leveling a home

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Ok this might sound stupid but how do you know if your home needs leveling? we have lived in our home for 3 1/2 yrs, its on footers. none of the doors in the home swing by them self and they stay where they are when you open them. Just wondering. Macmom

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Hi There luvs5racin! Good to see you!

You know when your home needs to be re leveled if doors and windows either start sticking really bad, or they swing open by their selves. Those are normally the first signs.

It varies in different areas, but normally, I'd say to check the level every 5 years.

I'm sure that other will chime in with more information!

Maureen

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Hi luvs5racin,

Here’s my 2 cents.

Nope…not a stupid question.

Bulged skirting, warped siding, windows cracked or won’t function properly, uneven floors, floors squeak or feel spongy and doors sticking and swinging closed by themselves are all signs your home may not be level.

How stable the ground is or isn’t will vary from site to site. My home sits on dolomitic limestone so my home has not moved in 19 years. I do have some rusting tie-down straps needing replacement so I’ll check the level while the skirting is off...later this year.

Most manufacturers manuals say to check the level within 6 months of installation.

The state of Florida installers class stresses a CORRECT installation does not need releveling. However, a lot of MHs are not installed correctly.

Mark Bowers MH Repair Manual covers Releveling step by step in Chapter 21.

Have a sensational day.

Harry

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Hi Macmom!

Both Maureen and Harry are correct. If I remember correctly you have a doublewide. Is the marriage line still flush on the walls and where the floors meet are they still level to one another. Of course the operation of doors and windows is another sign of needing to be releveled. Harry gave good advice about skirting etc.

I would like to share one observation I have made since owning this doublewide. After purchase we had it checked for level, all was fine...BUT the master bedroom door will always self close 1/2 way. Hmmm, upon further examination and remembering that the previous homeowners had kids and we have grandkids. The point is I caught our 4 year old granddaughter swinging on the door...she sprung the hinges a little. This door did this before she swung on it but I am thinking that this might be the situation with other homes as well. It does not take much to spring these hinges.

In our single wide I did this to a closet door from nothing more than hanging a shoe rack on the inside of the closet door!

Although citing of Fla code is informative, it is not always applicable to everyone. Yes, correct install is critical. But to say that a home would never need to be releveled after proper install I think is a stretch. Every site is different.

JMO,

~Yanita~

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Hey Yanita!

Man you brought up a good point!!!

I would have never thought of the hinges being sprung on the doors! But, since I had all of my nieces kids between late August through November, I've noticed that my interior doors aren't working normal. I told Warren that we might have to relevel real soon... he just glared at me LOL! But, I did remember the boys swinging on exterior gates when they were little... and having to replace them.

I bet those little rug rats where swinging from the doors when I wasn't looking!

Sometimes even tightening the lag bolts will help macmom.

But yes, as Yanita stated, this is an area specific question. We don't have 'state' codes out here, because Northern Nevada is very different in temps than Southern NV. We have county codes for building out here. Like I've said before, when you have temps well below freezing in the Winter, and in triple digits in the Summer, our ground moves with frost heave... big time! I think even JD would tell you that out West here, our codes are county wide.

Maureen