Water under mobile home

Repair help for the do-it-yourselfer.
For mobile home parts, click here.

Moderators: Greg, Mark, mhrAJ333, JD

Locked
RickW
Posts: 64
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 7:49 pm
Location: NW PA

We've been in our mobile home for a few years now. Don't know much about them but love it here and have a decent yard for a mobile home park. One big problem. The front of our home gets a lot of water under it. I am sick to my stomach over it. We hauled in 6 truckloads of dirt and threw the dirt under part of the front area of the mobile home. I think it helped some but still have a lot of water. The blocks have sunk in the dirt so we want to get it leveled but the place we called said they won't level it if there is any moisture under there. The ground is so much lower than the ground around the trailer. Don't know what to do. Plus the people that were going to level it said that we should have cement pads under the blocks and they are 15 dollars each. He said that will be 40 x $15.00 for a 14x80 home. Omigod! Feel like moving but really like this area. Shouldn't it be the parks responsibility to fix the water problem for putting a trailer on an area that is not leveled out for a mobile home? I bet the answer is no. I need some suggestions on how to fix the water problem PLEASE. I thought about a sump pump. Is that price for the cement pads too high? Can't I just buy the 23" x 23" patio blocks from Lowe's that are like 10 bucks each with veterans discount 9 bucks. Also, I did buy the mobile home book off this site. I'm not handy in that way to level it myself.
User avatar
Greg
Moderator
Posts: 5696
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

My first thought would be codes violations. In many areas a full concrete pad is required before moving a home into a park. If there is standing water under your home I would question Health dept. violations due to the possibility of mold.
At any rate the water issue needs to be addressed before damage (mold & rotted wood) start.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
1987Commodore
Posts: 383
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:53 pm
Location: Steuben County, NY

So - do you just have the concrete building blocks with the open cores facing the ground without a solid block underneath? If so, yes, you do need a solid block underneath. They are called cap blocks, and are $1.29 at Lowe's. They provide more surface area to spread the weight than the thin edges of the regular blocks. The weight of the home will drive the hollow core blocks into the ground like knife edges.
If you have a decent park owner, they should work with you to resolve the issue. I know mine will not do anything to fix my mud hole driveway, but they will be all too happy to claim any fill I want to pay for as their property.
Can you determine where the water is coming from? The ground slopes down at the front of my home, but it continues down outside the skirting so water does not pool there. Can you attach a picture?
UmpJJ
Posts: 110
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2011 11:39 am
Location: Brazil, IN

If you like the park, consider moving your trailer to a different lot that doesn't have the water issues. Unfortunately, yard water problems usually don't go away unless the whole lot is graded and leveled. Good luck!
RickW
Posts: 64
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 7:49 pm
Location: NW PA

IMG_1020 (Small).JPG
IMG_1019 (Small).JPG
A couple pictures of the water
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
RickW
Posts: 64
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 7:49 pm
Location: NW PA

IMG_1027 (Small).JPG
IMG_1025 (Small).JPG
Here is what it looks like after 3 hours of sucking the water up with a shop vac.

I don't know what to do. I was thinking of throwing a ton of dirt under there and try to level the ground or am I fighting a losing battle?
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
HouseMedic
Posts: 342
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:14 am
Location: Delaware
Contact:

I would think if the water is laying there and not draining then even if you fill that area with dirt you will just get mud or at the least wet dirt. You have to see if you can find a way to make the water drain away from the home. Or maybe dig a small hole lay down some gravel and install a sump pump to get the water out

Ron
1987Commodore
Posts: 383
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:53 pm
Location: Steuben County, NY

Wow. The only way I can see to deal with the water is to build up the dirt underneath. Trouble with that is the loose dirt will still hold water. I would then cover the ground with 6 mil plastic sheeting, which will at least keep the air drier underneath so your floors won't absorb the moisture and turn to mush. This will complicate leveling even more, since now they'll have to dig through the loose fill to get a relatively solid base to work with.
Steve-WA
Posts: 180
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 11:04 am
Location: Western Washington, Puget Sound

Is your skirting vented? It's a-MAZE-ing how fast water disappears when there is adequate venting. That lake should be dry (if source is stopped) in about 2 days.
yakima4$
Posts: 83
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2015 11:02 pm

Its a bad set.
Some of your blocks are incorrect plus pads not level and look over spaced.
Assume never inspected.
If home was purchased new and brought in look at your owners manual for set up.
Home will never perform correctly with that set.
Home should of been set on mound of dirt, that was compacted and sloped away from home.
Yours looks like the complete opposite of desired set.
Good Luck.
Maybe local jurisdiction can get involved.
User avatar
Greg
Moderator
Posts: 5696
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

I would try "talking" to the park first and see what if anything they are willing to do to help. In my opinion the site is unfit to have a home on it in that condition and it is really not your responsibility to make it right. There needs to be some major grade changes and proper drainage to get it dried up.
If they are not willing to at least work with you I would consider legal action. As I said before, with that much moisture you are just waiting for major problems to start.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
User avatar
thatswhoiam
Posts: 56
Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:27 am

whoa, thats a lot of water. you have to figure out where its coming from. is it flowing in from a low spot in the yard next to the home, or is it funneling in from the roof /gutters and spilling into the underneath of your home. putting dirt around the perimeter is tricky. you build a wall hoping to keep the water out, but instead it keeps water trapped under there. the only way that would possibly work is if the water was definitely coming in from the yard directly , and your dirt wall was perfect all around the whole perimeter with no open gaps.

but forget that dirt wall, i did the same thing and it does not work. it just makes a mess. if the water is coming in from the yard then you need to put a stop to it. but you will have to know where the water is going and flowing. get out there during a rain and watch where it is going. also notice things that are in your yard such as grass cuttings, leaves, plants, crap just laying around, etc that block the water from flowing away from your home, and get rid of them. get a metal rake and clear out a path for the water to flow away from your home. also look at the water as it comes off of your roof, are there areas where it is worse, and is it dripping into your crawlspace. ? it may be a combination of the two, but try to find it and correct what you can.
Locked
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post