The Manufactured Housing Forums

In March of 2005 I purchased a new Cavalier home, model #SS06E5223
The company from which I purchased my home is no longer in business, at least not that I can locate. The company was Savannah Discount Housing, Inc.
In September of 2012, I entered an insurance claim because of a roof leak. The major cause of this leak was from wind damage and falling tree limbs. The insurance company did pay for repairs. However, the inspection of the roof by the contractor making the repairs and the insurance adjuster reveiled very poor workmanship on the part of the persons setting up my home and the installation of the roof. The home was never leveled properly. And the re-inspection after 90 days that I have now learned should occur to inspect the home for any settling which may require re-leveling of the home. The re-inspection of my home never occurred, nor was I told to expect such an event.
So in September the repairs were made, I have had my home re-leveled. Only to discover I still have a leaking roof. The insurance company was clear to explain that they cannot cover the cost of repairing my roof because of normal wear and tear. My question to you is should a new 2005 Cavalier Mobile Home require a total roof replacement after 7 years. Is that the "life expectancy" of the quality of roof installed on these homes?

In 2005 a 90 day inspection of the set up was not required in GA. If it was done it was a company policy of the dealer. Regulations may have changed since then. In 2005 I sold Cavalier product built in Milan, GA. The original warranty on the shingles would have been 30 years by the manufacture of the shingles.(the warranty was not by dealer or the home factory). Those warranties have always been hard to collect on. The original warranty would have been materials only and prorated for time. If you could make a successful claim on this age home they would supply less than 2/3s of the shingles and you would have to pay labor (the largest part of replacement). Even then you would have to have one of the original paper wrappings of one of the bundles. If my old brain does not fail me, I remember your shingles to have been by GA Pacific Co. Those are the same requirements of shingles on any type of house.

Settling is not uncommon. Your owners manual would have recommended you check the level on a periodic basis as normal maintenance of your home. Your homeowners manual recommended maintenance schedule is VERY important to the long term enjoyment of your home.

Roof replacement is one of the most costly expenses in home maintenance and so can be very aggravating.

The majority of manufactured homes built in the USA include roofs that use a "20 year" grade of shingles. The number of years serves as more a general grade rating than a definite shingle lifetime. That 20 year rating is the life expectancy of the individual shingles under optimum conditions.

In Locations with high heat and humidity, shingle life will be considerably lower than the given rating. It appears from your internet address that you are in Georgia. I am just south of you in Florida. Realistically, a 20 year grade shingle can be counted on for an average of ten years of carefree service in the Deep South. I used a 30 year grade shingle to reroof my home when I purchased it. The roof went only 13 years before it started to show signs that the shingles were starting to fail.

After seven years of exposure and settlement along with wind damage and collisions with falling tree limbs, I'm not sure I understand how anyone could determine that the home was installed poorly or that the quality of the original workmanship.

We do like to have trees around our homes in the South. There is no price too high for shade here in the summer. BUT homes under or around trees tend to get accumulations of leaves and other debris accumulating on the roof. This tends to keep shingles wet after it rains and the shingles will deteriorate faster.

If the re leveling was done after the roof work it is possible that shifting the foundation support under the new roof contributed to the new roof leaking. The greater the shifting of the structure, in re leveling, the more likely the negative effects on roof system.

Regardless, licensed roofers should offer a warranty on their workmanship. Call the contractor that just took your insurance money and get them to do what ever is necessary for the work they just did.

During the last 3 of 4 years rain driven 35mph winds has resulted in ceiling stains due to leaks.Two different roofing companies said it due to rain splashing on the roof into the west side of the vents.Both recommended using splash guards which would cover both sides & leave the bottom open.Your opinion

Sounds like a good idea...