NEWSLETTER
MANUFACTURED HOME REPAIR
Spring 2002
Happy New Year Everyone!
The new year is off and running, and so are we. It's been a long winter,
and its only January! So put on the hot chocolate and browse our latest newsletter.
As always, we want to hear what you think. Got any ideas on what you'd like to see in upcoming newsletters or on our website?
Just ask us.
In this issue, we will discuss:
* My home is on footings, why is it still shifting?
* Minimize water damage with these emergency tips
* Congress approves Manufactured Housing Improvement Act
* What's new on this site
* A story from the life of a mobile home repair man
* Tip of the month - melting ice
* Picture of the month
"MY HOME IS ON FOOTINGS, WHY IS IT STILL SHIFTING?"
You tried to do things right. You bought a new manufactured home. You didn't want any trouble with the home shifting,
so you poured footings. But now your home seems to be shifting. Or is it?
You've noticed that your skirting is bowing or breaking. Insulated skirting (left)
will tend to break when under pressure. Vinyl skirting will push-up and bow. Your
first thought may be that your home is sinking. If you see no visible signs inside your home that it has
shifted (read this article), then the likely answer is that your
experience frost heave.
Frost Heave
The ground around the outside edge of your home will generally
be colder than the ground underneath your home. If soil has moisture, the ground will
expand and heave up, moving anything with it. That's why your skirting may be bowing or
your deck may be pushed up to the door. With no footings, all you can do is plan for frost heave.
Leave plenty of wiggle room in the track of the skirting. Check it in the fall. If the skirting is tight,
then cut some off so it has room to heave. Decks should be set 2-3" below
your door.
Bad Footing
If your home is on footings and still shifting, then it's time to examine your footings.
Although footings come in many shapes and forms, one popular method is to pour a footing below
each block set. This is fast, easy and inexpensive compared to other options. But if
not done properly, can render your footing less effective.
The illustration to the left is an example of a footing that will heave. The
biggest problem with this footing is that it wasn't dug below the frostline. The next
problem is that the sides and edges aren't smooth -- giving the frost lenses a
place to grab and lift. The illustration to the left does get credit for a widened
bottom, which helps retard the footing from sinking in softer soil. (illustration
from the Dec/Jan 2001 issue of Family Handyman).
Also note that each footing can heave at different rates, depending upon how much
moisture is in the soil around it.
Good Footing Rules
Here are some rules for
proper-functioning footings: (illustration
from the Dec/Jan 2001 issue of Family Handyman)
Rule 1 - Footings must be dug below the frostline. If not sure of the frostline, dig
below 6 feet.
Rule 2 - Bottom of footing should be widened and smoothed.
Rule 3 - Sides of footing should be smooth. Use cardboard form tubes to help.
Rule 4 - After pouring the concrete, run a stick or vibrator up and down the footing. This
helps disperse any air bubbles and works the edges smooth against the form.
Now what?
So what can you do about your bad footings? Not much. Even without perfect footings,
your home still shouldn't shift as much as if you didn't have them. About the only
thing you can do is have your home checked or releveled every 2-3 years. To do the checking
or releveling yourself, click here.
MINIMIZE WATER DAMAGE WITH THESE EMERGENCY TIPS.
by Little Falls Home Repair
In case you experience severe, sudden and accidental water damage to
your mobile home, take the following precautions until help arrives:
1) Shut off water source if possible.
2) Try to protect your property from further damage. Perform temporary, reasonable and necessary repairs. For example, cover openings in the roof or walls with plywood or plastic. Move household items and valuables to an undamaged area, or
cover them with plastic.
3) Mop and blot up or wet vac as much water as possible. Pull back drenched carpet to dry-out the
subfloor underneath
4) Make small holes in sagging ceilings or belly to get rid of trapped water. Place a container underneath a ceiling to catch the run-off. Don't turn on ceiling fixtures if ceiling is wet.
5) Remove oriental or other colored throw rugs from wet wall-to-wall carpeting.
6) Don't leave books, magazines, wet fabric or other colored items on wet carpeting. Prop up wet cushions for even drying.
Place wood blocks, wax paper or aluminum foil between furniture legs and wet carpeting to prevent damage to the furniture.
7) Wipe excess water from wood furniture and open drawers and cabinet doors to aid in faster drying.
8) Do not use your household vacuum to remove water, and don't use other appliances while standing on wet carpets or floors to avoid hazards of electrical shock.
CONGRESS APPROVES MANUFACTURED HOUSING IMPROVEMENT ACT
In one of its final actions before adjourning, the 106th Congress approved the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act. In a nutshell, the
legislation directs each state to establish a manufactured home installation training and set-up standards program within 5 years. Home installers will need to become
licensed, and their set-up will have some form of inspection. Plus, a dispute resolution
program must be set-up to resolve customer complaints of the first year the home was
installed. Since many States have no standards (or don't enforce the standards they do have), this is a big step forward for this
industry. With this legislation the consumer wins.
WHAT'S NEW!
Lawsuit Update
Do you ever get white chunks of plastic in your faucet screens? If so, then you
may have a defective dip tube in your water heater..
Experts Corner
We've now created a link page. If your involved in the manufactured home industry, we invite you to submit your link.
We also offer website hosting and website programming to those who currently don't have a website.
Click here to visit Experts Corner.
A STORY FROM THE LIFE OF A MOBILE HOME REPAIR MAN
For those of you in business, have you ever provided a service or sold a product and
not got paid for it? When you didn't get paid, did you say to yourself, "I hope it
breaks and they have to come crawling back to me for repairs!" If so, you'll love this story.
Last spring I installed a heat tape for a customer who said she'd pay the bill when
she got her check. I told her I guaranteed the heat tape for one year, and to call me
if you had any problems with it. Well, 8 months and a judgement later, I still hadn't been
paid one dime.
Then this January the phone rang. Low and behold, she was froze and wondered about my
1-year warranty. I said, "You bet you have a warranty, all you have to do is pay the bill
and I'll be right out."
Of course I got the sob story of how she had no money, 3 kids and needed water. She
tried calling my competitor, but they wouldn't come (ie the competitor already knew she
don't pay her bills). She then offered to make payments to me. I kindly reminded her that
her account has been in collections for 6 months, and she hasn't made one payment to that agency, so
why should I believe that she's going to make payments to me?
Anyway, by the next morning she had gotten a loan from
her bank and paid me off. Good thing, because at about the time she handed me
the check, the water had unthawed itself. I checked and adjusted the thermostat
so she wouldn't freeze again, but all I could say was "Whew!! Dreams do come
true!"
TIP OF THE MONTH
by Little Falls Home Repair
Gutters full of ice? Afraid the ice will soon back-up underneath your shingles?
Then try this tip to safely melt that ice. Fill several old pantyhose stockings full of ice melt (salt) and place
end to end in your gutter. Just be sure that as the ice melts, the water has somewhere to run.
If your downspout is full of ice, you may need to temporarily remove it so the water
can get away.
PICTURE OF THE MONTH
It's here! The new dish for my wireless internet.
If you have a picture or repair tip to share with us, please e-mail to us. If we print it, we'll
send you our 'mobile home repair.com' cap.
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