Plywood vs. other options

[Havarent]

If you plan on keeping the home I suggest 3/4 inch construction grade Plywood
in the living area and Pressure treated 3/4 in the bathroom and utility area We have tried all other options and this is well worth the time and money.
As far as hardwood floors , there are some great products out there for pre-finished wood products, that you can do your self.

[rmurray]

Yes hardwood floors..pergo floors and ceramic tile floors are available from some manufacturers....Some will not sell hardwood in areas where the room goes across the halves....but this can be done locally any way...

I have sold homes with wool carpet to a few folks with allergies to the chemicals in nylon carpet...This has to be bought and installed locally...and is VERY expensive..

If you are one with lots of allergies...you should be real careful of formaldehyde in some building products...Especially avoid press board floors..cabinets...molding..pressboard is full of formaldehyde...Good Luck

[Branden Cummins]

They can't afford to use plywood do to the increase in lumber cost. If you are really thanking about buying a home you need to get the process started. The price of lumber has risen almost 200% in the last few months. I hear that steel is now going up. If you have any questions please fill free to call me any time 1-800-820-3150 or my cell phone 830-237-9111





Branden Cummins

[Mark]

The reason most don't offer tile/hardwood is because there is a standard that must be met for floor flex. This means that in order to do a tile floor, the floor joist size may need to be bumped up from say, 2x8, to 2x10 in order to meet the flex limit for the span.

Building material prices have been climbing since the first of the year. Had you bought your home in say, january instead of now, you could have saved probably $4000 on a 2000+ sq ft home. Lumber, concrete, steel, everything is going up. Concrete is on rationing now, you may have to wait several weeks to get your order of concrete filled, especially if it's a small order.

[Eric S]

Yes you can install hardwood veneer floors in a manufactured home. Some upscale homes come with these kinds of floors already installed. I would delete the floor moulding or have it sent loose and install it after you get it set up on the site in those that do not offer it. Seal the bare Cresdeck floors with a good sealer. Most manufactured home building centers will do this also. If you need further help, feel free to call me at 1-888-676-8105. We offer four different manufacturers, all rated top pick by the Eaton Comparison Guide.

[Eric S]

Hi Martha,

Cresdeck is made the same way that plywood is made, by glueing small pieces of wood together. Both contain chemicals such as formaldehyde. Cresdeck is made in very large and very heavy sheets, in order to minimize the number of joints and squeaks possible. Plywood is actually inferior to it in a number of ways. Cresdeck is stronger, more water resistant, and has no voids. On top of that it has less cracks because it comes in large sheets.

Some consumers have a concern about formaldehyde. Generally speaking, all homes (site built, modular and manufactured) contain formaldehyde. This substance is so common nowadays; it is very unusual not to be exposed to it. Formaldehyde is used in bed sheets, clothes, furniture, drapes, carpeting, household items as well as some construction materials, just to name a few. Plywood is limited by federal law to .2 ppm formaldehyde emissions, while particle board is limited to .3 ppm. (4)

There are no limitations on the amount of formaldehyde emissions in site built homes, so one could literally be poisoned to death legally, while manufactured homes are governed by stringent Federal Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards, issued by Congress (Section 3280.308). (4)

Many people do not realize that the new home smell or the new car smell is largely due to the formaldehyde emissions. To avoid formaldehyde, one would have to wear clothes made of non-tanned animal skins, live in a log cabin that has no paint or stain, and walk everywhere (no buses, trains, airplanes or cars allowed due to formaldehyde in them). Avoid any cities though. There are many ways to cut down on this and other chemicals that we are all exposed to on a daily basis. Basically, anyone alive these days has over 100 toxic chemicals in their blood that can be measured.

(4) Wayne Clovis, Director Of Engineering, Fuqua Homes, Formadehyde Response Letter dated March 1, 2001.

[rmurray]

eric...these boards are for helping folks with information...not sales leads..the webmaster here would be happy to sell you advertising on this site...He might even let you pay to sponsor one of the forums...Call him..

[jgn]

"Cresdeck is made the same way that plywood is made, by glueing small pieces of wood together."
Eric, You have no idea what you are talking about or you sell through false information. It would be a good idea to consult your sales manager and learn what you are talking about. While in theory you are correct that plywood and Cresdeck (particle board) both use glue that is where the similarities end and you are not telling all of the the facts. I am a professional salesman although not in this industry and I am offended by salespeople like you who only tell have of a story because they don't know any other way to sell.

[Bill Fry]

As a FYI to Eric Plywood and OSB are also available in longer then the standard 8 ft sheets to MH builders.Plywood will never be inferior to Cresdeck.Ever wonder why you never see Cresdeck in stick builts?Its junk ,thats why.

[Steven Johnson]

My wife did a walkthrough in a new, carpeted Golden West mobile home and it made her sick from the off-gassing of various materials. I have since toured Hallmark mobile homes and prefer the quality I have seen in the materials used. The sales lady gave me the blank look when I raised questions of allergies, toxic building shock, off-gassing, etc. She said the Hallmark flooring is Cresdek, and she seemed proud of the fact. In the pursuit of a new mobile home to replace our 1968 Golden West, I am not anxious to make us ill! The new homes appear to be more tightly built, hence indoor air may be even less well circulated than in the old home. What do do? I have gotten agreements from both Golden West and Hallmark to sell me a home without carpeting, but from this Web discussion I am learning that new, wall-to-wall carpeting isn't the only source of formaldehyde. Will sealing a new Cresdek floor help? Will my plan to use cork plank floors (mostly natural materials) in place of carpeting, help?
This is very frustrating trying to get information!
Steve, in Southern California