spongy floors

[sd0321]

Hello - Ok, I got the manual for mobile home repair (great book that I'm sure I'm going to be referring to often!) and read about replacing old particle board flooring with plywood....but what if you don't want to just repair one area or one room, but want to do the whole floor in a mobile home? Instead of taking out the old particle board, couldn't I just go over it with 3/4" plywood?

Two of the three bedrooms have doors that have holes in one side of them and will need to be replaced (eventually) anyway, and the front door looks like it would still open over the plywood....so would it be a bad idea to just go over the old particle board with new plywood? Anyone else done this, and how did it work out? Thanks, any help would be appreciated.

[Yanita]

Hi,

Always a bad idea to do this type of repair. You can either rip out a room at a time and replace the flooring, or you can remove all damaged areas and replace with good wood.

To not do so you will be covering rotten possibly damp wood that will harbor mold. Since you have this damage you need to check under the damaged areas for further wood rot and possible replacement of insulation. You should also check any studs and floor joist.

Also most mobile home interior doors have about a 2 inch gap at the bottom. This is for the air return for your heat/air unit.

Yanita

[JD]

I totally agree with Yanita. Always replace, never laminate subflooring. Another reason is, mobile homes will have roof and plumbing leaks eventually. With laminated subfloors, water will get in between the two layers guaranteeing more water damage and possibly a mold/mildew health problem.

JMO
JD

[oldfart]

Sd....it depends. Let me explain. If yer planning on living there..don't do it. If, at some future date the new buyers might come back on you for repairs...don't do it. Laying new plywood over old rotted particle-board is a disaster waiting to happen..trust me! Been there..done that. Yup..it's cheaper and easier. Just cut to fit and whack it down. The problem is in the future. If you intend to sell the home without a warrantee or any leagle reparations...okey-dokey! The particle-board will dissolve and now ye've got a gap under yer new floor material and it bows and sags. You wind up with the same problem after you did all that work...for nothing. It's like slapping Bondo over a rust hole on your car. You didn't solve the problem..you just made it go away temporarilly. Better to grab the saw and the crowbar and rip it out right down to the floor-joists and start fresh. No..it's not easy. You'll sweat, grunt and swear the whole time. This is NOT an easy job! The more you rip out the more damage you will likely find. Most likely you're gonn'a find staples and glue like you've never seen. You'll spend untold hours laying on your side with a hammer and chisel wailing away at this stuff. In the end..if it's your home..it'll be worth the effort. JMHO of course...Audie...the Oldfart..

[sd0321]

Thank you for your answers - I do plan to stay in this mobile home, so I sure don't want to create worse problems in the future by doing something the wrong way now....but it sure will take a long time to do it right!

We have had some bad weather and alot of rain in my area of South Dakota recently (I just moved in a couple of weeks ago) and the roof doesn't leak, thank goodness, but I can tell that at one time it did, and I think that is why the hallway floor is so ruined (there are water stains and a small hole in the ceiling in the hallway) and so I have a couple of pieces of plywood on TOP of the carpet just so I can walk on it..... and that is just about what I was thinking....slap some plywood down, and presto, in a few hours the problem is fixed.....

Guess it'll be the hallway, then the bathroom, and maybe that will be it for this year.... because from the sound of it, that is going to take a lot of time. And money. Thanks again - sherry

[Yanita]

Hi,

Since you said your home has/had roof leaks, it is best to make certain that those are repaired prior to fixing anything in the home. The roof is what protects everything else.

Since you are sure it came from the roof down into the hall floor you will want to remove some interior wall panels and make sure that the studs and insulation are ok. Chances are that you will need to replace the wall insulation. Once wet is is worthless.

Yanita

[Greg]

One other thought, should you go over wet partical board with new plywood, over and above the the mold issues when partical board dries out it turns into sawdust and just plain falls apart. Now what do you have supporting the plywood that is installed over the top of the partical board that USED to be there?? Greg

[sd0321]

Thank you Yanita, that makes sense that water could have ruined the insulation where that leak was, in the hallway ceiling in front of the back door. That may explain my "sleeping dog"....the gal I am buying this mobile from has pink insulation, and plastic taped over that, covering that door. Maybe because it is really cold in the hallway, and worthless insulation could be the cause in those walls around the door (in addition to the door itself)....I would have never thought to even look. (Well, it [/i]was my sleeping dog, I had planned to just let that door lie until I took care of other things.....)

And thanks Greg, when you put it that way, sawdust isn't going to support anything.....

Sherry

[Yanita]

Hi,

Your very welcome and we look forward to helping you again. Feel free to contribute to any part of the site.

Glad you ordered the book, they are are huge help, and hey, it even comes with this free site to get even more answers.

Look forward to helping you further.

Yanita

[Greg]

As Yanita said, that's what we're here for. Sometimes it helps to put things in perspective. Greg