How to Inspect the Exteriors of Mobile Homes, Double wides, Trailers InspectAPedia® -
Mobile home exterior siding, windows, doors, steps, railings: inspection guide - Exterior Defects
Common mobile home, double-wide or trailer exterior defects in siding, windows, doors, entrances, steps, and railings
Safety and building codes for mobile homes
How to Inspect Mobile Homes or Manufactured Housing for Exterior Defects in Siding, Windows, Trim, Entry Porches, Steps, Railings: detailed procedures, defect lists, references to standards.
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Ver.3.5 - 04/25/07, updated through 2011 - 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.
EXTERIOR DEFECTS - Guide to Inspecting Mobile Homes for Exterior Defects
Damaged, drafty, or inoperative mobile home windows; windows in bedrooms may be required to open as emergency fire exits. Leaks at windows and doors are among the most common mobile home and trailer defects we observe. Our photo at above left shows broken windows and at above right we show windows that were taped-over, probably to stop winter drafts.
Leaks at mobile home or trailer windows and doors are common on older structures, often a source of hidden structural damage to walls and floors. Window and door leaks are increased on mobile homes that were constructed with no roof overhang (unlike the home end windows in our photos above) - roof runoff spilling down sides of the structure readily enter at any opening in the wall.
In turn, leaks at windows and doors of mobile homes, trailers, and doublewides, also on campers, often cause still more extensive damage including collapsing of particle board subfloors, wet moldy insulation in wall and floor cavities, damaged electrical components, and on occasion, insect damage as well.
SITE & SURFACE DRAINAGE defects risk undermining supporting piers below mobile homes
Location & Site Setbacks: Building officials should have checked the home location for proper setbacks from property boundaries etc. - a buyer should be sure that this information has been reviewed and that a CO is on file.
The building address needs to be visible from the road, letters 4" high and reflective on contrasting background for recognition of the property by emergency vehicles.
Steps and rails on mobile homes, trailers, doublewides: mobile homes and trailers need 2 exit doors/steps/rails, usual step and platform issues; doors usually at either end of one side or at opposite ends and opposite sides; 30 ft apart.
Our photo, left, shows the required two exits, though the railings at both of these exit doors look dangerously loose, even from a distance.
A sound sturdy railing is not necessary at building stairs and landings - until someone is about to fall. At that time a loose flimsy railing can result in even greater injury. See STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDING INSPECTIONS, CODES for more information.
Emergency Fire Escape from trailers and mobile homes: assure that there is a functional second egress door,
steps, rails. In many homes a bedroom window is required to function as an emergency fire exit.
Unsafe mobile home steps and rails: We have found doors that didn't open or that opened to
tall drops where deck was rotted and then removed. Our photos (above left and right) show Steve Vermilye noting unsafe exit stairs at two trailer homes: missing top platform, missing railings, open railings (right photo), and steps with uneven riser height - a trip hazard.
Missing stairs: - we found exit doors on trailers where the old steps had been removed entirely, perhaps because of decay; the result was the occupant faced at six foot drop if exiting during an emergency. There must be an exit platform and stairway at every exterior door.
Older units, bad leaky windows and doors - beware: leaks into walls invite rot and insect damage. Check
the floor below windows and doors, and inspect this area carefully from the crawl space.
skirt condition, missing, avenue for insect attack and rodent entry. In cold climates a
missing skirt can lead to frozen burst pipes and related damage.
find opening (s)
site concerns: open septics; inadequate. frost protection
for supply or DWV; shared wells, shared septics, possibly not tested nor
maintained;
Siding: vinyl preferred over metal or hardboard (C. r.)
Site debris: may be unsafe, a sanitary or other Building code violation, source of rodents,
or otherwise a cost to a buyer to have removed.
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"Modular Home Construction, special defects and inspection methods" Dan Friedman, NY Metro ASHI Seminar, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, White Plains NY, October 4, 1996
"Modular Home Construction, special defects and inspection methods" Dan Friedman, NY Metro ASHI Seminar, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, White Plains NY, October 4, 1996
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.
HUD State Administrative Agency (for 36 states) (NY: 518-474-4073) - for complaints
Manufactured Housing Institute, 2101 Wilson Blvd. Ste. 610, Arlington VA 22201 703-558-0400 www.mfghome.org
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)
Consumer Reports: www.consumerreports.org - special report 2/98
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 2010, $69.00 U.S., is available from Carson Dunlop, and from the InspectAPedia bookstore. The 2010 edition of the Home Reference Book 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. InspectAPedia.com ® author/editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume.
Design of Wood Structures - ASD, Donald E. Breyer, Kenneth Fridley, Kelly Cobeen, David Pollock, McGraw Hill, 2003, ISBN-10: 0071379320, ISBN-13: 978-0071379328
This book is an update of a long-established text dating from at least 1988 (DJF); Quoting: This book is gives a good grasp of seismic design for wood structures. Many of the examples especially near the end are good practice for the California PE Special Seismic Exam design questions. It gives a good grasp of how seismic forces move through a building and how to calculate those forces at various locations.THE CLASSIC TEXT ON WOOD DESIGN UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE LATEST CODES AND DATA. Reflects the most recent provisions of the 2003 International Building Code and 2001 National Design Specification for Wood Construction. Continuing the sterling standard set by earlier editions, this indispensable reference clearly explains the best wood design techniques for the safe handling of gravity and lateral loads. Carefully revised and updated to include the new 2003 International Building Code, ASCE 7-02 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, the 2001 National Design Specification for Wood Construction, and the most recent Allowable Stress Design.
Diagnosing & Repairing House Structure Problems, Edgar O. Seaquist, McGraw Hill, 1980 ISBN 0-07-056013-7 (obsolete, incomplete, missing most diagnosis steps, but very good reading; out of print but used copies are available at Amazon.com, and reprints are available from some inspection tool suppliers). Ed Seaquist was among the first speakers invited to a series of educational conferences organized by D Friedman for ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors, where the topic of inspecting the in-service condition of building structures was first addressed.
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.
"Avoiding Foundation Failures," Robert Marshall, Journal of Light Construction, July, 1996 (Highly recommend this article-DF)
"A Foundation for Unstable Soils," Harris Hyman, P.E., Journal of Light Construction, May 1995
"Backfilling Basics," Buck Bartley, Journal of Light Construction, October 1994
"Inspecting Block Foundations," Donald V. Cohen, P.E., ASHI Reporter, December 1998. This article in turn cites the Fine Homebuilding article noted below.
"When Block Foundations go Bad," Fine Homebuilding, June/July 1998
Masonry structures: The Masonry House, Home Inspection of a Masonry Building & Systems, Stephen Showalter (director, actor), DVD, Quoting: Movie Guide Experienced home inspectors and new home inspectors alike are sure to learn invaluable tips in this release designed to take viewers step-by-step through the home inspection process. In addition to being the former president of the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI), a longstanding member of the NAHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), and the Environmental Standard Organization (IESO), host Stephen Showalter has performed over 8000 building inspections - including environmental assessments. Now, the founder of a national home inspection school and inspection training curriculum shares his extensive experience in the inspection industry with everyday viewers looking to learn more about the process of evaluating homes. Topics covered in this release include: evaluation of masonry walls; detection of spalling from rebar failure; inspection of air conditioning systems; grounds and landscaping; electric systems and panel; plumbing supply and distribution; plumbing fixtures; electric furnaces; appliances; evaluation of electric water heaters; and safety techniques. Jason Buchanan --Jason Buchanan, All Movie Review
Masonry Structures: Behavior and Design, Robert G. Drysdale, Ahmid A. Hamid, Lawrie R. Baker, The Masonry Society; 2nd edition (1999), ISBN-10: 1929081014, ISBN-13: 978-1929081011
Straw Bale Home Design, U.S. Department of Energy provides information on strawbale home construction - original source at http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/designing_remodeling/index.cfm/mytopic=10350
More Straw Bale Building: A Complete Guide to Designing and Building with Straw (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series), Chris Magwood, Peter Mack, New Society Publishers (February 1, 2005), ISBN-10: 0865715181 ISBN-13: 978-0865715189 - Quoting: Straw bale houses are easy to build, affordable, super energy efficient, environmentally friendly, attractive, and can be designed to match the builder’s personal space needs, esthetics and budget. Despite mushrooming interest in the technique, however, most straw bale books focus on “selling” the dream of straw bale building, but don’t adequately address the most critical issues faced by bale house builders. Moreover, since many developments in this field are recent, few books are completely up to date with the latest techniques. More Straw Bale Building is designed to fill this gap. A completely rewritten edition of the 20,000-copy best--selling original, it leads the potential builder through the entire process of building a bale structure, tackling all the practical issues: finding and choosing bales; developing sound building plans; roofing; electrical, plumbing, and heating systems; building code compliance; and special concerns for builders in northern climates.
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