Boxabl has taken the prefabricated tiny homes industry by storm in recent years. The highly modular and stackable design of Boxabl homes, combined with sturdy and weather-resistant building materials, makes them one of the most desired prefabricated homes on the market.

The Boxabl tiny home is their single-bedroom apartment with a full-sized kitchen and a living space targeted to the affordable housing market. 

The Casita also contains all the necessary kitchen appliances, like a refrigerator and a dishwasher. You can stack multiple units together to create a truly customized tiny house.

Boxabl factory in Las Vegas makes the basic structure of the Casita from steel, concrete, and EPS paneling, which is very safe for even those sensitive to chemicals. 

The choice of building materials in the construction of a Boxabl tiny home makes it water, mold, and bug-resistant.

In this article, let’s take a closer look at what these amazing homes are made of and whether they will stand the test of time, and if they can withstand any weather conditions. 

Boxabl materials

One of the biggest draws of Boxabl homes, apart from being affordable and modular, is the eco-friendly and safe nature of the construction materials. The houses are not made using traditional materials like wood, so they offer better weather resistance.

Basic Structure

The Boxabl Casita is made from steel, concrete, and EPS structurally integrated panels (SIPS). 

These panels offer excellent mechanical strength and have high R-value insulation, and there is practically no off-gassing. 

One of the most common complaints with synthetic materials is the number of volatile gasses they emit after installation. Thankfully, the Boxabl tiny home panels don’t release volatile chemicals that can pollute the air inside.

The panels are held together with glue that does not emit toxic fumes. The SIPS of a Boxabl tiny home are safe for people with chemical allergies and other respiratory issues, which is a huge plus.

Exterior, interior, and flooring

The company has opted for magnesium oxide board on the interiors of the Casita, which is also a safe material with virtually zero off-gassing. Not only do the magnesium oxide-coated panels look classy, but they also offer great protection from fire and mold. 

The floors of the Casita are covered with glue-down vinyl that also offers a great look. The countertops and other surfaces in the kitchen are constructed using laminate made from melamine glued on top of medium-density fiberboard (MDF).

The kitchen cabinets are made from conventional materials- particleboard and laminate. 

All the materials they use in constructing the Casita are water-resistant and won’t be damaged readily by water like wood. Water resistance is important in ensuring that the Casita is safe when it rains or snows. 

One of the most interesting and distinguishing features of a Boxabl tiny home is the extensive use of glass. The Casita has huge windows all around to let the sunlight in, making your home look bigger. 

However, such huge windows can be a problem if the glass is not the right type. Thankfully Boxabl uses shatter-proof glass thicker than normal window panes in their units. 

It helps to improve the unit's structural integrity and adds a layer of security to your tiny home. 

You can easily customize the glass windows once the home is installed on your property. Many people like to install a window film for added privacy and reduced heating up of the home during the summer season. 

The interior and exterior of the Casita are coated with non-combustible materials, making your Boxabl Casita fire-resistant.

Mold resistance

The material used in constructing the walls and roof of the unit is also mold-resistant as they don't contain any organic compounds like wood.

The company has also paid special attention to the glue used in the laminates to limit the production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) within the finished homes. People who wonder whether living in a fabricated home would suffocate them need not worry. 

The choice of materials in a Boxabl tiny home makes it a safe and sturdy home for someone looking to construct a tiny house on a budget.

Boxabl energy efficiency

Thanks to the choice of construction materials, Boxabl homes are extremely energy efficient. Combined with a high R-value of insulation, a tight building envelope, and limited thermal bridging, the Boxabl Casita is one of the market's most energy-efficient prefabricated tiny homes.

Boxabl Casita’s walls are made from structurally laminated panels manufactured in a precision factory environment, so studs are unnecessary, unlike traditional drywall. 

Also, unlike a traditional site-built home, the absence of studs makes the building envelope tighter, preventing the heat from leaving or entering the building.

Heating and cooling Boxabl is energy efficient

The six-inch thick expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation within the walls makes the Casita an all-weather home.

It means the cost to cool or heat your Boxabl Casita will be much lesser than similar-sized homes made with traditional materials. 

You can imagine the Boxabl tiny home to be designed like a refrigerator where the inside is insulated from all sides with minimum air leaks.

Consequently, a Boxabl tiny home needs much smaller air conditioning units than traditional homes.

Solar panels on a Boxabl 

Another great energy efficiency feature of a Boxabl tiny home is installing solar panels on the Boxabl modular home. 

It is possible to take your tiny house off the grid using solar power. As the energy requirement of the Casita is less, you can rely on solar to provide all the energy you need.

It is also possible to go carbon neutral or even carbon negative using the Boxabl modular homes.

Boxabl customization options

The Boxabl Casita is a 361-square-foot studio apartment with several customization options.

The modular nature of the tiny home unit means that you can arrange several units or even stack them on top of each other to create a design that reflects your personality. 

Unfortunately, you will have to do any customization of your Boxabl once you take possession of the unit. 

It is impossible to customize the Casita unit at the factory level as the company is still perfecting its original Casita Design.

However, once you get the Boxabl tiny home unit installed, you can still have much scope for your living space customization.

Since the Casita comes with almost everything pre-installed, one might think that there is little scope for customization. 

But you will be surprised to know that you can customize much in the Casita to turn it from a house into your home.

The tiny home unit has a front and a back door, and you can easily add a patio to the backdoor area. These rooms are easy to add and offer year-round usage. 

You can install lockable doors and clear window panels to let plenty of light in and give you extra space for relaxation or entertaining your guests.

As the roof of your Casita tiny home is flat, you can easily add an outdoor shed on top. You can choose a shed that matches the look of your Casita and add extra storage space to your tiny home. 

Using these outdoor sheds, you can create a spare room, like an office or personal gym. You can also create these small rooms with windows and locked doors to use as guest rooms. 

You can install an attic-style chair through the roof of your Boxabl or get it installed separately outside the house. 

The Casita tiny home comes with huge 8-feet doors and huge windows. You can easily add security braces to protect your home. 

You can also add window security films that are scratch resistant for increased privacy. The tinted window films can help you reduce cooling costs by blocking the sun's IR rays during the day.

The company plans to provide customized downloadable engineering plans for customers in the near future. 

Boxabl is also in the process of producing various add-on options to enable the owners of a Casita tiny home to customize it further.

Is the Boxabl design durable?

A Boxabl tiny home is extremely durable due to the material used in their construction. According to the company, the Boxable Casita can last up to 100 years. The houses can withstand the harshest weather conditions without suffering any damage.

The steel frame of a Boxabl tiny home, combined with the concrete footing, makes these homes very strong and resistant to high-speed winds and earthquakes.

The Casita's interior and exterior are covered with fire-retardant material to protect your home from potential fire incidences. 

The floor of the units is made from a water-resistant material that prevents any water damage from potential leaks and plumbing issues.

The laminated walls of the SIPS are mold-resistant and impervious to condensation. As there are no studs and drywalls made from lumber, there is a significantly reduced possibility of developing cracks.

Are Boxabl homes hurricane-proof?

Boxable prefabricated tiny homes can withstand hurricane-speed winds and flooding, making them hurricane-proof. As there are no joints and studs in the walls, the Casita has greater structural integrity than an average building. 

There are virtually no leaks in the walls ensuring the hurricane winds don’t enter the home. As the walls are made from a single piece of paneling, there is no joint, making the structure capable of withstanding a lot of force from the hurricane winds. 

Boxabl homes meet the state requirements and pass local inspections for withstanding category five hurricanes. The units have air-tight and water-tight panels, floors, and roofs. 

All the glass used in the Boxabl modular tiny home is impact resistant, and the house floor is elevated off the ground to provide additional safety from flooding as per local building code.

A Boxabl tiny home can offer better protection against flying debris and is generally safer than conventional construction in hurricane-speed winds. 

Some states mandate that your auxiliary dwelling unit be built on permanent foundations. The concrete foundation improves the stability of the home during hurricanes and storms. 

It is a good idea to install your Boxabl on a concrete foundation even if your state does not mandate it. 

Are Boxabl homes safe when it snows?

Boxable homes are designed for the North American climate, where snow is common. Although the roof of a Boxabl home is flat, they are built to specified government-approved snow load ratings. 

It means the top of the Casita can hold the required snow without caving in or suffering any damage.  That said, there are no gutters pre-installed on the flat roof system of the Casita. 

Once the system arrives on your property, you will need to install gutters before the snow season to ensure proper drainage of the room modules. The situation can get a bit trickier if you are thinking of stacking multiple units on top of each other.

You might want to talk to a Boxabl-certified technician/installer to get an idea of how to manage the roof drainage on your Boxabl home. 

Boxabl can provide your installer plans to erect a pitched roof if you want it instead of the default flat roof. 

In some states, where a pitched top is mandatory, the installer will directly install a pitched roof once the Boxabl is on the site.

A Boxabl tiny home has a tight building envelope, so the melting snow is less likely to leak into your home, provided a proper drainage system is installed. 

It is also important to remember that, like any other home, modular, pre-fabricated homes also need regular maintenance. You will need to ensure that the gutters are not clogged and that the roof is properly cleaned before the winter. 

Are Boxabl homes water and mold resistant?

Boxabl homes, fabricated in their Las Vegas factory, are made from steel, concrete, and Styrofoam (EPS) paneling, which makes them water-resistant. Also, as long as the paneling remains intact, the homes are mold resistant.

No organic materials like wood and sheetrock are used to construct the Boxabl units, making them virtually protected from water or mold damage. In contrast to a traditionally built home, Boxabl homes are less prone to develop mold colonies even in warm and moist places. 

Even after a flooding incident, a Boxabl tiny home suffers less damage than traditional homes made from wood and other organic materials.

Is the Boxabl design fireproof?

Fire damage is one of the biggest reasons for property damage, and tiny homes can be especially vulnerable. The Boxabl home is engineered with fire resistance in mind to address this problem. 

The company does not claim that the houses are fireproof, but they have used materials that can withstand fire better than traditional materials.

The Casita's interior and exterior are clad with a fire-retardant material that won’t catch fire by flying embers from your barbecue. 

The company claims that the material in the Casita is more resistant to fire damage than wood and sheetrock, used in the construction of most tiny homes.

How long does it take to build a Boxabl home?

A Boxabl home can be assembled after site setup in as little as one hour by a Boxabl-certified installer. When you purchase a unit, the company will connect you to your local installer, and they will do all the installation processes once the shipment arrives on your property.

Boxabl sells room modules that can significantly shorten the construction time. However, you must understand that other things must be done before you can move into your Boxabl home after it is installed on your property. 

Before moving into the unit, you will still need to install a roofing system, bathroom furnishings, windows, and utility hookups. Connecting your power and water supply to your new tiny home can take varying times. 

If you want additional features, the time for assembly can vary, depending on the availability and complexity of the modification. 

Conclusion

The Boxabl building system is eco-friendly, easy to assemble, safe and durable, thanks to the choice of material used in its fabrication. 

The high-quality material ensures that your home will be safe from water, mold, and fire damage. The Casita tiny home units can also withstand hurricane-speed winds and other natural disasters.

If you are interested in knowing more about Boxabl homes and how to customize them to suit your needs, keep checking our coverage on Boxabl homes at Tiny House. You will also find a lot of informative content about tiny living that will help you design the tiny home of your dreams.