Building In The Mountains With Mods

The benefits of modular construction become more pronounced when attempting to build high-quality homes, year-round, at elevations between 3,000' and 4,900'. At these elevations, weather can be a formidable opponent. Hauling maximum legal-size modular units a mile-and-a-half up both lanes of a windy road with grades in excess of 15% and curves with radii less than 55' may unsettle many land developers. But for the development team at Mountain Air (Burnsville, NC), it’s all in a day’s work.

Developed by the Banks family, the Mountain Air development includes a private 2,875' paved runway, a mountaintop village complete with restaurants, a lodge, a market, club facilities, 27 holes of championship golf and a full-size driving range. Structures vary from luxurious condominiums to single-family homes and custom home sites. To reduce costs, improve quality and trim the construction schedule of each unit to be built, the developers decided to go modular to create 17 cottage units called Waterfall Cabins.

Choosing A Manufacturer
Although there were plenty to choose from, team leader David Grindstaff and co-manager Kevin Albury ultimately chose Ritz-Craft Corporation (Mifflinburg, PA), which has a manufacturing facility in nearby Hamlet, NC. They toured Ritz-Craft’s demonstration home at the 2007 International Builders’ Show in Orlando, FL. As the layout and design process progressed, Ritz-Craft proved to be exactly the type of firm that Grindstaff and Albury wanted.

Mike Poteat, a Ritz-Craft sales representative for western North Carolina, proved invaluable during the planning process and in providing guidance during delivery. Ron Olson, Ritz-Craft’s plant operations manager, was also instrumental in helping prepare for staging and delivery. For foundations, Grindstaff chose Superior Walls with Ken Spencer in Marion, NC, handling delivery.

“Considering that the Mountain Air team was constructing with modular units for the first time, the entire process went extremely well,” says Albury. “Our goal was to minimize mountain traffic delays. In all, we averaged approximately 45 minutes per box delivery, including trucking, picking and setting the units from the road. Not bad—but in the future, we would like to set units quicker and get people moving sooner.”

Cost overruns were partially attributed to higher-than-expected costs for site preparation and employing a 120-ton crane. Moving modular units up the mountain required widening of the main entrance to the development. Though not terribly expensive, it was disruptive. Another unexpected cost involved removing the Ritz-Craft Tyvek from each gable end, attaching a second layer of sheathing to the existing OSB, reapplying the Tyvek and then tacking on the poplar bark siding. (Bark siding requires more backer than the ½" layer of sheathing.) When connecting both first floor modular units together, Grindstaff chose to conceal all joints with handcrafted pine beams and trim. Though an additional cost, the special effect helps maintain the mountain feel.

Other Lessons Learned
Though satisfied with how the first four units have gone together, the team learned some valuable lessons. Initially, the team chose to install windows and cabinetry on site. “But now we understand that real savings in modular construction means loading each unit with everything that the supplier can provide in one neat package,” Grindstaff says. “With eight more units slated for delivery, we will have Ritz-Craft install their own higher-end windows, cabinetry, countertops, doors and flooring.”

The balance of the other subcontractors also came through with flying colors. Site contractor Young and McQueen stayed ahead of Superior Wall delivery. Carpenters Crowder Banks maintained a high degree of quality. Lang Hornthal of Appalachian Design supplied rustic handmade architectural elements. n

Rod Johnston is director of planning and development at the Mountain Air Country Club.