Vulnerability to storm damage

[Hueffenhardt]

Is a well built manufactured home on a permanent perimeter foundation really more vulnerable to severe weather damage than a site built home on a similar perimeter foundation? If so, why?

It seems to me the reason why many manufactured homes perform so poorly in storms is because the wind pushes them off their piers or gets underneath them because so many don't have perimeter foundations.

I am really considering purchasing a manufactured home, but I need to resolve in my mind that I can do it without being a lot more vulnerable to storm damage than site built homes as I will be building in an area that is at higher risk for tornadoes.

We will be building on a basement and using 2X6 exterior walls. I don't understand why, if I do it that way, I would be more at risk in a storm than a site built home. Yet, video footage and horror stories of completely destroyed manufactured homes fill my mind. I know site built homes aren't safe from being destroyed either; I just don't want to be excessively more at risk by living in a manufactured home.

Your answers would be most helpful if you know of any research showing that manufactured homes can be just as safe as site built ones in a storm if built on a similar foundation or basement.

[I performed a search of the forums and could not find an answer to this question.]

[David Oxhandler]

During the back to back to back Florida hurricanes of 2004-5 "...manufactured homes held up well, even when compared to site-built homes. That this was be the case should not really surprise anyone: since 1999, manufactured homes have been built and installed to standards tougher than any but the most recent codes for site-built structures. As required by the federal code, all manufactured homes sold in Florida's coastal counties since 1994 are engineered to withstand sustained winds of 110 mph and 3-second gusts of 130 to 150 mph.

IN FACT, the State Bureau of Mobile Home and RV Construction surveyed 11,800 manufactured homes among 77 parks in seven counties, including hard-hit Charlotte and DeSoto. Of the manufactured homes installed according to Rule 15-C—the most stringent tie-down regulation in the country—the Bureau could not find a single home that had been moved from its foundation. And RADCO, an independent engineering firm, revealed that manufactured homes produced and installed in accordance with the current Federal Standards successfully withstood the effects of Hurricane Charley" Source Myths vs. Facts

Hear the stories of several of the residents of Charlotte County, as they describe their experiences with Hurricane Charley, and their satisfaction—in fact, delight—with how well their manufactured homes stood up to the storm. at Testimonials


THERE'S AN ADVANTAGE to factory-constructed homes over site-built homes: precision. The result is a strong, durable, quality-crafted home with easy-care exterior materials. Factory-constructed manufactured homes are built to a tough Federal code. These homes are crafted to rigid standards of fit and finish by skilled workers using all the finest materials, brand-name fixtures appliances.

Solid construction materials and techniques are coupled with many options and floor plans to meet your individual living needs. Huge closets and cabinet space, cathedral ceilings and contemporary kitchens...all the features combine to create the warmth you will love to call home. It's no wonder the value of your factory-built home performs the same as a site-built home in the marketplace.

SOME FACTS

• Every factory-constructed manufactured home sold in Florida not only matches the strength of site-built homes, but actually exceeds them by as much as 25%.

• Factory-built homes manufactured and sold in Florida meet criteria based on the highest wind safety standard of them all, known as ASCE 7-88. Site-built homes must conform only to state or local requirements for strength and wind-resistance.

• The design and construction of all Florida manufactured homes are monitored through HUD and their agent, Housing and Building Technology (HBT), and by the State Bureau of Manufactured Housing Construction, insuring the highest quality and safety standards. You don't get this assurance with any site-built homes.

SOURCE: http://builtstronger.com/engineering.html

[Hueffenhardt]

Thanks, David. That info was just what I was looking for.