Recently, the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code Review and Advisory Council voted to mandate the placement of sprinklers in all new one- and two-family residences and townhomes built in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania beginning January 1, 2011. Good thing builders have a little over a year to get ready, right?

While waiting until the last minute might be an option for some builders, it’s not an option for Excel. Instead, the team at Excel Homes has decided to start installing sprinkler systems a little earlier. In fact, we’re going to start right now.

Beginning today, all Excel Homes will include an optional sprinkler system designed to protect a homeowner’s investment and make each home a lot safer. Of course, for now, these sprinkler systems are only optional. But after January 1, 2011, they’ll be mandatory in Pennsylvania (and soon thereafter in many other states). The good news is, that by the time that deadline rolls around, the Excel team is ready.

Our enthusiasm for the new sprinkler law should come as no surprise there many reasons to support the use of sprinkler systems, here are just a few.

• According to the National Fire Sprinkler Association, the addition of sprinklers to homes could prevent more than 3,000 fire-related deaths and 60,000 serious fire-related injuries each year in the United States.
• The typical home fire can reach deadly proportions in just three minutes, while in many cases, it may take 10 or more minutes for the first fire truck to arrive. With a sprinkler system, the fire can be controlled or even extinguished before loss of lives or property.
• The average damage from a fire in a house with a sprinkler system is less than $2,000, compared to more than $17,000 in damage in homes without sprinkler systems.
• In addition to the peace of mind that having a sprinkler system can provide, sprinkler systems also decrease insurance costs and increase a home’s value.

For more information about Excel’s sprinkler system program, check out the brochure on our website.

In an entry in October, we wrote about the trend toward more sensible bathtub options, but a larger indication of the downsizing of American living can be seen as smaller homes begin replacing “McMansions” as the preferred modular housing choice.

That’s right – for today’s homeowners, size really doesn’t matter.

The struggling economy and housing market are likely to blame for the shift, but it’s not altogether a bad thing. Many homeowners are simply realizing that five bedrooms just aren’t necessary, and instead are opting for just enough space to maintain a comfortable life (and a comfortable mortgage payment).

In a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders, nine out of 10 builders reported they are building smaller homes. Architects are saying the same thing. After doubling in size since 1960, it appears that new homes have finally begun shifting back toward the sizes our grandparents embraced in the 1950s… at least for now.

It seems like smaller homes is a popular theme for Modular Musings this month. In our last entry, Excel’s Steve Saffell offered some tips for making small spaces appear larger. We’re hoping the inhabitants of the “pod home” (right) created by Broisson Architects heed Steve’s advice.

These prefab homes are, by definition, modular, but they’re light years away from the modular homes Excel creates. Excel’s custom modular homes are, from a visual standpoint, nearly identical to any other stick-built home on your block. A pod home like this looks more like something you’d expect to see little green men walking out of in a 1950s sci-fi movie. But then again, that’s the appeal for some people.

According to this article, the pods are “carefully designed to contain everything you need to sustain yourself in a small space. […] This three-story home is designed for any socio-economic level, and contains enough sleeping space for three, a kitchen, reading and living area and hydroponia area. Able to be constructed at a speedy pace and built from recycled materials, the architects think this home could be a model for affordable housing.”

Sounds like everything one (or three) might need to live a cozy lifestyle.