Frequently asked questions

As owners and operators of buildings across several sectors we are obsessed with our clients, the buildings residents. There is nothing more important to us than their safety. Therefore, we take an engineered approach to fire safety, appointing an external fire consultant to review, approve and insure all the details within our buildings. To support this approach, we have conducted our own fire testing. This allows us to interrogate temperature readings to understand how our build ups perform as well as ensuring our buildings exceed the regulatory requirements.

Our buildings are constructed from Modules that bear only on their corners. This approach limits the contact between adjoining modules, giving best in class thermal and acoustic performance. We have invested in the detailed design of our products ensuring all interfaces are optimised, for example, even with a complete separate party floor and ceiling build up, we can achieve a per storey height of 2775mm with a clear internal height of 2400mm. Our approach is the ensure our clients receive the flexibility they require; therefore, we can configure our products to meet your exact requirements.

Yes, that is possible, we believe that the materials and finish used should be dictated by our clients’ specifications, not imposed by us. Our internal design team will work with you to put together material and colour pallets to ensure that your exact brief is met.

Ensuring the interfaces with other structures involved in the project meet the same tolerance as the factory produced modules is key to the success of the project. We have invested heavily in developing interfaces that have the same level of design definition as our factory products and require minimal site activity. We have engaged with our supply chain and an external fire consultant to ensure all our details are approved and warrantied before they go into production.

Homes built using modular construction are becoming an increasing part of the UK housing stock, this has led to the major mortgage lenders offering mortgages specifically for homes built using modular construction. Stelling Properties is accredited by BOPAS, this gives our customers and mortgage lenders the confidence that our homes have the robustness and durability for two mortgage terms equivalent to 60yrs as required by the mortgage lenders. The material in our homes is designed to last significantly longer, as a result there is no limit to the actual lifespan of our buildings.

No there will be no shrinkage of the buildings as the primary structural material used in our homes is Hot Rolled Steel. We do not innovate with the materials used within the building, just how they are put together. This approach produces primary columns that support the modules. As the building is assembled, the load in these columns increases, but the load in each module remains the same, this minimises any settling effects. Transport lifting and staking trials have proved that our system does not suffer from deflection or decorative cracks from transport, lifting or assembly.

Yes, a major benefit of our system is the reduction in time required on site. We regularly achieve a hook time, the moment the module is lifted from the back the lorry to being landed in the stack and disconnected from the crane, of 4 minutes. This enables 12 modules to be installed a day, with plenty of buffer time. A 100-module development can be assembled within 2 weeks. We can adjust our factories output depending on the pipeline, this capability with our storage facility allows modules to be production to be tailored to your project, maximising efficiency.

It should not be when considering the full project cost and, in most cases, it is less expensive as we are obsessed with efficiency. Both in terms of material usage and how to build our modules and developments. This obsession combined with a passion for manufacturing innovation puts us at the cutting edge of the modular industry. From exploring robotic welding within our frames to automating the lifting of our finished modules, we are investing in ways that will allow us to reduce cost. We also work with our supply chain, putting supply chain agreements in place, giving you cost certainty months in advance. As an end-to-end developer, we will always do things where they are most efficient.

Our homes are BOPAS accredited, the leading industry standard for modular construction. The level of design detail requires to manufacture a product is greater than required for traditional construction. This detail allows us to work with warranty providers and insurers to tore view and approve details both manufacturing starts. Our current projects have secured Buildzone residential warranty.

Yes, both traditional construction and modern methods of construction can be used in conjunction on the same project. As an end-to-end developer we understand that there will always be site activities, with some elements benefiting from traditional construction methods. Our experience has taught us if particular focus is paid to the interface between modular and traditional interfaces that they can be used together very successfully. We have a set of details and interfaces, which are always expanding, that have been developed and proven on our internal pipeline that we are able to deploy into any future projects.

Yes, due to the standardisation of the product, modular construction does provide the opportunity to deliver better quality. One of the biggest differences between modular and traditional construction is the level of control modular offers. This is true both for people and processes, but also for the environment. All our employees work to assembly drawings with standard operating procedures. These procedures have hold points in them where quality inspectors come and verify their work before documenting the inspection. These inspection reports along with photographic evidence form a ‘birth certificate’ that accompanies every module we produce. We are also able to control the working environment. The modules are built in dry, heated factories with industrial dust extraction that protects our employees’ health.

Stelling Properties are committed to delivering Net Zero homes, to support this we are on a mission to build a business that does not emit any carbon. Whilst there are some actions we have already taken; some aspect of our supply chain will emit carbon for years to come before sustainable alternative are available. We are working to reduce the number of materials of this kind we use whilst offsetting the carbon from those materials today, for example a recent structural innovation reduced steel content of a current development by 20%. We have partnered with Cardiff University to study the embodied and operational carbon produced by our developments, allowing us to make informed decisions on how to tackle this most effectively in the future. We have also partnered with Ecologi to offset all the carbon emissions from our employees professional and personal lives.

The key to simplifying developments and delivering high quality buildings is control of tolerance. We employ an approach common with Toyota’s manufacturing model of partnering with our supply chain to ensure the correct quality is achieved. Instead of setting requirements and waiting to see if they are met, we are proactive, investing in our suppliers, providing designs and funding for tooling that makes it easy from them to deliver to the required tolerance.

We have found that collaborative, open working with early engagement of the design team is the best way to drive value for all parties and the biggest difference to the procurement process. The key to delivering a high-quality modular development efficiently is making the developments as standard as possible. By engaging with us early your development will benefit, as we work together to maximise value for all parties.