Moisture under one end of my mobile home.

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medic336
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2011 7:12 pm

Moisture under one end of my mobile home.

Post by medic336 » Mon Jan 10, 2011 7:19 pm

I have owned my mobile home for a couple of years now. It was a repo from a bank so the previous owners really did a number on it. I have fixed a majoriy of the damage they did to it and now starting to find other problems. I am trying to make it a little more energy efficient during the winter and summer months by adjusting stuff under the house. i sealed the point where they joined the house together. also during the winter i shut and insulated around the vents. i even foamed around the foundation. i closed off the access to the uninsulated porch under the house. all this has seemed to help with energy usage. now i have noticed that the mold smell and the moisture under the end of the house with the has increased. i have also noticed that the room and bathroom on that end of the house had been extremely colder then the rest of the house. i am working on putting better insulation around the crawl space door but don't know what else to do with the moisture and cold air. any thoughts would be apreciated.

David Oxhandler
Posts: 1459
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:37 am

Re: Moisture under one end of my mobile home.

Post by David Oxhandler » Mon Jan 10, 2011 7:33 pm

The area under the home MUST be well ventilated. If you seal up the bottom of the home too well you will encourage moisture retention and mold. This can be dangerous to your health and the soundness of your home. Be sure your skirting is vented per the local installation code.

Check your fresh water lines and drain lines for any leaks or drips. Also check the water lines where they come close to the heat ducts for possible condensation.

The duct work in manufactured homes runs in straight lines. When you get toward the end of the home farthest from the heating unit you will notice that it may be considerable cooler. You can balance that out buy adjusting the duct vents through out the home. Close them most of the way in the rooms closest to the heating unit. Im my home we fully close one of the 2 vents in the living room and in the second (unused) bedroom. This helps to force more heat towards the master bedroom at the end of the line...
David Oxhandler
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medic336
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2011 7:12 pm

Re: Moisture under one end of my mobile home.

Post by medic336 » Mon Jan 10, 2011 8:33 pm

Yes sir i understand that. there is still some air movement under the house. i am not perfect on sealing everything up. and i have checked all the water lines they are all intact. also i know to close off vents to try to route the heat in certian places but that doesn't really work. was wondering if i needed to put down plastic or something else that would help.

David Oxhandler
Posts: 1459
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:37 am

Re: Moisture under one end of my mobile home.

Post by David Oxhandler » Mon Jan 10, 2011 9:03 pm

Find where the mold is centered and you will find the source of the moisture causing it. If you can smell the mold it might be a good idea to get a mask before you duck under the home to find it.

Closing the heat flow with plastic? I don't know... never tried it. I have put insulating duct board inside the vent to seal it.... and experimented with tiny slices in it to damper the heat flow.
David Oxhandler
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medic336
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2011 7:12 pm

Re: Moisture under one end of my mobile home.

Post by medic336 » Mon Jan 10, 2011 10:25 pm

sorry i wrote that in the wrong order. the plastic was suppose to be for under the house. and the mold will happen on an outside wall when something has been left up against it to long. i can try a dehumidife under the house but i will have to route that water somwhere. i really just dont have any idea unless leaving it borded up in the summer caused this.

trmimo
Posts: 202
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:54 am

Re: Moisture under one end of my mobile home.

Post by trmimo » Wed Jan 12, 2011 4:36 am

Covering the ground under the home with plastic is a very good idea. It is strongly recommended when installing homes. The foundation vents need to be open during winter months. They actually decrease heat loss because damp insulation is very ineffective. Closing off the porch was a great idea as porches dump water under the house. Much of your problem can actually be from duct leakage. If you are losing warm air under the house it will get damp. Check the cross over duct first.

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