Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Attached is a picture I took of open cell concrete blocks stacked up to the required height of the home’s support beams, but not sitting on a concrete pad. Settling has occurred and the pier is now leaning and no longer properly supporting this home.
Research & Writing Assignment:
All manufactured homes come with ground anchors to secure the home to the ground. Types could be galvanized steel shafts, metal plates or steel straps. The anchors are typically installed at a vertical angle to provide stability and increased resistance to movement. Along with anchors, a manufactured home also comes with tie-downs. On older homes, the tie-downs are often exposed. Newer models utilize a frame and diagonal tie-down.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
In a manufactured home there must be a means of disconnect fro the power supply. A single cut off switch or circuit breaker or fuse. The power supply cut off must be easily and readily accessible to anyone near the point of entry by the service conductors. The word “MAIN” should be clearly printed and easy to see and read by anyone.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Fire extinguishers are a must have for every home or business. Every kitchen and garage should have one, but they also must be inspected to insure that they will work when they are needed. You do not want to reach for your fire extinguisher and it is does not work. You must at least check that the pressure dial reads charged or is in the green zone also check that the pin is attached with a tamper seal.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Shown in the picture is a lavatory P-trap. The plumbing is in good condition with no leaks and no damage. While not marked the hot tap is on the left. What appears to be droplets on each of the pater lines is actually hardened and clear adhesive. At first glance it looks as if there were new leaks. It required a hands on approach to determine what I was actually seeing.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Modular vs. Manufactured Homes
by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard
While Modular and Manufactured home are both transported to the site where they will be set up/assembled they are in actuality very different structures. The confusion about what they each are can lead a buyer in the wrong direction and away from quality products. If transportability and impermanence are appealing then a Manufactured Home (trailer house) is the better choice. If a permanent structure is desired then a Modular Home may be a good alternative to a site built home. While there is some loss of customization ability in a Modular; there is a higher degree of quality assurance and controlled conditions of the build can be expected to deliver a quality home to the build site where it will go through final assembly.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
In this image of the skirting of a manufactured home as viewed from the interior of the crawlspace it can be seen that there is moisture damage and staining on the interior of the skirting material which is composed of compressed wood fibers. This section of skirting has repeatedly been exposed to rain and surface water and is now decomposing. This compressed wood fiber material is not consistent with treated wood material intended to be installed in contact with the soil. Recommend maintaining a 6-8 inch separation between this non-treated wood fiber material and the soil and repair or replace damaged sections.
Also in this image is the use of pressure treated (not visible in photo) and non-treated support framework that the skirting material is connected to. The vertical supports are of 4x6 non-treated wood and the bottom sill is of 2x4 pressure-treated material. Recommend maintaining a 6 inch separation between non-treated wood and the soil. Recommend replacing non-treated wood with pressure treated wood.
The vapor barrier in this image is torn and displaced and cardboard debris is present in the crawlspace. Recommend repairing damaged sections with appropriate tape and securing vapor barrier in place as well as removing cardboard or wood debris from the crawlspace.
Research & Writing Assignment:
https://www.nachi.org/gallery/?level=picture&id=2530
In this image (see ULR link) we see the siding, foundation and grading of the soil. The soil grading around the foundation of any home is an important component of maintaining proper drainage of the building site to prevent standing water from accumulation near the foundation of the home. If surface water is not adequately drained away from the foundation it may accumulate and inundate the foundation often resulting in soil movement, settling, that may result in cracking and structural movement and damage to the foundation of the home. It is recommended that the grading of the soil around the foundation of the home be of 5% or greater to help insure that rain and surface water has the opportunity to drain away from the foundation. In addition to providing a positive grade fore site drainage the homes gutter and downspout system should include gutter extensions if downspouts are not connected to a rain water removal system.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Mobile / manufactured housing if not anchored to a permanent concrete block foundation will need to be properly anchored with tie strapping below the frost line. This to help prevent any movement from high winds, earthquakes and movement from flooding. The tie straps will need to be connected to the anchors with the tension devices that should come with the manfucatured housing anchors.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Cracks viewed in foundations either block or poured concrete can be sometines hard to determine the reason for them and the extent of their existence. If a home inspector is not a licensed structural engineer it is always recommended further evaluation by a licensed structural engineer. Most crack that have been viewed in inspected homes foundations are original to the homes original construction and an issue for future movement, however, some viewed cracks cab be of a much more seriouse issueand in need of further evaluation by a licensed engineer for an opinion for the nned to repair and possibly replace large section of a movedm damaged foundation wall, either concrete block or poured concrete foundation.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Manufactured Homes
Skirting
The skirting of this manufactured home appears to be adequate condition. It is made of a rigid vinyl covering that is weather and water resistant, as it appears to be properly fastened and sealed along the foundation of the home.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Modular & Manufactured Homes
Research Assignment
Modular homes and manufactured(mobile) home are commonly mistaken for each other when being spoken about. The biggest difference between the two is that manufactured homes are only one story tall, while modular homes can be two story or more.
Modular homes also tend to retain value better as they can be remodeled, customized design, added onto more easily and are generally built with stronger materials.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Tie-Downs for Manufactured Homes:
Manufactured homes are very susceptible to movement due to high winds. For this reason the home should be properly anchored according to manufacturer and local jurisdiction requirements. Buyer’s should be made aware of this concern if anchors are found missing, loose, or damaged.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The pictured HUD tag is required on every manufactured home. Also required is the data plate. This plate can typically be found inside the cabinet in the kitchen or bathroom. These areas had been remodeled and the tag was most likely thrown out. A new copy of this data plate would need to be requested by the manufacturer.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Among other problems, there is no vapor barrier installed on this earthen area below the structure. 6 millimeter black plastic was recommended to cover all exposed soil under the solid structure. No barrier was recommended for the area under the porch that had surface boards which allowed water to drain through.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is a photo of proper strapping of a mobile home on an inspection that i did. The strap goes over the main frame and was anchored correctly. The block foundation peir was also correctly implemented with the proper use of shims.
Research & Writing Assignment:
GFI outlets need to be located in all areas subject to water as in the bathrooms and kitchen as well as the exterior. Many of the inspections that I perform have the GFI outlets on the exterior but are missing or have damaged weather covers.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I read the consumer based article on Manufactured Housing and Standards. Although a bit wordy and repetitive, it is an excellent resource we can give to our clients who are considering a manufactured home. It does once mention using an InterNachi inspector, but another recommendation at the walk through portion is warranted.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
I inspected this manufactured home a few days ago. I could write a book on the issues I found, but I will limit this to the tiedown requirement. For homes up to 18 feet in height (maximum ground to roof peak) in a 70-mph wind zone, or up to 14 feet in height for an 80-mph wind zone, anchors must be spaced a maximum of 11 feet on center. There was only one vertical tiedown on the entire home and it wasnt tight
Research & Writing Assignment:
The article I chose was Tie-Downs for Manufactured Homes by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard. This is a common deficiency in the area of East Texas that I operate in. This is in large part due to people buying used mobile homes and moving or placing it themselves. 80% of the mobile homes I have inspected are not tied down properly. Reading this article furthered my knowledge on the different type of tiedowns and their applications.
