Wood Siding

[George Herrick]

I just purchased a 1986 Fleetline double-wide and it has some rotted wood siding that needs replaced. Where can I go to find replacement boards? They look like 2-board panels about 8 feet in length.

[Tom]

Well you have a problem, you not likely to find that same type unless your really lucky. Try a Fleetwood dealer and if that does not work, try other siding dealers in the area. Remember this, if some sections are rotton, the others wont be far behind. Tom

[David Oxhandler]

I have been maintaining a gang of MH rental units for a number of years. We have almost every type of siding every used on manufactured homes but have the most problems with the board sided ones. We use a product called T-111 (pronounced tee-one-eleven). Ask your local lumber yard what patterns they can get for you. It comes in several variations. Most look like Board on board in various widths. An exact match is possible sometimes but often you just need to use whatever you can get that looks closest to the pattern on the original siding. After you have made the replacements you will need to paint the entire home. With a fresh coat of paint it will be very difficult to spot the differences. You will have a much better replacement panels then the original hardboard type siding.


The courts have orders a class action payout to owners of all types of buildings that were sided with certain brands of hardboard type siding. If your Manufactured Home has hardboard siding that is having problems you might be entitled to take part in this cash settlement. I was recently paid back over $1500 for repairs we had made to one of our homes. To find out if you qualify CLICK HERE

[George Herrick]

David:
Thank you for your quick reply and helpfull info.
Best Regards,
George

[George Herrick]

Thanks Tom!

[Bill Adler]

my 86 fleet line dobble wide is having a flooring problem the floors are all failing the sub floor is deterioated and is sagging to a point that it is daqngerous does any one know what is the actual demension (thickness of the sub floor so that i might replace it?

[Jamie Brown]

I have been with the State of Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission for 11 years. Just recently in about the last 5 years or so the water level has come on the scene. I have some doubt about the validity of this device. It seems that the sole pourpose of the water level is to get all of the piers the same height. This device can in no way be correct for leveling a home. There are two major problems that I can see: The camber in the home for one and the consideration of the floor system being out of level. The leveling and racking of manufactured homes has been done for years with a 4'or 6' level and a block level. If the better mouse trap is the water level I'll eat my hat.

[Mark Bower]

Leveling starts with getting the floor level. To get the floor level you have to get the frame level. To get the frame level all the piers have to be the same height. Once your floor is level, then you can tweak the home adjusting for any inconsistencies in the construction. Unless there is a defect, the camber in the frame is flattened out by the weight of the home.

With a 4' level -- prove to me that the ne corner of the home is at the same exact height as the sw corner. It can't be done. Information from HUD recommends a waterline level. Set-up manual from factories recommend a waterline level. Why would it be different in Alabama?

Most dealers that I know have been using waterline levels for far longer than 5 years. You can't beat them! I've seen many homes leveled with a 4' level that slope from one end to the other. The slope doesn't really show in a 4' level -- but darn sure does with a waterline level.

I am hugely surprised to see such a post shooting down a waterline level.

Mark