to level out side edge of trailer

[mike rexing]

Hi Mark.I leveled my trailer now I like to make sure the out side wall is leveled.I was wondering if there is a mesurement from the bottom of the beams to
the bottom of the out side wall to see if it is sqare.Then I can check it in a few places and go around the trailer and level that to make sure that is level also before I put on my skirting.And If not I can add you supports.Thank you any help you give me would be helpful.Take care God Speed.

Don't Worry Be Happy!
Mike

[mike rexing]

OK Mark you could not answer my last question on if there was a mesurement that I could you use to level the out side frame's Here is what I have 6in of 3/4 stone and decking blocks every 8ft I would like to level the bottom out side edge the home on the blocks and use them to support the home with a double 2by nail on both side of the 4by4 that would fit in the deck block.Theres going to be hole in the block to drive re rod through to keep them in place.The out side going to be treated plywood and metal.Will have to bury a drain tile so I will have bank sum more gravel the tile.Behide all this will be the pink insulation for ground contact an R 10 because we live were it gets to 35 to 45 below hope to do three thing support my roof and level my floors and warm my home from freezing I level the the trailer but I what to make the the sure If on day in the future I want add on I could has to be so why to know when it;s level it looks like the guy on page 24-12 used railroad ties at the edge of the trailer and blocks on top and probable with a 8ft board across to level the edge of his trailer so do just go in the house and make sure the floor is straight that is all I want to know to finish this job. Thank you'll help is appreciated.Take cake God speed.

Don't Worry Be Happy!
Mike
life is a test it only a test!

[rmurray]

I am not a mechanic....it is good you bought Mark's book..The only thing I want to remind you abou is ventalation....Be sure you leave proper ventalation in the underpinning...

You might want to e-mail Mark directly at

[email protected]

or post directly on Mark's company forum at

http://mobilehomerepair.com/phpbb/?forum_id=9

Good Luck with the project..

[admin]

Mike

Manufactured homes are designed to be fully supported by a foundation system under the I-beams. The exterior walls are supported by the outriggers... the steel arms that reach from the main I-beams to the edge of the exterior wall.

If the I-Beams are level the home will be as level as possible for a framed structure. What you need is an easy method to determine if your home is out-of-level, and if so, how much. Professional installers use a water level... with tubing that can stretch the length of the home to determine level.

There is a reasonably priced, easy to use product on the market called the WatrLevel. The inventor must have stayed up nights to develop this one. It provides instant readings, can be used around obstacles, and only requires one person to operate. You can see details by visiting the WatrLevel web site

You can add additional side wall blocking, and this is often done in areas where the soil under the home is not highly stable... like very sandy soil that wont compress easily. You need to keep in mind that ALL structures settle, and that they continue to settle. The Empire State Building is sitting on bedrock in Manhattan but the settlement is still measurable every year.

On my doublewide we added piers every 6 feet along the (long) side walls. We set P.T. 4x4s on the top of the piers that span the distance between each pier. This creates a "snow shoe" effect to disperse the weight across the entire side of the home rather than directly on top of each pier.

Dropping the edge of the home onto concrete block or poured piers can cause the home to settle around the piers so that you will end up with high spots where the piers are set as the wood frame settles and the piers hold up selective spots. Be sure that you put shim wedges on top of each pier so that in the future you can tap the shim in or pull them back so you can relevel the home when needed.

Manufactured homes in most parts of the country will need to be releveled sometime during the first year (or so). while ALL structures continue to settle forever the vast majority of the settlement usually occurs right after installation and becomes less and less every year after.

I had a MH sales business for many years and we included one full relevel with the sale of each home we sold. This eliminated about 80% of the normal service problems that our manufactured homes experienced prior to adopting this policy.

If you are planning to do this work yourself with out prior experience in manufactured housing installation it would be a good idea to read Mark's book
The Manual for Manufactured Home Repair & Upgrade Which includes a sections on:

Releveling a mobile home
Building a basement overview
Installing pier footings
Skirting - installing block, rock, vinyl, metal and insulated skirting
Anchoring

The book is available in print or in E-book Version that you can download for instant reading.

The purchase price represents a small fraction of what you would have to spend on contracting out the work your planning and will give you clear instructions so you can plan your project for a long term successful outcome.

If your interested in more advanced reading take a look at the book used by classes for certification of manufactured housing installers in many states. Manufactured Housing Installation and Repair by George Porter

George addresses commonly made and easily avoidable mistakes, and offers invaluable safety tips. The book is practical, hands-on, specific, extremely user-friendly, fun to read, and step-by-step. It helps you visualize the work with hundreds of pictures, and is truly comprehensive.

You might also want to take a look at System-1 skirting by Hoffman Concrete. System-1 is 100% solid concrete skirting system that resists the elements from the summer heat of Texas to the harsh winters of Minnesota. (see photo below)




Thanks for visiting our forum. Come back again and let us know how the project progresses.