TOPSIDER HOMES

Since I liked the first Topsider Home I bought and erected so much, I bought two. The first one in the Virgin Islands which I built on a beach on the steep slope of an extinct Volcano and the other on a steep slope in the Redwood Forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. I selected Topsider for both houses for three primary reasons: 1. Ease of construction on a steeply sloping lot; 2. Ability to maximize the beachfront and mountain views with 270 degrees of floor to ceiling glass; and 3. The comfort of knowing that the homes could withstand the hurricane force winds and seismic forces of earthquakes in both the Virgin Islands and the very active San Andreas Fault area in California. My Virgin Island home just survived, 100% structurally intact, from the double whammy dead on hits from the eyewall of Hurricane Irma with recorded sustained winds of 275 MPH and 2 weeks later from the opposite side, Hurricane Maria at 185 MPH. All I lost was a few feet of plastic gutter and some decking. Both homes have been tested with multiple earthquakes and although the homes moved on their foundations up to 6" from side to side, the design strength inherent in the post and beam design of the homes allowed the home to flex with no damage. Topsiders flexible design options allowed me to pick a 165 MPH wind force coastal design package and with the factor of safety of 2.0, I got the 330 MPH I needed for Hurricane Irma. 20 of 25 homes in my neighborhood, some of them heavily reinforced concrete homes, did not survive. Having built two Topsider homes and after a visit to their factory, and I can attest to the quality control and customer service exercised by Topsider. They even gave me their home phone numbers and personal cell phone numbers to maximize the great customer service they offer. My two sons and five of their closest friends erected my first home in three weeks. With me supervising and my wife serving as chief cook and site manager, we had a family bonding experience that will give us positive rewarding memories for generations to come. I highly recommend Topsider for your next home. And if your wondering I do not work for, receive any compensation or other rewards by giving this honest review. They are a great company.

Topsider Homes earned our confidence in all aspects of its offerings: innovative design; soundness and efficacy of engineering; strength of the structure; quality of components; and, accessibility of service during construction. The construction blueprints, manuals and videos are clear and precise in every detail, which assures that builders, building inspectors and owners are provided all the information for project installation and inspections of the Topsider-provided prefabricated components and to assure effective tie-in of any necessary builder-provided components (such as decks, patios, entranceways and site preparation). Construction of any kind is always full of challenges as a consequence of the variability in the qualities of the builder and his subs. We spent months working with Topsider to locate a builder experienced in installing a Topsider or similar prefabricated home…but found that this was not necessary as the construction information provided by Topsider makes it possible for any competent builder and subs to properly erect the structure. Topsider people were always available and responsive to provide answers and solutions to construction questions and issues. Our contract was entered into in April 2016. The County Building Inspector issued his Certificate of Occupancy in March 2017. Since that time there have been no quality issues with Topsider materials or design. As regards design and engineering we are particularly pleased with the strength of the structure in dealing with frequent high winds and gusts at our mountain site…a consequence of all load bearing components being focused on the center steel beam which allows interior room design flexibility and utilization of ductless HVAC systems. We are particularly pleased that we included the optional Cupola. The R-39 hard insulation components make the home energy efficient and add strength and integrity of the overall structure. The space inside the pedestal accommodates and secures electric and water utilities. In our relatively cold climate it has been necessary to install electric heating “tapes” to water lines and drains extending from the pedestal, which is the responsibility of the builder, but which really should be noted in the blueprints and builder instructions. We are pleased with our Topsider home and recommend the company to others.