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Modular Mountain Retreat > Episode 3: Modular Construction, Wiring, and Drywall

Building a Custom Modular Staircase

Project: Modular Mountain Retreat, Episode 3, Part 3

All of the work in progress is going on indoors, safe from the elements that can slow traditional home construction. The work underway includes roof assembly, subfloor installation, wall framing, and drywall application for the house's main living areas.

Tasks that are also ongoing include spackling and sanding, installing insulation, applying wall and roof sheathing, plus house wrapping and interior trim work.

Leviton structured wire boxes, which will form the backbone of the home's voice and data system, are also being installed, while, at the Simplex stair shop, the staircase for the project houses is being carefully assembled.

Part 1: Tour of the Simplex Modular Home Factory
Part 2: High-Speed Drywall Finishing
Part 3: Building a Custom Modular Staircase: Bob checks in with Thomas "Doc" Dougherty, the stair builder at Simplex Industries, to get a status update on the staircase construction Doc is overseeing for the modular home. Each staircase built at the Simplex plant is built specifically for one specific home.

Beautifully sited on wooded acreage with breathtaking views of some of the most beautiful countryside in New England, this Arts and Crafts style bungalow certainly doesn't look factory-built. You'd never know it was a modular home unless Bob took you to the Pennsylvania factory where it was built, almost from start to finish.

The house goes down the assembly line from framing, through wiring and plumbing, all the way to the installation of flooring and priming for paint.

The house is trucked to its pre-fabricated foundations on the lot, and start all the finishing touches that will prove that a modular house doesn't have to be a cookie-cutter affair.

Also from Modular Mountain Retreat

Episode 1 - Modular Home Construction and Site Preparation
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Description:
Bob and his crew travel to western Massachusetts to feature the construction and on-site assembly of a modular home in the Berkshires Hills. Simplex Industries is building the home in Scranton, PA. Bob visits the Simplex factory to witness the the prefab process. Pat Fricchione, Jr., owner of Simplex, tells Bob the history of the company, remarking on how the image of modular construction has changed over the years. While touring the building site, Bob gives an overview of the rustic Berkshires area before joining general contractor Michael Shiels to discuss the foundation prep work that is underway.
Episode 2 - Modular Construction Details and Foundation Work
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Description:
The crew from Superior Walls is preparing for the pre-cast foundation walls, which will provide the base for the modular home. To learn about the manufacturing process for the pre-cast panels, Bob travels back to the Simplex plant in Scranton PA, where he sees how each module is framed and prepped for delivery. Back in the Berkshires, once the panels have been lowered into place by crane, Mel Zimmerman from Superior Walls explains the foundation assembly process.
Episode 4 - Interior and Exterior Finishes on a Modular Home
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Description:
Work continues at the Simplex Industries plant in Scranton, PA. The interior finishes are being installed-- the modules will soon be ready for transport to the home site in the Berkshires. Prefinished hardwood floors from Bellawood are being installed throughout the house. In the kitchen, cabinets and countertops are being laid down. Bill Dongas from Pella windows is on location to explains the installation of the Pella's Architect series windows, while plant workers put up the engineered wood exterior siding.
Episode 5 - Assembling a Modular Home
Episode 6 - Shake Roof and Stone Façade for Modular Home
Episode 7 - Panelized Cedar Shingles, a Metal Roof, and The Mount
Episode 8 - Direct Vent Heat and Composite Deck Materials
Episode 9 - Energy Efficient Heat, Column Deck Supports, and The Mount
Episode 10 - Berkshires Architecture, Shakespeare & Co., and Structured Wiring
Episode 11 - Introducing Elm Court
Episode 12 - Sound Insulation and Restored Rooms at Elm Court
Episode 13 - Elm Court Decor and Ongoing Restoration

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