Factory Tour

Design Homes builds around 700 homes per year. Most of these houses are produced in one of four factories at our corporate location in Prairie du Chien, WI. We also have a factory based in Salix, IA, which is just south of Sioux City, IA. Although each factory "specializes" in certain sizes and/or types of homes, the process is basically the same in each. The photos below show the general flow of a home through the factory.

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This picture shows an overview of one of our factories. The home begins at the floor stage and progresses through the wall stage, roof stage, finish stage, and trim stage.

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At the floor stage, each section of the home is framed out with 2x10 joists (doubled on the long sides) and reinforced with 2x4 bridging. Then 3/4" T&G plywood is glued and nailed down for flooring (screws are used under vinyl flooring). The floorcoverings are also put down and protected with a plastic film during construction.

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The walls are built on flat tables and lifted into place with overhead hoists. The exterior walls are 8" thick (2x6 studs and double sheathings on the outside--1/2" gypsum on the inside--screwed on--R 25.5). Interior walls are 2x4 studs with 1/2" gypsum--taped and plastered and sprayed with plaster texture. At this stage, some plumbing and wiring is also started, and the home begins to take shape.

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The roof is also built on a table and hoisted into position on top of the walls. By building the roof on flat tables, we are able to keep them straight and square. The truss rafters on a standard ranch are 24" on-center with 14-1/2" of insulation for R-51! Story & 1/2 homes have rafters that are 16" on-center.

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Once the roof is on, the home is moved up to the finish stage where it will be sided and shingled; windows and doors will be installed, and the interior walls will be taped & plastered & sprayed with texture. At this stage the home is structurally built, and finishing work begins.

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The last stage is called the trim stage. Here the kitchen cabinets, countertops, and interior woodwork is installed completing the home. The floor plastic is also removed and the house is vacuumed and loaded with the furnace, ductwork, and other materials which, by necessity, must be installed at the site. When everything is finished, an undercarriage is moved in, the home is bolted on, and moved outside to a staging area to await delivery.