Floors and Foundation

[Linda]

Hi there:

This is a great site. We have an older Manufactured Home, 1985, placed on a perimeter cement foundation with pyramid supports. I hope that makes sense to people. We are new to this type of home and we live on the coast of California.
I have some problems that increase with cold dampness though I love a single story home. I could swear that during the coldest and most damp months I can feel damp air coming in from the floor where it meets the walls. Underneath the house its just dirt. Is there anyway to seal the home further than the vapor lock? Should we replace the old trim light trim along the floor/wall and seal it? Put something on the ground under the house. Also, if the house is on a perimeter foundation do you ever have to level it? I keep reading about that.

Thank you.

P.S. We like this house on a lot in an area that we could never have afforded otherwise. We did feel better buying it, although it was older and needed some repairs because it was on some kind of foundation. Just for others info. Thanks again.

[Roy Bonney]

The first, and cheapest fix, is to place a ground vapor barrier of six mil black plastic on the ground covering the entire area under the home. This prevents the ground moisture from infiltrating the crawl space. If the floor marriage is not properly sealed, it then affords an avenue for further infiltration to the inside of the home. This can be sealed with an expanding foam product, ie "Great Stuff" sold in any home center. Remember that proper crawl space ventilation is necessary to exchange the moist air below the home with fresh dry air. Good luck.