? about moisture barrier

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cas1414
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2007 7:49 am
Location: Tennessee

We own a 1990 manufactured home (16 x 80) on 5 acres, are the original owners, in Tennessee, north of Nashville. Had a guy from Orkin come out to do termite inspection (their free one). No termites, but he said we needed to put down a moisture barrier under the home, which they would do for $600. He said we had some rust on the I-beams. He tried to show me a picture he took, but it wasn't exactly very clear.
We've never had a barrier under the house; it was never mentioned when we got the house in 1990. Is this something that has come up in recent years, or did our FHA inspector totally miss it.
I'm going to have my son go under today to see what the guy is talking about, since I don't know if this is one of Orkin's scare tactics or not.
Any thoughts and/or opinions would really be appreciated. Thank you so much
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JD
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There is a mobile home underbelly attached to the bottom of the home to help stop ground moisture from evaporating up into the floor of the home. Then there is a vapor or moisture barrier that would be laid on the ground under the home. While an underbelly is on all homes, some regions do not require a vapor barrier (6 mil plastic) on the ground. While the vapor barrier may have limited benefits in dry areas like mine (~11" of rain per year), I think it would have some benefit and certainly no harm done. You would want to check it after a good rain to be sure that it is not holding large puddles of water or trapping large amounts of water under it.

There is probably $100-$150 worth of 6 mil plastic needed to cover the area under your home. So for a professional company to charge $600 to install it is probably about right. But it is as simple as laying out the plastic and cutting around piers. So a person can save a lot of money by installing it themselves. Getting someone else to do it for free is the coup de grace ^. I find it easier to lay a 10'-12' wide roll down the middle of each coach and use 4' wide rolls to come in from the sides going around the piers. The plastic can be held down with rock or dirt. I would not want to use wood even though it is on top of the plastic.

Hope this helps
JD
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All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
cas1414
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2007 7:49 am
Location: Tennessee

Thanks for the reply. It does help. As far as we know, it stays dry under the house. Anyone that has gone under has commented on how dry it is compared to some places they have been. Considering we have been in this house for 20 years, is rust on the I-beams a normal thing? The Orkin dude almost seemed to imply it was going to rust through.
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Brenda (OH)
Posts: 325
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:57 am

If water is rusting the same small spot over and over, maybe it would do through, light rusting coating over a large area... not so much of a big deal...

look at it this way... how much rust do you have to get on your car frame before it becomes unsafe?

and hopefully, more info and better answers will be given...

I think you need to ask, would it be a good idea to use rustoleum on bad areas of the ibeams after installing the vapor barrier.....


Brenda (OH)
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Greg
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Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

Light rust is normal, I don't think I have ever seen a home with the beam rusted through. If you have large patches of scale (1/8"-1/4" thick) then I would be concerned, but I doubt that is the case.

Plastic is a great idea. Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
cas1414
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2007 7:49 am
Location: Tennessee

I appreciate everyone's help. I was a little scatterbrained the other day, between the Orkin guy, and then a conversation I had with a "friend" in which I said that our son within the next 5 years would buy our house and DH and I would downsize to a singlewide. The response of "I can't believe you are going to let your son's first place he buys be a trailer." Not what I expected.
Anyway, I had my son go under and inspect the I beams and cross beams, and yes, there is rust, but not to the extent the Orkin man implied. We are going to do some things to solve the problem. And I do appreciate the advice.
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Greg
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Location: Weedsport, NY

The response of "I can't believe you are going to let your son's first place he buys be a trailer."

Would it be better to have him get in over his head with home mortgage payments?? Don't let comments like that get to you. Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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