UL Rating

[Eugene Tartt]

Greetings.
I am a first time manufactured home buyer. I wll take possession of my new 32x80 Skyline "Ramada" the end of this month. I was drawn to Skyline because of the UL rating. I understand that this is a much better rating than just HUD standards. Mr. Murray do you agree? I have learned ALOT from this discusson group as I have been a silent observer for a few months now. Thank God for the experts who share their time,knowledge and wisdom to this group. I wish to thank all of you.
Based in large part of what I have learned here, this is what I have selected:
4x12 shingle roof pitch w/12" overhang, 2x8 floor joist 16"oc,OSB floors,2x6 exterior wall studs 16"oc,2x4 interior wall studs,R-30,19,19 (roof,wall,floor) Tape and Texture sheetrock throughout, Residental doors & hinges throughout,Steel exterior doors w/storm (front & back) insulated vinyl windows w/LOW-E glass, Solid Oak cabinets, Island cook grill, individual water shut-offs,OSB wall sheathing and moisture barrier,A/C ducts sealed with mastic,fresh air exchange system (blend air) Corner fireplace, 2 head corner shower & Garden Tub, built in 43" Toshiba big screen & DVD player. This will be set up on poured 9" concrete footers with re-bar anchors set in the concrete. The home is absolutley beautiful. I paid 63,000 for this home, including the foundation.
I will post an update when I take possession.
All suggestions/comments appreciated.

[rmurray]

Sounds like you are getting an excellent buy...Almost too good to be true..Hope not..

Your home is FAR more home than the HUD minimums...The UL listing has nothing to do with basic construction...This is a designation that Skyline has paid for for many years...They were UL listed long before the HUD code ever came into existance...I have no idea why other manufacturers have not followed suit..I suppose they do not think this system is very important to consumers...After your post, maybe some of the others might decide it is worth the cost to get a UL listing...

Thanks for following this web site..You seem to have gotten a lot for your money..Good Luck and keep us posted how things go..

[Eugene Tartt]

Thank you for the fast reply Mr. Murray.
I appreciate your knowledge and comments. I live in N.Fla and in all my shopping, this home was pushing 80,000. I was referred to Byrd's home center just south of Palatka. I was told they were 15 to 20 thousand less for the same home. I was skeptical till I visited. WoW!! Mr. Byrd has been in the Industry for about 30 years. He will not sell a home without the permanent foundation. He say's, "too many problems" without it. Word of mouth is that he stands behind the home long after the warranty expires. I feel very blessed to have found the knowledge supplied by you, and to have found an exellent dealer. I WILL keep you posted. Thank's again.

[rmurray]

Byrd has been in the business for over 30 years...Many, many, many years ago, I was in Gainesville with a dealership and he was our set up crew....He is one of the more sucsessful independnet dealers in central Florida...Good Luck

[Eugene Tartt]

What a small world we live in sometimes!
Mr.Byrd has a patent on his set up process.
I spoke with an electrical engineer for my property 2 weeks ago who replied; "Byrd's way is the way they should all be done".
Everything sounds positive at this point,
I will update along the way.
I'll tell Mr.Byrd that Mr.Murray say's hello.
Thank's again

[rmurray]

He will have to have a very good memory..

[Eugene Tartt]

1050 gallon septic tank with 333sq.ft of drain field went in today. This is an in-ground system (not a mound) using the latest "infiltrator" technology. Passed inspection today, cost.....1,625.00.
Foundation is scheduled for Thursday.......
I'll let ya know.

[kathy roberts]

hi there, i live on the oregon coast and we are purchasing a new akwood home (hopefully next week). what is the foundation process the mr byrd does? the contractor that gave us a bid is supposed to do a 6" concrete slab~is this good or bad?? should we look for something different? thanks, kathy

[Eugene Tartt]

Greetings. The process Mr.Byrd uses has been tested by several goverment and enginering agencies and far exceeds the minimum requirements, thus, he applied for and was issued a patent. The foundation for my large home used 30 yards of concrete. (a lot!)
I know that all foundations are 9" thick, this is much stronger and will support more weight than 6". He does not pour a solid slab because with our wet climate here in Florida, a solid slab will hold any water that runs on it for long periods. As the water slowly evaorates, it creates a moist ,wet enviroment
which is not good for the underside of a home. The Idea is to pour concrete only on the loadbearing sections of the ground, which allows the ground to "perk", or drain, which keeps the underside dry. He also sets the anchors in the concrete while it is wet, making a permanent, solid, foundation. Also, there is no movement of the home, eleminating leveling problems. I hope this helps, best of luck to you:)

[Evelyn]

How long should I wait from the time I move my house to it's permanent site before I can install tile? We have been on our land about two weeks and I am told we need to wait at least six months to install tile due to settling down of the home. I am not very patient and want to start upgrading my home asap. what is your opinion?

Thank you for replying