subfloor

[scott h]

Does anybody know if the floor joist on the fairmont 32' wide homes are 2x6 or 2x8. Also the subfloor is cresdeck, is this a problem.

[rmurray]

Cressdeck is a pressboard product...For many this is a major problem..

[trmimo]

Fairmont uses a 2 x 6 floor in 32' wides. They do have one of the strongest steel frames to offer more support. But, in a 32' wide house I would strongly reccomend perimeter blocking for a more solid, stable house.

[tlc]

trmimo, you seem to know quite a bit about MH...we live in WV and have narrowed our choices down to: Skyline (Woodfield 28x80) and Fairmont(Foxwood32x80)...both homes are max insulation, drywall throughout, flat ceilings, 7/12 roof pitch....trying to get the best of the best. We are concerned about Fairmont's 2x6 floor as well as the cresdeck they use. We like Skyline's floorplan, but prefer 32' wide. Our dilema is that we want QUALITY built as we want this to be our last home and it seems that each manufacturer has SOME good and SOME bad - none have it all. It is a HUGE decision and just want to be sure we are getting a GOOD product. Any advice on the two above or ANY other manufacturer available in the Charleston, WV area is GREATLY appreciated. We have been researching and looking for over 6/7 months and want to buy soon. Thanks for your help!

[trmimo]

Jump up and down inside the 2 homes and I don't think you will find that the floor in the Fairmont is noticeably different. Not only is there more steel but the joists at the floor seams and under certain walls are laminated joists which are stronger than normal dimensional lumber. With Fairmont it is essential that you choose a good retailer because they handle pretty much all of the service themselves where with Skyline the factory does most of your service. The foxwood product requires perimeter blocking in order to achieve the advertised 40# roof load. If you are going on a basement or perimeter wall crawlspace this won't be an issue. The wall provides support. With the cressdeck you must have a vapor barrier under the home and unless you are on a heated basemnet the area under the home must be ventilated to the factory's specification. This is important with any home that you buy. If you are concerned about the cressdeck I would order the home with the floor coverings shipped loose and paint the entire floor with an oil based primer before the carpet and lino are layed.
If at some point you have a large water leak you may still have to replace some of the cressdeck. I don't see that as a bad thing myself. The reason is that with plywood and osb most people don't replace wet floor decking after a leak and these are the homes that are prone to mold growth because of the wet wood.
Ask your retailer for references.
Check those references to see what their previous customers think of them.
Buy the George Porter videos for sale here and watch them all the way through.
Get a copy of the installation manual for the home you choose before it is built and read it.
Either of these homes is a good choice for you. And the last 4 things I suggested will give you the information you need to make sure that you will be happy with your home for many years.