|
|
 How to Inspect the Interiors of Mobile Homes, Double wides, Trailers
- Mobile home interior inspection guide
- Common mobile home indoor defects at walls, floors, windows, doors, from inside
- Special risk of floor rot in mobile homes with leaky windows or at water heater closet floors
- Questions & answerrs about how to troubleshoot & fix problems in manufactured home interiors or mobile home interiors
- References
|
InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
This article explains how to look for defects in the interior of mobile homes, trailers, double-wide homes. We discuss spotting evidence of roof, window, wall, and door leaks, trip hazards, sagging ceilings, rotted walls or floors.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
INTERIOR DEFECTS Defects in Mobile Homes
Our page top photo shows a badly-sagging mobile home roof and a makeshift repair that the occupant has provided to protect against mobile home roof collapse during heavy snow loads.
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.
- 32% of mobile homes report problems with windows or doors (C. r. survey)
- Hardboard floors - get wet, toilet falls through; plywood preferred; check especially floors at baths, kitchens,
and below windows and doors
- Walls: paneling or drywall, typically over furring or 2x3 or smaller studs in older mobile homes; often insulation has become wet from leaks at the roof edges and around windows. See MOBILE HOME INSULATION
- Windows: often single-glazed, glued or screwed frames (leaky); welded vinyl perform better; caulking often missing
between window frames and sheathing (water damage) - same at doors; Caulk at door and window gaps (from factory) may break during transport;
- We often find floor rot below leaky windows
- We often find windows that are not operable, including unsafe egress in case of fire - windows in sleeping rooms must be operable to open for fire escape in emergency
- Be sure to check flooring in outside water heater closets - prolonged leakage often leads to rotted, collapsing floors and can bring insects in to attack the structure. See MOBILE HOME STRUCTURAL DEFECTS
In the past few decades (to 2006), "trailer" manufacturers have considerably improved the quality of construction of
such homes. The national manufacturing and building code standards for these structures have also been improved.
Perhaps in part to escape the less than wholesome image of "trailer", manufacturers use the term "mobile home" to
describe what is usually larger and better made home than "trailers" of old, though perhaps with similar materials.
Mobile homes are built in a factory and are designed to be moved (once and uncommonly, perhaps once again)
on its own wheels attached to its own frame to a site where a foundation is prepared and connections to utilities are made.
In the U.S., states have regulations about the siting, foundation, steps and entry, wiring, plumbing,
tie-downs for wind and storm safety that apply to these homes. Some examples of mobile
home regulations for New York State are this website.
Individual state regulations will vary - you'll want to see what your state requires.
Even within states regulations vary as wind and weather conditions do also.
Examples of mobile home improvements include stronger overall wall and roof construction,
less leaky roof covering, and windows that are less notoriously leaky. In addition
newer mobile homes have, for fire safety, bedroom windows that can be pushed out to a wide opening for
emergency exit in case of fire - an important safety improvement.
Usually building departments grandfather in
older structures, but sometimes they will insist that certain life-safety improvements be made, for example
if an older mobile home is being brought to a new site in a new community. If this is the
case one or two windows may need to be replaced to provide this important safety improvement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about mobile home interiors & interior defects, hazards, damage
...
Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia
Use the search box below to ask a question or to search the InspectApedia.com website.
Ask a Question or Enter Search Terms in the InspectApedia search box just below.
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.
|
-
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
- ...
|
