Foundations

[LeeAnne]

We are reseacrhing our options. We have been told that much of the longevity and value of a MH will be dependent upon the foundation. When we started we were planning a regular slab...then a friend suggested the surefit system but the MH rep said that runners would be best. We are thoroughly confused. We would be moving from a stickbuilt home to a MH in order to gain land, and escape city life but are not interested in losing any of teh stability that we have in a stickbuilt. We are less than a hour from the coast, in hurricane territory, woudl be on clay soil.

Any suggestions or feedback would be appreciated.

[James]

There are basically 3 different types of permanent foundation.
1. A Slab (Alot of money but sometimes ease of mind is worth the cost.)
2. Runners (4 Forms poured the length of the home for the blocks to sit on)
3. Footers ( A 2x2 ft sq. footer poured at every block pier location)
Either one will do good especially as you say you have clay soil so its packed harder than most.
Hopefully some of the forum guru's will chime in and inlighten you further

[rmurray]

Good description...

actually a full slab is rare...because to be effective it needs to be 8 inches or more thick..this is very expensive in this day of high concrete costs..(Concrete in our area has gone from $65/yd to $90/yd plus fuel surcharges to up to $125 per truck load in the last few months)...

Runners are sometimes used because they can be much less precise with location...but with a proper set..individual piers placed exactly where the homes set up manual says to put them is the best way to set...To do this one needs a foundation contractor who knows how to read the set up plans...and use a transit to locate the piers properly...Unfortunately most dealers do not want to spend enough to get this kind of quality workman.....The FHA will require that these footers have #8 rebar in them..many do not think this is all that necessary..The rebar is seldom required by the set up manual..

Always the best set up is precisely the set up required in the set up manual..This consumer should get a copy of the manual and read it for specific information about their home..

[mac]

Hi all,
At least where I live (Oregon) we do lots of slabs, but they are 4" thick. I think we can get away with this due to the mild climate. There isn't rebar in it either; instead, it's fibered concrete. So far, so good.

[mac]

Hi all,
At least where I live (Oregon) we do lots of slabs, but they are 4" thick. I think we can get away with this due to the mild climate. There isn't rebar in it either; instead, it's fibered concrete. So far, so good.

[Eugene]

Hi LeeAnne.
I have a 32x80 Skyline set up on 9" thick fibercrete runners. (fiber & concrete)
This mix is touted as being stronger than just concrete. Concrete acts as a "sponge" with moisture. With a full slab, all that concrete will attract and retain moisture, creating a moist enviroment under your home. Not good. With runners, it gives you the stability of a slab, but with earth in-between to "perk" or drain moisture. In addition, all my anchors are permanently set in concrete. It is a VERY solid and permanent installation. Best of luck to you.

[LeeAnne]

So it sounds like the runners would be at least as solid as the retrofit (surefit) that has been recommended to us, does this sound about right?

[Eugene]

I'm not familiar with the surefit system. This is what I do know. In FLA all that is required are a plastic composite "pad" to be placed under the support sections of a home. In a 110 mph simulated wind load, (accomplished by huge computer driven jacks under a home) the home moved 9 inches. Under the codes, this is ACCEPTABLE!!! WOW!!
With the foundation my home is set up on, With a 175 mph wind load, the home moved 3/16 of one inch. I'm not sure how the Surefit stacks up, but I highly recommend doing LOTS of homework:)

[David Oxhandler]

The federal code is enforced by local and state building departments across the country. Installation rules are determined by local conditions. In California, for example, there is a need for regulations that consider earthquake resistance.

There are several popular foundation systems available. Advanced Foundation Systems offer you the best foundation technology available for your manufactured home...plus added safety and stability...at a lower cost.

Check out ADVANCED FOUNDATIONS WEB SITE

[Mary Barbary Sure Safe Arizon]

Hello, Actually there is a multitude of foundations available, Not all will qualify for compliance with the Lenders and HUD. There is another type of footer available it is a cast in place footing. That is what we have with the sure safe system. Clay soil is not a problem, with the sure safe system you can acquire site and model specific engineering and unlike the other systems the load is evenly distributed throughout the home and the weight of the system is addressing the lateral uplift
( that is what the wind does, is lift the home if not engineered correctly). I have been appointed to the sub committee for the State of Arizona, Board of Manufactured Housing to define a permanent foundation for the upcoming Manufactured Housing Improvement Act. I am a Foundation Specialist. I can either provide you with information, or connect you to some people in your area who can assist you.You should be commended for researching this further. Please do not let conflicting information throw you for a loop, with all the changes going on in the Manufactured Housing Industry, not everyone is up on the most current information. If you have any questions, Please feel free to contact me. Have a Great Day!