Replacing all floors

[Diesel]

Hi!, I am starting a rehab on a 1995 M/H which needs all new sub-floors; water damage. I planned on using T/G plywood and trying to fit the plywood under the walls. Is this the right path to take. I also am going to order your book on repairs. Thanks for any help in this matter.

[Greg]

Hi & welcome. Plywood is the way to go, T&G can be a little hard to work with in some areas. If you are doing a rehab it may be easier to take the wall out of the way. Make sure the home is level and the water problem is repaired before going too far. Greg

[Diesel]

Thanks Greg for the quick reply and the good suggestion . I was just thinking that it might be easier to just gut the complete interior and replace the walls when I am finished with the floor. I am new to working on M/H's but to my understanding the sub-floor goes under the outside walls also. If that is the case, how do I go about replacing the sub-floor on the outside walls ?

[Greg]

Unless the floor under the outside walls are turning to saw dust, you could sister a 2x on the rim joist and use that as a nailer. If it does have to come out, there are no quick & easy ways. A sawsall, 3/4" chisle & lots of time.
When I did our daughter's I gutted the inside walls in the back 3/4 of the home and just went to town. In all honesty it would have been quicker to take all of the walls down and start fresh. We did all of the plumbing and most of the electrical at the same time. It takes a lot of planning and many times you remember there was something you were going to do AFTER the area is done. Write your ideas down!!! Greg

[JD]

Hi Diesel,

Welcome to the forum. As Greg said, if the existing subfloor is not water damaged, you can cut the subfloor along the wall and sister blocking along the wall to nail your plywood down to. When particle board subfloor is rotted under the wall, I will force the new plywood up under the wall.

If you are doing that, the tongue and groove can make the job much harder in those areas. It is hard enough just to cram the new wood in as it is. First, you are usually replacing 5/8" particle board with 3/4" plywood. Once you get the plywood crammed in there, it can be very difficult to get a second piece of T&G fitted together.

I will dig out all the rotted wood I can and then use a 4.5" grinder to get rid of the nails, screws and staples. Then right next to the area that I am trying to get the plywood in to, I will lay a short piece of 4x4 across two joists just as close to the repair area as I can. I will use extra large crow bars and pick bar to leverage the wall up while getting the plywood in. There have been times when I could not lift the wall enough without bending the crowbars. I have used 2x6s and 4x4s shoved up under a wall stud. Usually, I will also need to put a short piece of 2x4 on an edge of the plywood and use a sledge hammer to force it in there. Sometimes it will go easier than that, but that is how I handle the tough pieces. Definitely a two person job. Working in smaller sections (than 4' wide) is easier, but requires more blocking.

It sounds like real hard work, but that is only because it is. Makes it that much more rewarding when you are done.

JD

[Diesel]

Greg/JD, I want to thank everyone for making me feel welcome to your great site. With your help I feel a lot more comfortable venturing into uncharted waters. I will take pictures of this project and post in my album if anyone is interested. I will not be starting on this for about a month due to a pending operation for a broken neck (disk's) due to an industrial accident. Thanks again - Great Site

[Greg]

You are more than welcome. As JD said it is a lot of work, We spent 6 months of weekends & many nights on our daughter's but it is worth it.
As I always say, you have the best support team in the world right here, if you have a problem, someone here will always help. Greg

[oldfart]

Aye Diesel let me add some more thoughts here as well. I began my remodeling project (1970 12X70 s.w.) about 3 or 4 years ago. At present the job is only 1/2 done. I rekkin' it'll take me another 2 years to get it all done. I work alone and when time allows. I work a full time job and usually another 40hrs. weekly on side jobs. The remaining time (?) is spent on my home. It's a long hard road but I'm beginning to see that "light at the end of the tunnel. " Plan on spending a lot of time layin' on yer side with a hammer&chisel to get out all the rot. Work small areas at a time. Sometimes it takes me a week to do an area the size of 1 sheet of plywood. Take the time to do it right..pay now or pay later. Don't count on any help..folks seem to git right busy when you need help. (labor..not advice..) Hope this doesn't dampen your spirit any. My work so far has cut my electric bill from way over $100 a mo. to an average of $30 a mo. !! I went from using 3 tanks of K-1 to just 1 1/2 tanks per yr. ! I look for that to drop even more next year when I get the middle part of my home done. Then new skirting and roofing. Stay the course my friend. Audie..the Oldfart..

[Greg]

Audie, make sure that it is indeed the end of the tunnel you see, my luck has been that it is another train coming at me! Greg