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A study points the way to making them healthy by dealing with moisture problems. One of the great things about owning a mobile home is that there are many things that a typical DIY oriented individual can do. Most everything is more easily accessed in a mobile home; especially the plumbing underneath. The reason we do this is that we can get a great unit that is either refurbished or a a newer repossessed unit. We make close connections with a few HVAC professionals who usually have a great unit that we can purchase and install for less than $2,000. It seems that every mobile home we have purchased, for investment or otherwise has had issues with the HVAC system.
Like any site-built home, a manufactured home can and will deteriorate over time if left to the elements or faulty maintenance. Site prep and grading is so very important when it comes to a healthy and longlasting manufactured home. It doesn’t just stop at installation, as an owner you need to be on the lookout for puddles, leaks, and other issues that can damage your home.
How to Recognize Signs of Moisture Problems in your Manufactured Home
This helps keep out moisture as well as insects and other rodents from entering. In homes that are usually more than 20 years old, I find that the original air-handling unit inside the home is in poor condition, or is not working at all. I also find that the sheet metal ductwork underneath the home has developed air leaks at the connection junction to the air handler as well as the various floor vents throughout the home. All of this causes inefficiencies for the HVAC system.
DETECTION – Visually inspect each window from the exterior and the interior. Look closely at the window seals to see if there is any rot visible. If there is surface damage or rot, the damage could be far worse inside the wall. Walk through the home and push hard on any exterior wall.
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An FSEC study done last year showed that each ºF drop in controlled temperature causes an approximate 10% increase in cooling costs. SOLUTION – Window leaks can be the most difficult to deal with. If you can tell the leak has been significant, you will need to remove the wall surface inside, or the siding on the exterior in order to repair.
I don’t quite understand it all but a central air unit that is too large for your home can actually cost a ton more to cool it, and it can create a lot of moisture in the air that can damage your lovely home. Have a home inspection done by a professional that is familiar with mobile homes. This is the cheapest insurance you can buy for making sure you know the issues of the home before making the purchase.
How to Dry Out under a Mobile Home : HANDLE MOISTURE PROBLEMS
If they are cement piers or cinder blocks, check to make sure that they are still straight vertically. If they have tilted, chances are the foundation they are sitting on has begun to sink. If this is the case, they will need to be removed, and the cement footing replaced or repaired.
Repair any missing insulation and belly-wrap underneath the home. This can be done by taking new plastic sheeting and spreading it over a much larger area than the damaged part. SOLUTION – If add-ons exist, look to see how the weight transfer next to the mobile home as designed. There should be load-bearing support posts outside of the mobile home to carry the weight of the structure down to the ground. If the proper load transfer system is not in place, this must be built to solve the problem. DETECTION – When walking through a mobile home, your sense of balance will help you determine if the floor sags or slopes.
More Sources of Moisture Problems in Manufactured Homes
This allows quite a bit of havoc to occur which can damage many mobile home systems. Older manufactured homes can be a great investment or a very reasonably priced place to make a home. If taken care of and maintained well, these homes can appreciate in value over time.
If not built properly, these can cause damage to the homes’ roof, foundation, walls, and electrical systems. Covered awnings and porches are the most common additions that you’ll run across with mobile homes. Most professionally installed covered awnings are made of very lightweight aluminum. These will usually attach to the roof of the mobile home on one-side and have their own support posts on the other. These materials are of very light weight and specifically designed for use with the mobile home. PROBLEM – If leaks are not repaired, wood rot can occur rapidly.
I usually keep mine at 72 in a traditional house but that is to keep the humidity at bay. You want to make sure it is properly vented outside of the crawlspace. To put it simply, there should be no standing water under or around your home. Sometimes, that means you need to install complex drain lines installed by professionals and sometimes that just means you need to dig a little ditch.
If it does, then you can be sure that there are foundational issues going on beneath the home. It is always wise to get under the home and inspect the piers and tie-downs to ensure they are in good condition. Ceilings – Mobile homes with acoustical panels instead of drywall can be especially problematic if there have been leaks. It is often extremely difficult to find matching acoustical panels. This is especially true of older mobile homes that have metal rooftops. There are many things to consider when trying to prevent moisture damage in your manufactured home, this publication is a must read if you are a homeowner, installer, contractor or manufacturer of manufactured homes.
Buy a mobile home that built after the HUD standards went into place. These homes are built to much higher standards for all levels of construction from framing and insulation to plumbing and electrical. Problems occur when heavier structures are built using typical 2×4 stick built structures that tie-into the outer wall of the mobile home. If these structures add weight to the outer wall this puts added stress on the frame which can cause it to sag under the weight. Such structures, be it a shed, room addition or porch structure, needs to have its own support system transferring its own weight to the ground without using the mobile home structure. Generally wiring and electrical panels installed at the factory generally hold up well over time.
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