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 How to Inspect the Structure of Mobile Homes, Double wides, Trailers - Part 1, Wind Ratings, Energy Zones, Roof Zones, Foundations
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InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
How to Inspect Mobile Homes or Manufactured Housing for Structural Defects: detailed procedures, defect lists, references to standards. We address mobile home, trailer, or double wide foundation problems with supporting piers or continuous foundations, slabs, tie-downs, hurricane or wind damage, roll-over prevention, and rot or similar structural damage to walls, floors, roofs.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
STRUCTURAL DEFECTS - Inspecting for Mobile Home Structural Defects
Ver.3.5 - 04/25/07, updated through 2012 - Steve Vermilye, New Paltz NY and Daniel Friedman, Poughkeepsie NY,
Hudson Valley ASHI Chapter Seminar, Newburgh NY, January 4, 2000, NY Metro ASHI Fall 99 Seminar, Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, White Plains NY, October
2, 1999. Readers should also see MOBILE HOME STRUCTURAL & SAFETY DEFECTS for high priority mobile home and double wide structural concerns.
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WIND RATINGS - Mobile Home Zone Ratings for Wind Damage, Uplift, and Damage - Mobile Home Wind Ratings
Wind Zones:
- NY is all Wind Zone 1 (non hurricane), minimal requirements vs. hurricanes or other coastal storms;
- (Long Island is no longer designated as Wind Zone II)
- Andrew (FL 1992) destroyed almost ALL of the mobile homes in So. Dade County; by contrast 28% of contractor-built homes
were destroyed.
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Leaks at the windows of this mobile home led to water entry in its wall below the window.
The photograph (courtesy of Jeremias, some of our readers on mobile home restoration and renovation) shows severe structural rot to the floor frame structure below the leaky window.
Only a "do it yourself" repair was economically feasible in this case.
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If you were not sure of the difference between modular construction and a mobile home, notice the presence of a steel frame chassis and even wheels located beneath your mobile home, doublewide, or static caravan.
Also notice that oil line on the crawl space floor. Is it leaking or vulnerable to damage or cold temperatures? |
Mobile Home Energy Zones
(HVAC) New York is in Thermal Zone 3
Mobile Home Roof Zones
(Snow load) NY North of the Thruway = "Middle Zone (30 psf)" and all areas S of the Thruway "Southern Zone (20 psf)"
(Check zone ratings on the home's data plate: wind load, heating load, roof load)
FOUNDATIONS Common Mobile Home Pier & Foundation Defects
At below left we point out a concrete septic tank that was mistaken for a mobile home foundation slab - do not park a mobile home on top of a septic tank nor over a drainfield or other onsite waste disposal sysetms.
Our second photo (below right) illustrates a cable tie-down securing the mobile home's steel frame to a buried anchor (not visible);
Some common mobile home, doublewide, or caravan trailer foundation & support defects include:
- Systems used: Perimeter concrete, concrete block; piers and/or posts; concrete slab; piers and ground anchors;
permanent wood; if none of these has been used, there may be no adequate foundation.
- Preventing frost damage: footings below frost;
floating slab; other engineered design;
- Preventing wind damage: ground anchors & ties; ties to concrete deadmen, footings, or foundation; other engineered design;
Links to articles found at Related Topics or at the end of this article provide details about specific mobile home structural defects and concerns.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about wind zones & tie downs or foundation safety in mobile homes, trailers, doublewides
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- [1] Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, web search 1/5/2012, original source: portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_housing/ih/homeownership/184 - Quoting:
The Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program is a home mortgage specifically designed for American Indian and Alaska Native families, Alaska Villages, Tribes, or Tribally Designated Housing Entities. Section 184 loans can be used, both on and off native lands, for new construction, rehabilitation, purchase of an existing home, or refinance.
Also see Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae
- [2] Native American Housing Loan Guarantee Program HUD Section 184 Loans At A Glance, FannieMae, web search 1/5/12, original source: efanniemae.com/sf/mortgageproducts/pdf/section184aag.pdf
- [3] Mobile Home Inspections - Daniel Friedman & Steven T. Vermilye
- [4] Trailer vs Mobile Home vs Modular vs Panelized Construction an explanation of terms and how to identify these structures.
- [5] "Modular Home Construction, special defects and inspection methods" Dan Friedman, NY Metro ASHI Seminar, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, White Plains NY, October 4, 1996
- [6] MOBILE HOME INSPECTIONS
- [7] Trailer vs Mobile Home vs Modular vs Panelized Construction an explanation of terms and how to identify these structures.
- [8] "Modular Home Construction, special defects and inspection methods" Dan Friedman, NY Metro ASHI Seminar, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, White Plains NY, October 4, 1996
- [9] New York State: "Manufactured Homes: an installation guide for the code enforcement official," undated. [Div. of Code Enforcement & Admin. - 518-474-4073, George E. Clark, Jr., Director] - this is a guide tool, not an enforcement code or standard.
- [10] HUD State Administrative Agency (for 36 states) (NY: 518-474-4073) - for complaints
- [11] Manufactured Housing Institute, 2101 Wilson Blvd. Ste. 610, Arlington VA 22201 703-558-0400 www.mfghome.org
- [12] NYMHA, 35 Commerce Ave., Albany NY 12206-2015 518-435-9859 800-721-HOME (they want the Star Program to provide for separate assessment of manufactured homes)
- [13] Consumer Reports: www.consumerreports.org - special report 2/98
- [14] Mobile Home Inspection Checklist, Florida, Town of Lady Lake Building Department
- [15] Thanks to home inspector Peter Bennett for eagle-eye editing assistance regarding spelling at this web article series. Little Silver, NJ 07739 Office 732-758-9887 Fax 732-758-8993 Cell 732-245-9817 afullhouseinspectionco@gmail.com
- [16] Wikipedia provided background information about some topics discussed at this website provided this citation is also found in the same article along with a " retrieved on" date. NOTE: because Wikipedia entries are fluid and can be amended in real time, we cite the retrieval date of Wikipedia citations and we do not assert that the information found there is necessarily authoritative. - Entry on Mobile Homes, original source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_home#Regulation, retrieved 8/14/2012
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
 The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
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Crawl Space Moisture Control, U.S. Department of Energy
- Domestic Building Surveys, Andrew R. Williams, Kindle book, Amazon.com
- Defects and Deterioration in Buildings: A Practical Guide to the Science and Technology of Material Failure, Barry Richardson, Spon Press; 2d Ed (2001), ISBN-10: 041925210X, ISBN-13: 978-0419252108. Quoting:
A professional reference designed to assist surveyors, engineers, architects and contractors in diagnosing existing problems and avoiding them in new buildings. Fully revised and updated, this edition, in new clearer format, covers developments in building defects, and problems such as sick building syndrome. Well liked for its mixture of theory and practice the new edition will complement Hinks and Cook's student textbook on defects at the practitioner level.
- Moisture Control in Buildings, U.S. Department of Energy
- Moisture Control in Walls, U.S. Department of Energy
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