placement of piers

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patpayne
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:28 pm

placement of piers

Post by patpayne » Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:36 pm

Help, we are trying to figure out the placement of our piers for our mobile home. We have bought a fleetwood home and we are having trouble trying to figure out were to put the piers (concrete pads). The company that we bought the home from has told us 8' center to center and then one pad were a room is over 4' long. We have some concrete pads down and the owner of the co said they were find, but when they brought the home the guys that put the home in said they were off, most of them are 7'11" or right at 8' apart. The home is 56' wide. We're just not sure were to put the pads down and the book doesn't make sense to us. Can anyone help? Maybe you can e-mail me at [email protected] and we can discuss this. Thank you for any help you can give us. We need answers FAST.

rbonnie
Posts: 70
Joined: Sun May 28, 2006 8:14 am

Re: placement of piers

Post by rbonnie » Fri Jun 02, 2006 4:06 pm

The placement of the piers and footings are extremely important for the correct support of the home. The installation manual furnished with the home gives this information in detail. Each home model is different. Sounds like there may be some confusion between the "I" beam piers and the marriage piering. Openings, windows, or archways, greater than 48" require column suppor on both sides. This may be where the four foot measurement is coming into play. Fleetwood's manual can be a difficult read, but look under the page of the width of each section of the home, not the total width of the home.
Roy T. Bonney

rmurray
Posts: 1086
Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 6:49 pm

Re: placement of piers

Post by rmurray » Fri Jun 02, 2006 8:37 pm

This is why you bought a home from a dealer...He should be able to answer these questions..plus all set crews must be trained and licenced and they are ultimately responsible for the correct blocking of the home....They should well be able to tell you the correct location of every pier...and the correct manner of installation of the vapor barrier...They are even responsible for correct grading of the property...The set manual will require the ground be graded so that water will not go under the home...Ask these "experts" for the proper procedure..

patpayne
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:28 pm

Re: placement of piers

Post by patpayne » Sat Jun 03, 2006 8:26 pm

The dealer that we bought the home from keeps telling us different things. He first told us the piers had to be 8' from center to center, 12" deep and 18" x 18". The book shows us 6" deep 16" x 16". Also, they sent us a pier placement that shows the main pier placements and 5 down the middle. He's telling us that we need piers in areas that are more than 4' wide. They will not tell us where these are to go, but I think we figured out that they go along the ridge beams. Is this correct? After we bought the home we have heard nothing but bad experiences that other people have had from this dealer. Wish we had known it before we bought the home, because we would have went somewhere else. Thank you for any help you can give us.

patpayne
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:28 pm

Re: placement of piers

Post by patpayne » Sat Jun 03, 2006 8:47 pm

When you say both sides are you talking about where the living room and the dining room go together then we need a support on the living room side and then another one on the dining room side? ALso, are you saying that we need supports on the I beams? Thank you for your help. The dealer that we bought the home from won't help us at all, they wanted us to put down a full pad, which we would have loved to do but couldn't afford, so they won't help us at all. We've heard nothing but nightmare stories about them since we bought from them, wish we had known it before because we would have went somewhere else.

rmurray
Posts: 1086
Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 6:49 pm

Re: placement of piers

Post by rmurray » Sun Jun 04, 2006 9:52 am

The 4' comment must be about the openings at the marriage wall...You should use the print of the foundation that he sent from thew manufacturer....These would be those down the middle...Most factories mark the location on the house where they must be...Most homes also require piers along the outside walls on both sides of all door ways..This should show on the factory print...

Again..the responsibility for the proper location is with the licensed set up crew..These folks must assure the home is set to the plants specific requirements..I would consult with them for for exact information...I would file complaints about the dealer with your states with your state's enforcement agency..They will be listed in the owners manual..Or you can find them here in the yellow pages in the section called SSA's

patpayne
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:28 pm

Re: placement of piers

Post by patpayne » Sun Jun 04, 2006 10:22 am

With your help I think we can do the placements. But I agree with you the licensed crew should do this, but won't help one bit. The manager of the dealership came down said they looked fine, then he came back and said we didn't have enough piers and then the crew that sits up the home came down and said we didn't have them placed right, but wouldn't give us any help. So, with your help I think we can do this and then after they bring the home and have everything done, which will probably be another month, I'm going to take your suggestion and file a complaint. But what I've been hearing they won't care, they stay in court all the time.

rmurray
Posts: 1086
Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 6:49 pm

Re: placement of piers

Post by rmurray » Sun Jun 04, 2006 6:22 pm

I have no way to actually help you....You should place piers exactly in the location that the plant recommends..Use the foundation diagram included with the owners manual..Call the plant and ask for explanations from the plant engineer..Every state now requires the set up crew be licenced and responsible...How is it you are doing this part of the set instead of the dealer..You might want to pay the crew a few bucks for info...Your local building inspector is supposed to inspect the set up and be sure it meets the plants set up instructions...You might ask them for advice...Again..my long distance advice might very well be all wrong on your home and on your lot...If you need very professional help..pay a local engineer to design a proper system...

Sounds like you have already paid for this house..Am I right???

patpayne
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:28 pm

Re: placement of piers

Post by patpayne » Sun Jun 04, 2006 7:01 pm

Yes, we have paid for the house. Wish we would have waited for set-up. We live out in the country so we don't have a building inspector. But with your help I think I understand the pier plan that they sent us. When we bought the home we thought they were suppose to do all of the set up, after we paid for the home we found out all they do is bring it down set it up on the piers, put it together and they are going to set up the heat/air conditioning. At first they weren't even going to bring the blocks, but they said they would do that. Also, we have to find someone to "iron" the carpet back in place, but they will reimburse us up to $100. We live in Missouri, so after they set the home up I'll find out who to complain to. But am afraid to do so right now. We have threatened them with lawyers, but they don't care.

admin
Posts: 327
Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 6:36 pm

Re: placement of piers

Post by admin » Mon Jun 05, 2006 4:51 am

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