Double Wide Relevel. Raise or Lower?

[Venom]

Hi All,
New to the forums, From Fort Mc Coy, FL.

I purchased this double wide mobile home about 8 years ago. It was built in 1990. It was in good shape when I bought it. All it needed was a re-level. Once re-leveled, most of the doors and windows worked very smoothly. In the last few months I noticed the sliding glass patio door was getting a little tougher to slide and lock. You had to lift the rear edge to get it to lock. Also some of the doors are not aligning and will not close properly. I went under the house and I see that some of the concrete piers are a little tilted with some no longer touching the I beams. The shims are loose and can be pulled right out. When the last re-level was done, that lifted the house resulting in a gap between the bottom of the house and the skirt. The skirt is wire mesh covered in stucco. It cannot be moved. The home has a total of 40 Concrete piers. 5 Rows with 8 in each row. The center eight piers run along the seam of the two halves of the home. I am good with a water level and have the appropriate Bottle Jacks and Tools to do this myself.. The house has about 3 feet of clearance from the ground, so it is not to bad to work under it. It seems that most piers are 1 to 1 1/2" off with a few being 2" off.
But I do have a few questions.

My questions are:

Can I lower the home instead of raising it to get it back down to matching the skirt?

If I can lower it, what is the best way to determine which pier would be the correct height to use as a base line with the water level?

Where is the best place to start, The outside rows, the inner rows or the center row? Is there a pattern I should follow?

What do I do as far as the piers that run down the center that have no I beam? How do I jack up that area the correct way?

I am located in Fort Mc Coy, FL. It is just on the edge of Ocala, FL. The person who did the last relevel is no longer around. I have a few neighbors that have done relevels from local companies and not one would recommend any of them. They say they were charged around $1000+ and they worked for an hour or two and then left even though doors and windows were not working properly. They only got a minor improvement overall. When they questioned the workers, they stated " That is the best we can do" After going under the homes once the workers left there were tilted piers not even touching the home.

If I could find someone local that stands behind their work and does things properly I would be open to them doing the relevel.
Thanks for any help.

[sarahniloy]

Hey there,

Welcome to the forum! Sounds like you're diving into a major project with your mobile home. If you are looking to tackle it yourself, I've got some tips that might help:

Lowering the Home: Yes, you can lower it to match the skirt. It's a good solution to get everything aligned.

Determining Correct Pier Height: Start with a reference point, then use a water level to adjust the other piers. Check out our guide for more detailed steps.

Where to Start: Begin with the outer rows and work inward for a balanced adjustment. Check our website for a step-by-step process.

Handling Center Piers: Use bottle jacks to lift and support the center area while adjusting the surrounding piers. Our website offers detailed instructions for this.

It's unfortunate to hear about your neighbors' experiences. If you're considering professional help, check out our website for tips on finding reliable contractors in your area.

Best of luck with your project! For more detailed guidance and step-by-step instructions, visit https://stripesroofing.com/ today.

[Venom]

Hey there,

Welcome to the forum! Sounds like you're diving into a major project with your mobile home. If you are looking to tackle it yourself, I've got some tips that might help:

Lowering the Home: Yes, you can lower it to match the skirt. It's a good solution to get everything aligned.

Determining Correct Pier Height: Start with a reference point, then use a water level to adjust the other piers. Check out our guide for more detailed steps.

Where to Start: Begin with the outer rows and work inward for a balanced adjustment. Check our website for a step-by-step process.

Handling Center Piers: Use bottle jacks to lift and support the center area while adjusting the surrounding piers. Our website offers detailed instructions for this.

It's unfortunate to hear about your neighbors' experiences. If you're considering professional help, check out our website for tips on finding reliable contractors in your area.

Best of luck with your project! For more detailed guidance and step-by-step instructions, visit https://stripesroofing.com/ today.

Thanks for the response. I finished it. I had taken me a few days lowering it about 3/4" to 1" at a time. Plus it has front and rear porches connected. I would say I got it 90% done. All the doors and windows operate correctly and the house feels much better under your feet. The last 10% I need to do is, there are a few bumps in the kitchen and master bath. I need to get under there and check those areas to make sure they match the other piers. Is it possible that it was unlevel for so long that some of the wood beams are warped?

[Ewaan]

Hey there,

Welcome to the forum! Sounds like you're diving into a major project with your mobile home. If you are looking to tackle it yourself, I've got some tips that might help:

Lowering the Home: Yes, you can lower it to match the skirt. It's a good solution to get everything aligned.

Determining Correct Pier Height: Start with a reference point, then use a water level to adjust the other piers. Check out our guide for more detailed steps.

Where to Start: Begin with the outer rows and work inward for a balanced adjustment. Check our website for a step-by-step process.

Handling Center Piers: Use bottle jacks to lift and support the center area while adjusting the surrounding piers. Our website offers detailed instructions for this.

It's unfortunate to hear about your neighbors' experiences. If you're considering professional help, check out our website for tips on finding reliable contractors in your area.

Best of luck with your project! For more detailed guidance and step-by-step instructions, visit https://stripesroofing.com/ today.

Looking great work dear, I really appreciate to you on this quality work. Nice post

[salmawisoky]

In most cases, it is not recommended to lower the home to match the skirt. The skirt is typically installed at a specific height to provide proper ventilation and protect the underside of the home. Altering the height of the home to match the skirt may lead to other issues and compromise the integrity of the structure.

[salmawisoky]

I am grateful for the information. Thank you for sharing it with me.