Code for Level Floors or Floor Deflection

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John B 59
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Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2013 1:09 pm

Code for Level Floors or Floor Deflection

Post by John B 59 » Wed Sep 25, 2013 1:37 pm

We recently purchased a new triple wide from Marlett out of Hermiston, OR (a Clayton Co.) We opted for a baw window in the dining room. There was a problem with the floor for that room. Initiallya it was visible large hump wich appeard to be a bowed up floor joist. The issue was first addressed by the factory having the installers come back out and put pier block supports under the knock out portion of that section (center) of the triple wide which turned the himp into a cup (depression). We are still trying to get the floor level. I was not present when the customer serivce manager from the factory came out and put a small 3' or less level on the floor and announced to my wife that it was an 1/8" "deflection" which was within their specifications. I have experience in home construction (not manufactured homes) and my experience has been that a floor should be level when it is not under a heavy load. When I checked level with a 6' level tht placed at the mid point (center) of base of the bay window wall & laid over the visible depression it was almost 1/4" deep. I then checked the level and saw that the floor was not level with the base of that wall. When I raised the end of the level that was opposite that wall to where the bubble was level the bowl (depression) was almost 3/4" deep. The customer sevice representative still says it is within specifications because 1/8" deflection in a 3' distance is acceptable. My experience with "deflection" when it comes to floors deals with "sag" under load - deflection being the measured difference between the the floor when it is under a heavy load as opposed to not being under a load. The only load on the dining room floor is a dining room table and 4 chairs in the center of the room weighing approximately 200 lbs and a china hutch against a side wall weighing about 350 lbs (when full).

My question is this: Is there a written national code or requirement dealing with acceptable limits of how out of level a floor can be?

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

Re: Code for Level Floors or Floor Deflection

Post by David Oxhandler » Wed Sep 25, 2013 4:53 pm

I also was under the impressionism that deflection was a measurement of how much movement - often called "wow" - there is in the floor system, as opposed to the size of a hump or valley .

HUD regulates the construction of manufactured homes.

Try the nation service manager for Clayton. File your complaint using the form at http://www.claytonhomes.com/request_information.cfm or call them at 800-822-063

If that fails, you can file a complaint. Include a description of the problem, along with copies of any correspondence or contacts with the retailer and the manufacturer to resolve the problem. Also include:

- Your name, address and a telephone number where you can be reached during the day;
- The name of the manufacturer;
- The serial number and model number of your home;
- The label number (the red tag on the back of the home);
- The date purchased; and
- The name of the business who sold you the home.
Send your complaint to your State Administrative Agency

Department of Consumer & Business Services
Building Codes Division
1535 Edgewater, NW
Salem, OR 97304-4635
PH: (503) 378-4133
FAX: (503) 378-2322

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 14470
Salem, OR 97309-0404

If you have questions that are unresolved at the state level the federal agency to contact is

Department of Housing and Urban Development
Manufactured Housing and Standards Division
Office of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
451 7th St. SW, Room 9152
Washington, D.C. 20410-8000
1-800-927-2891.

Source - http://www.hud.gov/complaints/manhousing.cfm
David Oxhandler
[email protected]

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