Part 2

It's raining cats and dogs outside now, but inside the work goes merrily along where it's still bright and dry.

Work inside the house at the next couple of stations, is primarily sheetrock taping as they go through the traditional three-step finishing method. While on the outside, the windows and French doors are installed and the roof is built.

If you've ever shingled a roof or even watched it being done, seeing these professionals do it just makes you shake your head in wonder. They begin on a mezzanine level at exactly the level of the overhangs so they don't have to step up too high to get on the roof. The mezzanine is fed with shingles from a forklift below. Also, the roof area is nearly flat now, since it is hinged in its lowered position (it will be tilted up to its designed height once the home reaches the owner's building site) so these carpenters need no ladders or special scaffolding to work on the roof. All they have to do is reach up and grab an air hose and they are ready to start their auto-nailers. Two men blanket a roof with shingles at warp speed. Simply amazing.

At the next couple of stops you see the module pass through the kitchen and interior trim shops. The plumber finishes hooking up sinks, mirrors are hung, and ceramic tile is grouted into place around a whirlpool tub.

Just before the module goes out the door, the interior is swept clean, it's wrapped tightly in sheets of plastic, and then loaded onto its transport carrier for its trip to the building site.

Once the modules are delivered to the site and erected with a crane and bolted together, you've got a new home that's nearly complete, which was built faster, safer and under the best conditions.

Yet, this is no cookie cutter operation.

"In the very beginning, all we built were ranches and raised ranches, most of which were picked from standard brochure plans. Now, almost everything we build is custom and we've got that down to a science too. We found we can produce custom plans for less money than producing new standard plans in colorful brochures," says Richard Wildermuth.

Why modular homes are a better choice for so many people?