Floor Standards

[vbtwocolors]

A toilet overflowed and I noticed that some water went through the floor to the ground underneath. Is this a reasonable happening for mobile home flooring? The previous owner put tile in on that floor. Should they be held responsible for not noticing a gap somewhere where water could flow through. My home was manufactured in 1997.

[David Oxhandler]

Normally, there should not be any drainage through the floor of your manufactured home..

A new manufactured home, by federal mandate, must come with a warranty from the builder. That is not the case with a pre-owned home. The standard sales agreements for pre-owned homes states that the buyer has inspected the home and found it suitable.

Any problems you discover AFTER you have purchased a pre-owned home are your responsibility, unless specifically warrantied by the seller.

We consistently stress that you must have a professional inspection PRIOR to purchase. For less than $300 you can get a licensed house inspector to go through every system, fixture and feature in the home and check for termites, rodents, etc.

At this point... I would go under the home. open the vapor barrier, remove the insulation and insect the bottom of the floor to find out why water is draining through. If this is not a task that you are up to hire a local repairman.

This is important, especially with summer coming. If you have any moisture retained within the floor system you are maintaining a potentially unhealthy, breeding atmosphere for mold and mildew. Take care of this as soon as you can.