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Modular Mountain Retreat > Episode 8: Direct Vent Heat and Composite Deck Materials

Composite Deck Installation

Project: Modular Mountain Retreat, Episode 8, Part 2

First, Bob reviews progress on the interior of the modular home. Steve Roth from Style Solutions demonstrates a new crown molding system that does not require complicated miter cuts. The moldings, which are available in a variety of styles, come pre-finished (painting optional). No special tools are needed to join the molding sections, making it an easy install for weekend handymen. In the great room, a direct vent gas fireplace from Vermont Castings is being installed.

Out on the back deck, Jim Precht and his crew are installing a new Weyerhaeuser ChoiceDek composite deck and railing system. The low-maintenance decking is made from recycled wood and plastic and does not require a stain or finish.

Part 1: Direct-Vent Fireplace Installation
Part 2: Composite Deck Installation: Jim Precht from Advanced Environmental Recycling Technology (AERT) shows off a recycled deck material that uses no "first use" materials.

The modular home's exterior deck is made of 50% recycled wood and 50% recycled plastic. The plastic, a mix of low- and high-density material originated from foam plates (low) and grocery bags (high). The wood used is from waste products in the perfume, trucking and building industries. Called ChoiceDek and manufactured by Weyerhaeuser, it is guaranteed for ten years and is not affected by termites. It is almost impervious to moisture so it does not need to be stained or sealed.

Bob is introduced to a tool common in the decking industry, a 30-inch powered screw gun that allows fasteners to be sunk without bending over.
Part 3: Composite Deck Railing Installation

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 3 - Modular Construction, Wiring, and Drywall
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Description:
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.
Episode 4 - Interior and Exterior Finishes on a Modular Home
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 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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