Need some input regarding a 2016 manufactured home in Northern CA with some issues along the marriage line. Here is what I am seeing (with supporting pictures):
There is a hairline crack running almost the entire length of the manufactured home, right along the marriage line from stem to stern.
There is a wood inset where the facia boards meet at the top of the North gable about 1" wide (perhaps indicating that the fascia boards did not line up originally during installation?) that has now splintered. There is evidence of about 1/4" of vertical displacement between the fascia boards at the same location. There was no wood inset at the South Gable.
The floors are unlevel inside. There is almost a 2" drop from South to North with a smaller variance from East to West. The home sits on a slight downhill slope in the same direction from South downhill to North.
The piers underneath looked to be in overall good standing. However, there seemed to be a slight tilt to the piers on one side of the marriage line (I could not get very far underneath due to obstructions). There is an Xi-2 Foundation System installed (anchoring system) installed.
There was no access to the attic provided by the manufacturer.
There were no problems with loose or damaged shingles.
My first thought was this has to be some ground movement affecting one half of the home. However, the wood insert is throwing me off. If the home was delivered and married up properly there should have been very little to no gap. Could the fascia board installed at the factory be that far off? Any input would be appreciated, especially by anyone well-experienced with manufactured homes or has seen something very similar.
The steel frame, the foundation, soil, etc, all contribute to the flexing and cracking over time. If it’s out of level, it will crack something, somewhere.
Concrete blocks, dimensional lumber, and pre-fabricated (plastic) pier pads. The pier pads are more common on newer installs because of their one-piece correct size, and resistance to rot.
I guess I can see it. If that footing pad is 36"x36". then the first pier block is 24" by 12", wood then 24" by 6". Solid CMU but white like painted? Thanks for the EDU.
Thanks for the clarifications. In my area, CMUs look like “concrete” blocks either dry set or mortared. I’ve yet to see any that look like styrofoam blocks, but pictures can be deceiving…
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rcloyd
(Russell Cloyd, KY LIC #166164, IN LIC#HI02300068)
16
I am very experienced with modular and manufactured housing and have never seen anything like those plastic milk crate-like pads installed beneath the block columns. They are likely the cause of the settlement and cracking.
