Technical Specs

& Finishes

Our innovative panel board system allows us to create architecturally-designed dream homes for ordinary kiwis. Contemporary design with good aesthetics, yet still maintaining an excellent living environment that is airtight, quiet and warm.

 

Good design is flexible, which is why Modbox designs are modular. Use of specific standardised panels means the size and use of your home can be changed to suit you, without every detail having to change. So not only is our building process more streamlined, so is our design process. You can choose the layout and size without running up crazy architectural bills - we would rather you put that money into your home, not a blueprint!

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What makes us special?

 

SUSTAINABILITY

At Modbox, we aim to use products that are energy efficient, help reduce environmental impact and are engineered with high quality whilst providing you with a home that will be comfortable and affordable to run. Panelboard is produced locally from the Aupouri forest which was planted as a way to prevent erosion of the sand dunes in Northland, eventually becoming a large commercial forest.

 

EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT

Panelboard is a 3 layered panel with a wood strand core sandwiched between an MDF outer "skin". The result is a clean lined panel that has high impact resistance products. The dimensionally stable core provides superb load bearing and screw holding, and the MDF surfaces give a smooth finish for painting or overlaying (no gib stopping needed!).

 

FAST TO CONSTRUCT

Panelboard walls are cut with onsite efficiency in mind.

All walls are numbered to a corresponding numbered floor plan and are stacked in order so minimal onsite lifting is required.

Our Finishes

Panel Board

For all of our designs, we use high-density Panelboard as the cornerstone of our building process. Panelboard is engineered from 100% sustainable New Zealand Radiata pine and is made in accordance with strict quality and environmental standards (ISO, FSC). The panels are manufactured in Kaitaia, New Zealand from self-renewing forests. Not only is Panelboard cost effective to use as it speeds up the building process, it provides superior inner strength and stability with excellent load bearing capabilities and a superior finish compared to conventional wall linings. Panelboard allows you to recycle and reuse offcuts as doors, shelves further reducing the extra costs with building and optimises the useable internal space by up to 6%. The board itself is all pre-cut and pre-finished ready for paint. When the units are erected the wiring is all set into the board and there is no need for gib, plaster or priming which makes a perfect smooth finish ready to hang anything on. No need to find a stud as there aren't any! Before any boards are used as housing panels and to meet E1 classification when tested in accordance with the AS/NZS 1859.1:1997 Standards, they are coated and sealed in the factory significantly reducing the amount of formaldehyde given off by the board. Recent test carried out for air born formaldehyde showed results that Triboard emitted between 0.02 parts per million (ppm) to 0.08ppm. By way of comparison the Workplace Australia and NZ Occupational Safety & Health workplace exposure standard of formaldehyde is specified as 1 ppm. Buildings made from Panel board in accordance with AS 4055 can withstand up to and including a maximum gust wind speed of 55 m/s. When installed correctly, the Triboard Inter-tenancy Wall System is rated to a sound transmission class (STC) of 56 dB.



Exterior Joinery

Our exterior aluminium window joinery is available in a wide range of colour coatings and finishes with colour matched hardware. The advanced technology allows for the option of thermal break, argon gas, tint or low e max.



Insulation

Walls Over our walls we use Expol Platinum R2.19, 70mm coupled with Solitex Extasana wall underlay to provide the ultimate form of protection from the weather in both summer and winter. Solitex Extrasana is a premium external wall underlay that is a high performance monolithic nonporous membrane that is diffusion open from the inside allowing moisture to pass through saving any structural damage from moisture trapped within the building envelope. Solitex Extrasana has high external water resistance (water column more than 10,000mm) and low vapour resistant with a MVTR value lower than 0.75MNs/g making it highly durable under all conditions. Best of all, Solitex Extrasana is energy efficient, recyclable and emits no toxic gases when burned. Ceiling Modbox uses Earthwool R5.2, 210mm ceiling insulation which is made using recycled glass bottles and sand. Earthwool is a high performance glasswool insulation product with combined energy saving, sound absorbing and fire resistance features. Earthwool has no added phenol or formaldehyde for enhanced indoor air quality and the glasswool insulation represents a new benchmark for sustainability in construction in New Zealand. Under Floor For under timber floors, we use Knauf Earthwool R6.3, 275mm insulation designed specifically to insulate against cold, damp conditions under your floor. Expol is made from a fire retardent Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and contains 30% recycled content and is not affected by moisture nor will degrade over time giving you warmer, dryer floors for longer, not to mention saving on your power bills.



Kitchen

Modbox offers a range of standard kitchen options designed specifically to suit our House designs. View our kitchen plans here.



Plumbing Fittings

Included in our bathrooms is the Bloc range by Mizu. View the range here.



Floor Coverings

Included in our pricing is vinyl planking in the living and kitchens. View the overview here.



Heating

Various heating options can be installed although we like to use the Bosca Limit 380 wood fire. This fire is contemporary and suits the style of our Modbox's. The high heat output is 17kW which is adequate for our standard designs. The fires come with various flue and hearth options to suit your preferences.



Appliances

Included in our kitchens are Bosch appliances. Discover more here.



Exterior Cladding

We have a range of options for cladding which can be chosen to suit your style and budget. Our design team can help to assist you in choosing the best product for your project. Cedar comes in various widths, orientation and stain colours. Many of our completed projects in the Gallery have used Cedar. There are three options for iron profiles including Corrugate, Alpine Tray and 5 Rib. These are available in the Colorsteel colours. There are various options for fibre cement sheet cladding such as Titan Board and Linea which can be painted any colour.