Amazingly cheap particle board floor

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nestsman
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Joined: Tue Jul 02, 2013 6:06 pm

Now that I pulled up all the carpet I'm a little surprised. I expected some water damage near the windows, and maybe in the kitchen. However, it looks like almost the whole house has had the floor replaced sometime in the past. Are particle wood floors so cheap that they have to be entirely replaced a few years later, even if no water damage has occurred? I seriously doubt that this entire home was flooded in the past.

I read elsewhere on this site that the floors can sink close to the outer walls, and I noticed this to be the case in my home too. Why is that? It makes me wonder if all of the exterior walls are rotten inside too. Ugh.

Thanks!
ponch37300
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Location: wisconsin

Particle board is cheap and does make a mess if it gets wet. Does it need to be replaced every couple years, no. If someone replaced most of yours they probably were remodeling and just replaced it because they knew it was junk. The outside walls "sinking" can be from lack of support. The two main metal beams run the length of the trailer a few feet in from the edge. Then floor joists are run across them from side to side and are cantilevered over the beams. These are usually 2x6s from what I have seen. The weight of the ceiling and roof are transferred to the outside walls and carried down to the end of these cantilevered floor joists. Sometimes this is too much and "sinks" the outer edges.
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JD
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Also, many mobile homes are built with the floor joist running lengthways to the home instead of side to side, These are the homes i see with the worst problems of the floor edge bending down.

I have also seen mobile homes with plywood floors. Must be nice.
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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.
ponch37300
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Location: wisconsin

JD wrote:Also, many mobile homes are built with the floor joist running lengthways to the home instead of side to side, These are the homes i see with the worst problems of the floor edge bending down.

I have also seen mobile homes with plywood floors. Must be nice.
I've never seen a MH with floor joists running lengthways, learn something new everyday. What holds them up and transfers the wall load to the metal beams?
dedou
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Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 6:25 am
Location: Central Vermont

ponch37300 wrote:
JD wrote:Also, many mobile homes are built with the floor joist running lengthways to the home instead of side to side, These are the homes i see with the worst problems of the floor edge bending down.

I've never seen a MH with floor joists running lengthways, learn something new everyday. What holds them up and transfers the wall load to the metal beams?
We have an Astro, 1980's vintage, and it has the dreaded lengthwise joists. I tell you, if you are looking at mobile homes, avoid this like the plague, as I've been under there trying to figure out how we can possibly save our bending lengthwise walls and I don't see anything to support?!? Crikey :roll:
Devon
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eflyersteve
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Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2013 7:16 am

I was lucky enough to have bought a home with 27/32" OSB tongue and groove flooring. I just replaced the second piece due to water damage - one at the front door that leaked for years and another where a window AC has leaked for years. I can't imagine how particle board would have held up.
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Greg
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The place I just demolished had 56' long joists (most were still in good shape), that was the first one that I had seen also. And wouldn't you know it, no pictures of them!!

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
ponch37300
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Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2008 6:12 pm
Location: wisconsin

Greg wrote:The place I just demolished had 56' long joists (most were still in good shape), that was the first one that I had seen also. And wouldn't you know it, no pictures of them!!

Greg
Greg, were these 2x6 joists or some engineered joists of some sort? What transfers the weight of the outer joists that the outside wall weight is on to the metal frame? Or do you have to support the outer joists with piers also? Curious as to how this works and why they would do this. My guess is less joists to set then running them the short way.
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