Proto Homes – From the Outside In

When it comes to our homes, we sometimes have a hard time explaining all the things that make Proto Homes such a unique product. We often get asked why our homes are special, and what features they have that make them such a stand-alone product when stacked up against the other prefab home-builders out there.

The truth is that from the core to the door, a Proto House is very different from a typical house, or even a typical prefab. The features that make it so are many, and so we decided to write a series of blog posts about it, this being the first, which is focused on the exterior of a Proto Home.

On the Outside: A Maintenance-Free Approach to Your Home

The toughest challenge of home ownership is all the maintenance. You’ll hear new homeowners say nothing ever prepared them for the work it takes to keep their house running. But what would happen if you could eliminate that work?

Much of it is already possible – by making your home truly weather-resistant.

Most homes go through the same tedious weatherizing process every year. Before summer or winter storms roll in, homeowners need to ensure a home’s joints are sealed. Gutters need to be cleaned – a groan-inducing chore – dreaded no matter the season.

There are so many cracks and crevices in an average home, and waterproofing can go on for weeks. It’s not foolproof – and it can cost thousands. Luckily, since all that work focuses on preventing water damage, it can be cut out in one stroke.

Proto Homes takes exterior maintenance out of the equation.

Here’s how we do it:

In traditional homes, waterproofing is one of the last steps. But at Proto, we’ve made it one of the first: Once the house is built, it’s wrapped in a “bulletproof” waterproof membrane. This happens before exterior layers (called cladding) are applied.

Thanks to a unique half-inch gap between the cladding and waterproofing, water moves freely down without touching anything that could wear out or rot. Water can hit the home – through rain or washing – and slide behind the waterproofing damage-free every time. Anything prone to weather damage is safe and protected.

Climate Control and Energy Efficiency Come from Within

In traditional buildings, problems in one room make the problems in others worse. A modern prefabricated home does the opposite: Efficiencies in one area make the others more comfortable and personal.

Climate control is one way this really comes through.

No matter whether you’re heating the home in the winter or cooling off in the summer, the one-inch gap we mentioned, touched on earlier between the cladding and the home, helps you do it faster. That gap makes all the difference when insulating the interior of your home from the changes in temperature or weather conditions. It insulates the interior walls, and provides relief from a sweltering Los Angeles summer, or a chilly winter night.

Not only will you be more comfortable, but your air conditioning (if you even need it) won’t have to work nearly as hard to reach the temperature you want. And when winter storms spring up, you will still be warm and toasty.

A Sleek, Sophisticated Roof Makes Your Home Easy to Care For

The roof is what separates you from the elements. It links the inside and the outside of your home, and everything that affects the roof can, in fact, impact your whole home. For example, roof damage can cause problems with the foundation down the line. Leaks, mold, or mildew on the roof make the inside unsafe.

Let’s consider for a moment a traditional A-frame roofline, the kind that a kid would draw. That is the most common and ubiquitous roof that exists, all across the globe. Why? One word: Waterproofing. It’s the reason most houses have sloped or gabled roofs. It’s also why architects have always tried to hide and reinforce roof joints. To make a long story short, those joints are the weak points.

With Proto Homes, we’ve ditched those old-fashioned roofs in favor of the modern, flat roofline that we’re known for. Here’s why:

With a sloped roof, you have to have an attic. In Los Angeles and other areas with strict rules on how tall a home can be, this is wasted space you don’t get to enjoy. Eliminate the attic and you open yourself up to soaring rooflines and a home that feels much more open and spacious.

What about those dreaded gutters? A Proto Homes roof doesn’t even have one.

Instead, a central roof drain captures and diverts rainwater for you. You can store it for later or use it however you want. Want to irrigate your own garden? Totally doable.

As for the edges of the roof that jut out and make a home distinctly Proto, these “eyebrows” are our modern take on the cornice, the decorative crown on a roof. Because it’s attached to the cladding instead of the structure, it won’t decay or sag. Of course, it’s waterproof, too.

A Proto Home Is Able to Adapt and Change with You over Time.

With no need for regular maintenance, all the different parts of a home can be replaced whenever you want. All of our homes are created in a way that the components they are made up of can be updated, changed, tweaked, moved and upgraded.

When you look at a Tesla, an iPhone, or any other piece of modern tech, you know it’s made of many amazing components, all working together. Why should your home be any different?

If you decide to update the look of your home, it’s as easy as switching one component for another. You can change your primary and accent colors at any time. Not only is it possible, but it’s what our homes are built to do. No matter how your tastes change over time, your house will be able to move through life with you, changing, and growing as you do the same.

From the inside out, and the outside in, Proto Homes are designed to minimize the time, effort, and money spent on all the “little things” that can take the fun out of owning your own home.

The difference in our homes isn’t just superficial;

When you scratch the surface, you’ll see it.

To find out more, contact us today.

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