peaked roof building?

Guest · Wed Aug 08, 2007 2:17 pm

have a customer that wants to build a metal peaked roof on a flat roof. Does anyone have a diagram of how the trusses will attach to the top of the trailer, our local building inspector wants one.

JD · Wed Aug 08, 2007 5:03 pm

I have never seen an approved plan for trusses over trusses. Not saying that there aren't any. Just never came across anything like that. California can be pretty tough on code. All mobile homes in parks are inspected/regulated by the State. Private property is county and/or city.

JD

Greg · Wed Aug 08, 2007 5:26 pm

Your best bet may be for a free standing pole barn style roof. Greg

Guest · Wed Aug 08, 2007 7:34 pm

Yeah the whole problem is that the park requires everyone to get a peaked roof on their homes even if they are the ones that sold you the home and will not allow a free standing peaked roof over. Can they legally do that if the local building inspector will not approve a peaked roof over??

JD · Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:45 pm

I would think not. They can't just displace people that they have accepted into the park with a valid reason and roof line would not be a valid reason. They could enforce a new rule on new residents coming in and they could say that when the current owners sell the home that it must be removed from the park. They also can not coerce people into building illegally.

Not a lawyer, but I am pretty sure this is right.

JD

JD · Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:24 pm

If you were to design a peaked roof for this customer, you might want to look into increasing pitch with sloped foamed panels in conjunction with single-ply roofing. This is a product that is already in use and might have the best chance at getting permit approval. I am not aware of these products being used as mobile homes roofs, but they are pretty common in converting BUR (built up) roofing to single-ply. Basically a "rubber roof" put over sloped polyiso foam.

These are expensive roofs and you may find resistance in getting code approval. But it is an approved roofing process where the components have been tested and certified. The customer would gain insulation and a "Cool Roof" product.

JD

Guest · Thu Aug 09, 2007 7:48 pm

Hi and thanks for the great help everyone. JD in response to your great idea, what was actually planned since the building inspector said absolutely no way can anyone build a peaked shingled roof over a flat roof (says its too much weight) unless you make it free standing which the park will not allow. Although there are people doing this all over the place around whre I live just without a building permit. What we were thinking of doing is a metal roof which only requires trusses on each end (gables) and then a truss every 4 foot on center. Its weight is about 800 pounds as opposed to around 4000 pounds for a peaked shingled roof. The building inspector wants to know how we are going to attach the roof to the home. I want to just build it with 2x4's attached to the roof on the sides to make a good flat spot in which to lay the trusses on. Its really quite simple yet this building inspector wants to play games with it.

JD · Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:01 pm

The inspector will be looking for a wood to wood contact at the top plate of the wall and some type of straps or steel ties holding the roof structure to the home. He would probably nix any plan you come up with. You might want to ask him if he knows any way that adding pitch has been approved.

Personally, I would go after the parks new rule. I cannot see how they can displace people for not altering homes that are already established in the park.

JD

Greg · Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:11 pm

I would think that since the park is requiring the roof that the park is also assuming liability for any damage steming from it. I would contact the proper state agency or lawyer. Greg

altasnowman · Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:37 pm

Hi and just my 2 cents worth. we are going through a similar thing here, and having said that I know of one home that was done. the problem now with the home is that it is now buckling and collapsing as a result of doing a peak roof over. there is currently a investigation into this and at this time no results or answers. from a personal standpoint my home came with a tin roof and if the park wants a peak roof put on then i want an engineers report that states the home will accommodate this change and the park can absorb the cost not me. until this happens they can go and play on a freeway. if they don't like that then talk to my lawyer.

Maureen · Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:10 pm

This topic came up a few years ago with one of our members. My mind being mush these days, I can't remember who. Maybe Lane? Anyway, same problem. the park required that all homes have peaked roofs. If I remember correctly, he took his roof completely off, trusses and all and rebuilt from there.

We got an update a few back when he sold that home. They had to move it and I believe it twisted the frame on the home.

Personally, I agree with altasnowman! Seems that those homes should be grandfathered in. As long as they are well kept, there is no reason to have all roof lines look the same. How silly is that! What they are trying to do is weed out the older homes. Personally, if I lived in a park and had to face this issue, the first thing I would do is hire an lawyer and make sure that he/she hires a good engineer that knows mobile homes.

Why is it these days that all of our homes have to look alike to be pleasing to the eye? What happened to individualism? The 'choice' to be a little different, as long as that doesn't infringe on others rights?

I think we're all on the verge of living in areas where home owners associations of some sort, dictate what we can or can not have on our property. Now I'm really happy that I bought an older home with land! It is grandfathered in. It has been for over 25 years, and the home is considered real estate. In this area, no one can touch it!

Good luck dwj, but my first stop would be a good attorney!

Maureen

altasnowman · Sat Aug 11, 2007 12:42 am

Hi, Yes they are trying to get the older homes out of the parks. having owned a stick built home in Edmonton and in a artutecuraily controlled area i found out the hard way just how much power the corperations have. my home was altered when being built just because they could not see the front door so they moved the attached garage over 5 ft, changed the whole look and style of the home so i sold it.As far as i am concerned this should not be the way things should be and i will take the owners of this park to task if they tell me that i have to replace roof. we are still fighting with them inso far as siding goes. seems that if you sell in this park now they come and inspect your home and if they don't like the outside looks then you must replace tin siding with viynal siding before sale of home goes through (just another control ) Having hauled these homes and set them up for many many years i will fight them to my death inso far as what i will do to my home. if i decide to side it it will be because i want to do this not because the park wants it. If it takes a laywer to get my point accross then i guess it will become a class action and will go international. Sorry if i sound like i am mad but this just angers me to no end, that people that do not live here or in other parks can dictate to us. they may own the land we sit on,but as long as are lot rents are paid on time and the yards are kept neat then they should not complain. just my 2 cents worth.

geraldk · Sat Aug 11, 2007 6:04 pm

they are starting that here to altasnowman
im in lakeland the one your mayor owns but because hes the mayor hes not making too much fuss yet
but they want vinyl but are rethinking after the condo commplex burnt down because of vinyl siding and said i may have too peak my round roof,, i said sure just find a engineer that would design it and sign off of it for the county there isnt one round here ive called them all

Guest · Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:13 pm

Hi thanks for all the great replies, as far as the roof lines go you hit it right on the head they are trying to push out all of the older homes because they make money on putting andselling the new homes in the park. So anyone who doesnt know the law or is just afraid to say anything against it will get a peaked roof on their flat roof home, all of which that I know of were put on illegally. No building permit was ever gotten and I know of at least 12 of them in the park I live in. Thanks to this board I know that they cant make anyone do it if it cant be done legally. Although they can say that they cant sell their home on the park even though they are being hypocritical selling flat roofed homes in the park and then telling them they need a peaked roof. Nice huh?

altasnowman · Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:53 am

OK OK it can be done in so far as a peak goes but old roof trusses will have to be removed. having said that i have talked to several truss manufactures and they have told me even their engineers won't put their necks in that noose as they are concerned about what will happen if the restructured home is relocated. And yes Yanita it was Lane that did this project and when house was moved it did structural damage to home. i understand what the park management is trying to do but they only see it from one side of the picture,still think they should walk a mile in our shoes as alot of us have holes in these shoes and our priorities are not the big bucks but a warm comfortable safe place to raise our families