REPO'D HOME W/WATER DAMAGE

[NICK]

Hello,

My daughter & her fiancee are looking to purchase a repo'd home on 10 acres in our area. The home is only about 4 years old. The owner had passed away & then the bank repo'd the home. It has been sitting empty for over a year. They were actually able to see the inside of the home this weekend. The Master Bath & the regular bath are back to back. The flooring in both was EXTREMELY warped....so sign of water damage. (the water is now turned off to the home & it has been winterized). They said in one bathroom the floor was so bad it was up about a foot in certain areas. Is replacing flooring easy in a double wide? They said all the other floors looked good inside the home & didn't show any signs of water damage.....but how will they know? What should they look for? What about inside the walls (mold)? Can you give us some advice so we can get a better idea of everything we need to check out before the purchase.

Thanks for your help!

[Eugene]

The floor is a critical element in any manufactured home. The decking must be glued and fastened to the joists in a specific pattern.
You need to also consider the replacement of all the floor insulation as well.

[rmurray]

Have a professional home inspector inspect the home....

[NICK]

Is replacing flooring & if need walls (drywall) in a modular any different than in a regular home? I see a post saying the flooring has to be glued a certain way?

[RJ]

Can inspector go underneath if skirting is up? If yes, how can inspector tell if flooring is damaged? How can inspector tell if walls have water damamge?

[rmurray]

A good professional inspector carries overalls in his tool kit..He has to go under...and over in every way he/she can..ask your house inspector about these concerns..

A pro has a process to follow that lets him cover the whole home.....

[NICK]

We did some more research....it looks like a pipe busted & now water is in the insulation & needs to be drained out. It looks like it is causing more damage to the flooring by holding the water in. The plastic is drooping underneath right now filled with water. It is a Hart home, which I have heard is one of the better brands of homes....but with water damage, don't know what to think.

[Eugene]

To answer your earlier question. YES...drywall and floor decking in manufactured homes is VERY different than a stick built. In a Manufactured Home, the drywall and floor, and ceiling board are all structural elements. the strength of the wall depends on the drywall being glued and stapled just right. the same with the floor.
The floor and ceiling (usually) transfer wind loads into the floor joists into the chassis into the anchors to the ground.
If you read some of the posts from homeowners that were hit by katrina, you can see that a manufactured home can stand up to these hazards....but if you mess with the structure....you are putting yourself, your family and others in danger.