These are pier foundations of a manufactured home that I recently inspected. The are perpendicular to the joists and are piers of cinder block with a cement top plate with appropriate wooden wedges. They are also at the marriage line of this doublewide. Also visable are anchors.
I just reviewed the Concrete Shrinkage cracks in the gallery. These are normal cracks as a result of settling or obviously shrinkage. They move move in a diagonal line and should be filled an monitored but are a normal part of foundation settling
This is a typical Mobile home. It is a single wide home, but they have up to triple-wide and more. My Mom’s home is a double-wide, with a garage on the side.
Manufactured Housing and Standards
I learned that there are many warranties that go into placing a manufactured home. There are manufacturer warranty, retailers warranty and installation warranty just to name a few. It is important to get each warranty in writing before you sign any paperwork.
Pictured below is a manufactured home lot that is not properly graded. Several inches of rain water is collecting around and underneath of the foundation. This home is an older installation(pre 1976)which probably never had the proper amount slope graded into the lot. The ground surface should slope down and away a minimum of 5% from the foundation to provide adequate drainage.
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Main entry stairs are not constructed by recommended procedure. The stairs and platform lack proper handrails and balusters and are susceptible to falls and personal injury. The stairs and platform are not supported by recommended footings on the left side. Surface of the platform and stairs requires repairs due to age and/or sun deterioration. Recommend repairs with application of wood preservative or stain.
Found the course to be very good. It covered d all areas well. It will be very useful. 
Thanks!
Attached garages should be separated from the manufactured home.
No opening should be permitted from a garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes. No windows should be permitted in the exterior wall of a manufactured home where a garage is to be attached. Any opening between the garage and manufactured home should be equipped with a 20-minute fire-rated door of solid wood not less than 1-3/8 inches in thickness or the equivalent.
This article is modular vs. manufactured homes.
The two homes have one main difference. They are both “manufactured” but modular homes fall under the same standards as site built homes and manufactured homes have separate standards. Everyone should understand the distinguishing features of these two types of houses.
The picture below shows a home with multiple issues. The skirting is not made treated material which may cause it to rot and fail. the insulation blanket is missing and worst of all the pier pad has shifted due to settlement of soil causing the floor above to settle. 
For the read and study portion I chose “Tie downs for manufactured homes”.
It recommends straps be tied over the roof of the home, even if unsightly. In the past I have seen mobile homes with metal roofs that have been torn apart by wind uplift. To prevent this old tires were laid on the roof. I believe the straps are much more attractive but not sure if they are as effective. Any thoughts on this?
Short essay assignment:
Working space in front of the electrical panel must be at least 30 inches. Working space width also must be 30 inches. Below is an example of the improper storage of items around an electrical panel. A stack of mildewed boxes blocked access to the panel door and wet, fungus covered garbage blocked the footing area. Removing such items to inspect the electrical panel is not only beyond the scope of work, but would be a significant health hazard.
Research essay: Modular vs. Manufactured Homes by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard
There are many difference between modular and manufactured homes. Some main key points are: modular homes are custom build and take around 14 weeks to built and shipped to a site location for assembly. They are often indistinguishable from a site built home. The have strict building regulations and are potentially offer more resilience than conventional builds. Manufactured homes are pre-built and are taken on their own wheels to a site within days. Have more lax building regulations. Do not have a conventional foundation.
For the purpose of the Manufactured Home Course I inspected a water heater in a 1994 ManufacturedHome. The water heater was in the master bedroom closet behind a wall panel. Itwas 23 years old, overall condition was good. There where 2 brackets on topthat secured the water heater to the frame. The electric wire that supplied power to water heater was exposed, not in conduit. The top and bottom plates that cover thermostats where off. It appeared that both thermostats where recently replaced. There was a little rust around the bottom electrode. It was working just fine when I inspected it. Recommend it be replace the next time it had a problem.
Found the course to be very informatve . I saw some vinyl vents on a Mobile Home which could be opened or closed and also have vinyl screen on the backside. there was more than enough to make up for the volume space under the home. The home in southwest Florida , had a concrete footer all around the exterior , and the skirt was Hardi- board. Removing one vent to look inside I observed primer and exterior paint was used for element’s
protection.
AFCI Indicators- Reading about the differance between GFCI and AFCI. AFCI breakers are are not always accurate and should be tested with a AFCI tester also. Interesting that AFCI indicators are not perfect and because of this Underwriters Labatories require that this information is in product manuals also.
Inspection and Writing Assignment
The following image is of a winterized water heater in a mobile home. The performance of the water heater was unable to be inspected due to the fact that it was winterized. Several defects were observed, however, without the power and water being supplied.
First, the power supply conductor was spliced and secured with electrical tape. The conductor should be run to an approved affixed electrical junction box and spliced with wire nuts and then sealed with a cover so as to reduce the possibility of electrical shock or damage to the conductor.
Second, the bottom of the water heater (Not in the picture) is resting directly on the floor of the closet. The water heater should have a drain pan with a drain attached to prevent flooding.
Third, the pressure relief valve has a pvc drain pipe that is run through the floor. The pressure relief valve should have copper or cpvc pipe as a drain line with a visible air gap at the end of the pipe.
Jimmy Moore
Article, “Modular vs Manufactured Homes”,
Wow, what an eye opener. This article blew my preconceived notions about modular homes out of the water. Modular homes are built in factories just like mobile homes, but can be customized and are built to the standards that stick built homes are. Modular homes are possibly even stronger than stick built homes because they are not subjected to weather during the building process. I think my next home will be modular due to the fact that I don’t have the patience to wait on a stick built home.
Jimmy Moore
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This is an image of an evaporative cooler on the roof of a manufactured home. The panels are rusted and there is a leak in the component damaging the roof shingles. The owner needs to do some routine maintainance on the unit.
Exterior Essay:
I did a visual exterior inspection of a property in NY. The home was built in 1955, and has been pretty well maintained over the years. The roof is in good condition as seen through binoculars, as well as the wood shingle siding. The windows appear all sealed properly and shutters are secured and decorative only. All gutters and downspouts are clear and drain water away from the structure. The garage is also in good condition and the door functioned with reverse direction safety from properly installed sensors.
