Walked through a half-finished apartment complex and changed my mind about prefab

I used to think prefab walls were cheap and flimsy, but then I checked out a job site in Denver where they were using them for a 12-story building. The tolerances were tighter than what we usually get with stick framing, like within 1/8 inch. Has anyone else seen prefab hold up better than expected on a tall project?

2 comments

2 Comments

tessa_hill863d ago

The Denver crew I saw had those panels stacked 30 feet high and everything still lined up like Legos. I have a bad habit of dropping my tape measure on the ground, so anything within 1/8 inch feels like a miracle to me. Prefab always seemed like it would rattle apart in a windstorm, but those joints were sealed tight enough to hold air. My own framing joints usually look like I used a butter knife and a prayer, so I was impressed. It honestly made me wonder if stick framing is just the slow hard way to do things at this point.

the_stella3d ago

Are you telling me prefab can actually handle that kind of height without a single wobble? Because I've been on job sites where my stick-framed walls looked like they were auditioning for a funhouse. I once spent an hour trying to get a corner to sit square and finally just nailed it shut with a prayer and some glue. So hearing that everything lined up like Lego makes me wonder if my tape measure is actually the problem not the panels. Maybe they sell a bubble level built into a hammer at the lumberyard and I just missed it.