modular home marriage line walls get water marks

[csawyer]

We moved into our Clayton Home 5 months ago. A water mark about 12"x8" showed up on the wall one day. My husband went to the attic to see if he could find the source of the water. What he found was the plastic used in transporting the house was still partially up. It was wet. Should there be insulation between the marriage line walls in the attic? There isn't any there. There is a seal at the marriage line under the house. It is visible from the basement. What could be causing the moisture at the marriage line? We contacted our dealer, but really not getting any help from them.

[csawyer]

Sorry, I left out important info. The water mark is on a wall along the marriage line.

[David Oxhandler]

The walls that separate the sections of the home above the ceiling are not exterior walls and are not typically insulated.

It sounds like your home has possibly; settled out of level or a shingle near or on the center line roof cap has been compromised. These would be the first things to check in the event of a small leak, near the centerline, of a recently installed home.

Settlement is not unusual on many soil types especially during the first year and might require a re-level of the home. A single loose shingle on the centerline roof cap could cause leakage and is a very simple fix.

State laws today require all home installers to be licensed. Call your installation contractor and ask him to come out to determine where the problem is and what it will take to stop the leak.

Clayton has a good reputation for customer service. If your dealer continues to ignore your problem phone Clayton's home office at 800.822.0633

[csawyer]

Thank you very much. I now have a starting point at resolving this situation.

[trmimo]

The plastic MUST be removed from between the two halves. That may well be the cause of your problem. Failure to remove the plastic creates severe condensation issues in cold weather. While the marriage walls are not insulated, there MUST be insulation placed between the marriage walls at the ceiling line and the end walls plus at the floor which you saw from the basement. Again, failing to do this creates severe condensation in cold weather. These things are not optional, they are essential with every home.