Center of MH is level, both outter walls drop over 1 & 1/2"

[TeresaLynn73]

Hello Everyone, I may look new here but I just had to re- register since I forgot my old name, email, and what not. I have a new problem that I would love your advice on. Here it goes!

I paid $150 for a nice gentleman to level my home, because the siding is buckling bad and doing some sort of wave at the same time. The man leveled the home, he said the center of it (where it sits on metal beams) wasn't very off, and he only had to level 2 areas. I checked inside the home where the furniture against the walls has always been crooked, and no fix there. He checked the inside floor, it was level.

We went outside and he checked the very outside of the walls, where the skirting goes. Each side of the trailer was 1 and a 1/2 inches lower there than at the center of the trailer. He said that was the cause of the wave, buckling, and tipping furniture against the outer walls inside the home.

I asked him how we fix it, because he said he can't fix it himself. He told me to dig a 4' hole every 4 (or was it feet, starting 2 feet back from the 'tip' of the trailer corners. He said put 4x4s into the holes, and then a piece of wood across the top of that first board. Making a T shape basically. Right under the edge where the skirting is (or I guess a bit behind the skirting). Then he told me once I had done this, he could then come back and level those T shaped supporters and level the entire home.

It's a 1995 MH a 16x80 - Not sure of who made it because that sticker or plate is missing as far as I can tell (looked everywhere you guys mentioned before for it and no luck).

He said my home (being the year it is) should have had better 'outside floor / wall' support.. but that for some reason it's drooping and needs the support.

Ok, now my question is does this all sound right, do you know how I am supposed to dig a hole when the hole has to be 4 foot deep and the trailer floor is in my way for digging, do you have any better or easier ideas for building a support for the walls/floor.. and any other advice, tips, etc on this would be a god send. I mean, I trust the man and all but I'm trying to figure out how to dig those holes with a trailer right over where I assume I need to stand with a post hole digger. And is a 1 and a 1/2 inch drop on both sides a lot? Could that really make the vinyl siding buckle and do the wave, and my roof also ?


Thank you everyone in advance!

Teresa Lynn (Michigan)

[TeresaLynn73]

The weird alien smiley should have been the number eight. I forgot if I put the supports 4 feet or eight feet apart from each other.

[Greg]

Hi & welcome back. I have a few questions. First, How did he level the home? The only accurate way is with a water level. If he used a carpenter's level there is no way he got an accurate reading.

Second, What type of roof do you have? Heavy roofs (re shingled with out removing the old roof) or added roofs adds a lot of weight to the point that it can bow the floor joists and floor down.

It sounds like he was talking about adding perimeter support which would help with support, but may not correct the problem if the floor joists are indeed bowed.

What type of foundation system do you now have? Blocks on the ground, below frost line footers, poured slab, does the home shift much when the ground freezes or thaws?

Greg

[CDG]

Agrees with Greg a Carpenters Level is not accurate at Leveling the home.

Depends where you are...Florida it is sandy and easy to dig.....

The siding is wavy maybe because the manufacture used staples to hold the siding on your home and it is probably tight no room to expand which causes the wave. I am in the process of redoing mine..Removing the staples and than installing home wrap than using roofing nails not all the way hammer down to give the siding room to expand....

You should be able to slide your siding back and forth......