Corner Cracks / Marriage Line Questions

[ScotthasaSkyLine]

1) We have a 1 yr old 76 x 30 Skyline that has corner cracks on the south (side wall) of the house. The house is on a solid, mostly level (1 inch lower at the south end) concrete slab which is dry and vented. The house itself is level having done this check myself, and all supports are firmly supporting the house. We first noticed the crack after setup was completed. The manufacturer came out this summer and patched it. By December (start of cold season) it was back again. I contacted the manufacturer's repairman who said it was only settling. I also called the dealer who called the manufacturer and another owner from the office who both said it was settling. However, after a year, it seems like it is "settling" too much and too quickly. It has probably settled about 1/4 inch total so far. I noticed that the crack starts about half-way up the wall and eventually spreads from floor to ceiling and is more pronounced on the southeast corner. I also noticed that the bathroom counter, also on the same side wall, appears to be pulling away from the wall as the cauck is cracking. Can you help me determine if it is settling or how to tell if something else is going on?

2) Ideally how noticible should the marriage line under the carpet be? We had the installer come out and realign the floor and it was better but not "perfect". Should I expect that by walking over it you should not feel it?

[Bill Fry]

A home on a solid foundation does not settle.
Your problem is either a lack of support in one area or the foundation is sinking causing the home to pull against itself.Something is out of whack with the set of the house,get it checked by an independent party before complaining to the dealer anymore.
The marriage line should be level from one section to the other.If one side seems to be riding up on the other or getting wider your problem goes back to the foundation or a bad set.If you have access to a water level check the corners of the house for level.I'll bet they are out a good bit in the areas where you are having problems.

[ScotthasaSkyLine]

Thanks. I checked the supports with the pier print and of course, there were no supports at that end of the house along the marriage line when the print said there should be one at the end (hitch end). The nearest one was about 20 feet from the end. I put it in at the end and noticed that one side was about 1/2 inch lower than the other (explaining the uneven floor and maybe reoccurence of cracking in the corners due to more settling) so I shimmed tightly each side as they were and now the support should be there at the end.

However now I noticed that the knee wall the setup crew put in, touches the bottom of the house on that wall and other areas. I checked the supports along the beams esp at that end and all were solid. Should I be concerned about any additional support along the knee wall (made of 2x4 frame) or just watch that the supports along the beam and marriage line continue to be firm?

May I ask a question that may be out of place? Why do set up crews seem to be uncaring and unprofessional? It seems like most problems with mh is because of bad sets. The manufacturer only points to setup crew and claims no responsibility. Shouldn't the manufacturer do more, like having their own setup crews per manufacturer, or providing who to use in your area and take more responsibility for it?

[Bill Fry]

You are quite right in saying that the vast majority of problems in MH 's come from bad sets and or foundations.Not all manufacturers and their setup crews are uncaring.Many realize the importance of this area and make sure it is done right the first time.