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Is your manufactured home unlevel?
Mon 08/07/06 09:01:08 am
by Mark Bower
| "I have a door that sticks, does that mean my home has
become unlevel?" The answer is probably YES, but not always.
Normally, when a home becomes unlevel, you'll be able
to find more than one tell-tale sign. For instance, more than one door
will stick or swing, or a window won't shut or latch properly. However,
keep in mind that you may need to just tighten the screws on your door
hinges, or check to see if the hinges are bent.
Other signs that your home may be unlevel
include:
- water on your floors or
countertops run to one side
- cracks are developing in
your ceiling or walls
- skirting has buckled
(although this may be caused by ground heave)
- floor squeaks
- anchor straps have become
loose
So what causes your home to become unlevel? The number
one reason manufactured homes become unlevel is excess moisture underneath
the home. The moisture makes the ground soft causing the blocks or piers
holding up the home to sink.
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| Tipping blocks or loose
anchor straps are signs that your home may need
releveling. |
The number two reason your home becomes unlevel is
improper blocking when the home was first set-up. By improper blocking I
mean that you either have no solid support underneath the blocks, that the
shims and blocks being used aren't made of concrete or hardwood so they
compress, that you have too few blocks or that the blocks are not
appropriately placed along the frame. Of course, there's always the
possibility that the home itself was not properly leveled when it was
originally set-up.
"But," you say, "My home is sitting on concrete
footings, so why is it sinking?" In most cases, manufactured homes
properly set-up on concrete footings will not need releveling for many
years. However, footings that do not reach the frostline are subject to
heaving in cold climates. Footings that are undersized may not be able to
handle the weight of the house and sink. Finally, if the ground underneath
of your home is a lake bed, that will no doubt soften the ground around
your footings causing them to shift or sink.
Once you've determined that your house is out of
level, you should have it releveled as soon as possible. An unlevel home
may be putting undue stress on certain areas of your house, which in the
long run could cause damage.
Even If your not inclined to do the releveling yourself, then use these
instructions and the enclosed waterline level to determine whether or not your home is out of level. Or
you can simply use this information to become a better-informed consumer and give yourself the upper
hand when it comes to hiring a contractor to do the job.
order our releveling kit which
contains instructions and a waterline
level.
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The Manual for
Manufactured Home Repair &
Upgrade
 "Every winter my roof leaked... We even had a couple manufactured
home repairmen out to seal it. Nothing worked and this went on
for 5 years," said Maureen of Elko, Nevada. "Then last summer I ordered
The
Manual and it suggested I use neoprene to seal the leak.
Since then I've had no
leaks at all!"
Maureen is referring to The
Manual for Manufactured/Mobile Home Repair and Upgrade by Mark
Bower. Most just dub
it The
Manual. Bower
owns and operates Aberdeen Mobile Home Repair in
Aberdeen, South
Dakota.
 Maureen isn't alone. Hundreds of others have written to
Bower sharing similar stories of how The Manual has solved their
problems. Esther of
St. Louis, Missouri, writes, "We had squeaky floors in
the living room and without The
Manual, I would have had my husband tear out the floors and put in
new ones. What a
lifesaver!"
Bower enjoys the letters he receives regarding his manual. "I
wrote this manual from experience," says Bower. "I'm not just some
guy with his feet up on the desk - I'm out in the field every day doing
what I write. "
Tom of Lansing, Michigan, followed the simple instructions on
installing a shut-off valve and saved $75 on a service call. Mary of Churdan, Iowa, writes to say she uses the manual to
keep the repair guys she hires honest, "When I had my home releveled, I sent two different contractors packing
because I knew they weren't doing the job right. This manual has literally saved me
hundreds of dollars!"
Bower has updated his manual for 2004. More information was added
regarding additions and porches. "We added details on attaching
porches so they don't leak even if they shift with the seasons. "
says Bower. With high
energy prices now upon us, Bower says he's also included a section on
building a solar heating panel. "Find an old sliding glass door
and you can build one for under $100," says Bower who built two panels for
his own 1800 square foot manufactured home. "You'd be surprised at how much
heat they create when the sun is shining. "
David of Lake McConaughy, Nebraska, says
The
Manual should be called, The Mobile Home Bible. Dave
writes, "I wish I had your manual when we had our 1965 Star. It would have saved me WEEKS of
work!"
Vicki of Ocala, Florida, bought Bower's manual because it had
instructions for installing a metal roofover.
"My son and husband
had the roof up in 2 days from start to finish," says Vicki. "The 4
inch overhang is awesome - no more water running down the siding.
Great roof, great instructions, I love it!"
The
Manual also helped Pam from
Duluth,
Minnesota, replace her skirting and
repair her underbelly. "It gave me the courage to tackle these
projects," writes Pam. " I saved a lot of
money by being able to do it myself. "
Bower says many manufactured home owners are do-it-yourselfers, and
he's glad to be able to provide them a tool, The
Manual, to help them do more.
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The Guide
to
Manufactured Housing Repair On-Line
The
MH Parts Store On-Line MH Parts may not be very pretty...
but when you need them you just can't do with out them. Don't run all over
town to assemble the things you need for that home renovation or repair.
Order from our on-line parts store. Everything
you need is here from doors, windows, screens, plumbing and electric
parts, bath and kitchen fixtures, roof and ceiling components, and
more.... even set-up materials, The Part Store's Owner/Managers, keep it
simple, they just provide you with the best possible products available.
The Manual for Manufactured Home Repair &
Upgrade If your looking for a book
that covers all facets of manufactured home repair, you've found it! This
is the only book of its type, available to the public, that we have been
able to find. As you would expect from the title, The repair and upgrade techniques described in this
manual are specific to manufactured homes. This book will answer almost
every question on manufactured home repair that we have ever heard. Not
only does this book show you how to repair and maintain your home, but
also great methods for upgrading it.
FoundationWorkss Advanced foundation
system Designed and engineered for manufactued homes, These
foundation systems add a high level of strutural
stability and have proven most cost-effective for the manufactured home,
buyer. Advanced Foundation Systems meet or exceed industry standards, and
have been proven safer under adverse conditions. Advanced Foundation
Systems offer you the best foundation technology available for your
manufactured home...plus added safety and stability...at a lower cost.
Finance Your MH Renovation/Repair There
are many loan programs available to MH Owners. Secure the money you need
to renovate, upgrade, or even expand your MH. One stop shopping. select your
loan preferences and we will forward your request for loan information to
as many as a dozen participating manufactured housing finance offices.
Skirting For The 21
Century Manufactured Home System-1 is what skirting should
be- 100% solid concrete. System-1 is not an imitation or a look alike � it
is the original concrete skirting system that resists the elements from
the summer heat of Texas to the harsh winters of
Minnesota. System-1 is built to last
and is designed to stay put for years of dependable service. Stop chasing
your skirting down the street and look at just
some of the benefits System-1 concrete skirting provides
you.
Manufactured Housing Yellow Pages / SERVICE
COMPANIES The Yellow Pages is an ever expanding data base
that is growing into one of the richest resources in the world for
locating and contacting companies that participate in, or offer services
to, the manufactured housing industry.
The Mobile Home
Expert The business of installing and servicing
manufactured homes is rapidly moving away from the world of the one
pick-up, one jack, local set up and repair guys and into the world of
certified tradesmen, and licensed contractors. The modern manufactured
home is greeted with stiff compliance codes regulating construction,
warranty and installation. As more and more local agencies get involved in
the inspection of installations it gets more and more difficult to know
what the rules of the game are, especially if your operating in more than one jurisdiction. Consult with R.T. Bonney, who has participated in all phases of the
industry over the past 30 Years He can provide solutions for the modern
problems of operating most types of manufactured housing business.
Floor Repair Info Kit includes a 25 minute
VHS video about repairing the floor in your manufactured home, and a
booklet on floor repair. Price:$25.95 - Shipping
& Handling:$3.90
Painting and Texturing Paneled Walls By
following the steps in this 20 minute video, your paneled walls will look
darn near like textured sheetrock. Works on both wood
paneling and vinyl-covered paneling or sheetrock. Price:$19.95 Shipping & Handling:$3.90
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