panels accordingly:
4 5/8” -- R-Value 15
6 5/8” – R-Value 24
8 3/8” – R-Value 31
10 7/16” – R-Value 39
12 7/16” – R-Value 47
Both kits are bare bones: you get beautiful design and structure (SIPs exterior walls & roof, and design documents which your engineer then adjusts for your local zoning/requirements) but you will need to finish the house with a local contractor. We have created a list of windows, cladding & doors to order directly through the vendor to make it easy on purchasers and their contractor.
Q. How much does the kit cost?
A. It varies Slightly depending on your location.
Because of wide variances in local cost of materials and labor, we can not estimate a “finished price.” You get gorgeous “bones” which then you can tailor to your own personal style preferences and budget with your local contractor (who would also address permits/local hurricane/snow load issues, etc. which will also be addressed by our fabricator- as each person purchases a kit, we give the city information to them.)
For example, regarding variable costs, I am building my own modern design (hence, Green Modern Kits) casa ti with a smooth, poured concrete foundation in which radiant coils have been embedded; others might choose a different foundation. I will be hanging plywood on my casa ti walls; others might use dry wall or other choices. You can see a list of my own running costs in my blog, https://greenmodernkits.com/casa-ti1.htm.
A very important consideration when looking for a home lot is our structure’s passive solar design. In order to be their most efficient, these homes must have their designated wall facing true south, and with enough room to have their passive solar design work best.
Contact me for more information currently not on the site.
Q. What is SIPs and why are they Green?
A. SIPs stands for Structural Insulated Panels.
When I first started looking into creating affordable kit homes, I explored metal buildings. Their cost was comprable to what I am offering with SIPs except that my customers would then have to add insulation themselves, adding on thousands of dollars to what they had already purchased as a kit. SIPs resolves the insulation issue, affordably.
And SIPs is green in many ways! The raw materials in our SIPs have low energy requirements to make them. The structural skins of our SIPs are made from renewable controlled growth wood resources. For years and years these structures will save fuel used for heating and cooling. The resulting pollutants from burning fuels like natural gas, oil and coal are dramatically reduced. The environment is then spared the contributing "green house" effect of burning additional fuels that conventionally built structures require.
Q. I like the idea, but I'm not into the "Prefab" look.
A. Well that's why We launched Green Cottage Kits!
Contact me and I will be happy to tell you more. : )
One thing I *am* adamant about is the color. Lightly colored roofs and exteriors have shown to help lower a city's heat index by ten degrees. Sorry, no black, no irresponsible colors. (Who would want a somber black cottage anyway? ; ) Green Cottage Kits is about happy architecture, folks!) Of course, if you live in a northern climate where you need the dark colors to absorb heat, that's a different story.