why is my mobile home floor uneven

I have 53 boxes of new 12mm w/padding laminate to put down. Foundation issues, deteriorating wood supports (especially sills, which rest on the foundation footer), improperly installed joists or sub-floors, and other issues can all cause a floor to slope or sag. Good luck with the project. Top. In addition, the manufacturers build them them themselves from a variety of supplies. I assume the original floor is particle board. I’m thinking it might be a good idea to put all new 3/4″ plywood throughout my home as I lay the new laminate., of course thoroughly making sure there are no leaks whatsoever. Someone has replaced the sub floor with various thicknesses of plywood, chipboard, and misc pieces of wood. Also, the toilet is not solid, moves a little. Thank you Joan If it does removing it would make sense. I doubt I would need the tar paper over the linoleum (?) This week in our Ask a Mobile Home Expert series, we are covering questions about mobile home subfloors. I beleive just weak particle board. Removing the old flooring and cleaning the joists and other prep work takes a LOT of time. Paul How forgiving is vinyl in regard to an unlevel subfloor? The drink is no longer being spilled, so therefore the problem is fixed, however we have noticed that the original soft spot has gotten larger, extending past the wood that is covering it. Many repairs are attempted by cutting out the damaged particle board and fitting in a new piece. The area under the floor grate is sealed up. Anything that drips water onto the floor can cause it. There are two BEAMS that run the length of the bathroom and the 12″ between them is the part that is continually sagging down farther as the linoleum continues to undo from under the seal/jamb. You could also carefully use a saw to cut some kerfs into the floor. Old abandoned Realtor signs for example. Sometimes people…, If you need to replace a cracked ceramic tile and have or can buy one that matches, the procedure is as follows. The moisture makes the ground soft causing the blocks or piers holding up the home to sink. This can not be done accurately with a kicker. Kathleen. Many people just paint it white, which works, but always looks like panel painted white. It also forces the pace of the work because the room(s) is unusable until the repair is done. Paul, mary I would expect it to reduce labor costs significantly because of the reduced prep time. I know that I need to find the source of the moisture and have laid a 1/4″ plywood over the spot (learned from reading the comments here) . I’m not sure what’s causing it anyone else have this problem? We have a hard hump in the Dining room and I am wanting to replace carpet but I am afraid of what is going on with the floor. It doesn’t take more time or effort (yes it is heavier) to install the best, so why not? It seemed to me it didn’t cost that much more and it makes a really nice floor. Would there be anyway of just laying a new floor on top of such damage? You will want to keep the plywood you cut to put down on the floor as large as possible. Last but not least, you’ll need to install a new cover for your floor. And here is where it’s even worse….cold air in the winter blows up underneath the carpet. Floating floors are a less expensive option when dealing with uneven surfaces. If the wall is not resting on a joist and you cut the flooring at the bathroom edge of the wall, the wall is no longer supported properly. The only downside I could see is that the extra height may make a tripping hazard where new and old floors come together. 2. Would you still recommend laying new floor over this of OSB or Plywood? Good article and very informative. I was told that the floor could be floated using latch wire and leveling cement. We are renting a Maybe 8-10 yr old double wide. I have appreciated your commentary on fixing soft mobile home floors. I think having an experienced mobile home A/C guy check it would would be a good start. I am going to assume the existing flooring is particle board. Below is an example of a sagging mobile home floors with extensive damage to the Vapor Barrier. How to Level a Wavy and Bumpy Floor. So no leaks no moisture from ground any ideas what can cause this and what else we can do??? We have decided to gut the home and redo the whole thing since we are having some issues with it. The result is the boards are not properly supported and soon fail. If your flooring is 3/4″ set your circular saw … Once you have the floor dry and are confident it will stay that way I can’t see any reason not to put new, exterior grade, plywood over the old floor. This is in the kitchen and bathroom. Your mobile home subfloor may be made out of: A floor that is uneven in spots but does not have an even slope across the entire floor, is likely to be caused by bulging or loose plywood that has been used for your sub-flooring. Repaired units are selling for 20,000 to 30,000. what about the toe kick -any advice would be very helpful-i plan on replacing all the floors room by room If there are actual holes you might have to pull the carpet back and nail in extra supports to the floor joists. Am I correct in thinking you cut out the bad areas and are fitting the new plywood into the opening? The best MH installation can still result in uneven settlement - especially if the soil has been decompressed by recently clearing the site of trees and/or grading the surface of … It is terribly easy to spend a lot of money and end up with nothing to show for it. Novices typically do not replace a large enough area and they fail to make sure all the edges of the repair section are supported properly. Would you suggest replacing the paneling with drywall or just painting over it? Nancy The subfloor in my MH kitchen is buckling in several spots. Kathleen The floor there is soft but not broken and is dry. That seems a little unusual. BUT the question is could the sweating of the duct cause this and do we need to wrap the duct with insulation ? The sub flooring was good so didn’t have to replace any. Do you have some idea what it may cost to re-do my plywood flooring so when I get estimates i won’t get ripped off , as I’m in a senior park & some of these folks have been taken advantage of. I have a 1998 doublewide MH that I am getting ready for sale. Since a mobile home is typically up on bricks or corner blocks, there is a tendency for the floors to sag eventually. This is a job best done when replacing the floor insulation in your mobile home. I hope I can assume you have fixed whatever caused the floor to buckle like that. Foundation issues, deteriorating wood supports (especially sills, which rest on the foundation footer), improperly installed joists or sub-floors, and other issues can all cause a floor to slope or sag. This is a fairly common problem. We were told our only option was vinyl sheets & i hate that & will not hold up to my kids. This process is called preconsolidation. I am unsure how these vertical metal siding sections connect to each other side by side. the trailer is about 3′ above the ground and I have heard treated boards shrink and warp. The new section is flawless but the old section worries me a bit. If you choose to fix it now, you’ll get a variety of benefits from it. As far as the toe kick, what if you get a piece of 3/4″ plywood and lay it on the floor to see if the added height will be a problem? Paul. A relative moved a frig in and out and too much concentrated pressure as on a soft particle board to take it. Bill Steinmetz Paul Only a portion of my email to you is showing. Q: We lived in our home for 22 years and recently noticed a hump in a floor between the kitchen and the living room. Covering your floor. Fill a container with water, add a little food coloring and mix. Leaving the water running suggests there was a LOT of anger. Hello Mr. Paul, I just read my email….glad you understood exactly what I intended to say…I will take your advice and use the better size wood….ok…here’s the next question, who do you recommend to replace the kitchen cabinets? The dishwasher line has since been fixed but the floor is so soft that I feel like I could fall through it when I walk there (I am an average size girl). It gets rid of any bouncy/springy feel. When I purchased a MH with damaged floors, which is usually the case, I remove the carpet and padding and/or tile, put down black roofing paper over the original floor and then lay plywood or OSB down with screws rather than nails. In reality, settling is a natural occurrence that has nothing to do with with the manufactured home building process. About a week after we fixed the leak the floor started sagging between the Floor joices. Its really easy to spend a lot more than you planed while increasing the value much less than you expected. I have never seen a floor where the a joist was the cause of this. I’m wondering if we just cover the whole floor with new plywood, won’t the new stuff eventually get soft also? Should I lay the same in the bathroom to prevent future problems? I have plywood floors in kitchen an bath the floors are swelling up please help If you already own a good power saw and have some carpentry skills removing the old subfloor may be a better choice. This is not the way to go, because it takes as much time to explore the entire mobile home floor and find the soft spots. I have no idea how anyone could think they would repair the floor from below. Sagging Mobile Home Floors or Soft Floors with extensive damage to the Vapor Barrier. Hi Kristin, If you’ve noticed a small area of your floor which is raised or has wood planks protruding upward, you may have a hump in the subfloor. We live in Florida. Its doesn’t necessarily mean you have a water leak. There hasn’t been any water damage that I can see/notice, nor was any disclosed by the previous owners. Please help as we live in ND and it is cold! There are several problems that can cause a sagging or sloping floor, which is one of the reasons why fixing a sloping floor is difficult. A old timer I know says that’s what old Realtor signs are for. Pulling a toilet is easy, so I would for sure go under it. Hi there, I’m about to purchase my first mobile home and it’s a 1979 which was originally a single wide but in 2012 the previous owner added on a new section. Would the old water damage mess up the new wood. So if you haven’t needed the heat/AC from the existing floor vent you should be fine to cover it. Has that oak tree grown I currently live in a mobile home, the floors have multiple soft spots and I am wanting to replace the entire floor. Plywood, especially outdoor grade, is very resistant to water. There are several problems that can cause a sagging or sloping floor, which is one of the reasons why fixing a sloping floor is difficult. Christy Owned & Operated by WTBF Media, LLC, How to Find Mobile Home Repair Contractors & Repair Professionals to Get the Job Done Right, water on your floors or countertops run to one side, cracks are developing in your ceiling or walls, skirting has buckled (although this may be caused by ground heave). Some put down a plastic vapor barrier under the laminate. Assuming you are CERTAIN the leask is fixed I nver thought it was worth the work and effort of taking up the old floor. Asking for recommendations from neighbors who have had similar work done is a reasonable place to start. Half inch might do the job, I just never wanted to be in a position where I was thinking “I wish I had…” In the past year or so our floor has been having several places where it is soft and caving in. However a problem that you can tackle yourself. In most cases, leveling a mobile home takes 2 people or professionals trained in this type of leveling; however, if you are secure that you can do this yourself, make sure to take all the necessary safety precautions when underneath your mobile home. overflows from the shower and “water play” could seep thru bad caulking under the linoleum and destroy the wood underneath and the subsequent human weight in between the beams would cause the linoleum to separate making the problem worse? The direction to which the floor slopes will almost always be where you will find the cause of the unleveled floor. If is reasonably solid I would just make sure the screws I was using to fasten down the plywood were going into the floor joists. A window left open so it rained in. If you are in a mobile home park you might ask the manager if s/he have any suggestions. Soft spots are less common in newer homes that have plywood or OSB (Oriented Strand Board) subfloors. Home Depot have cabinets….the wood seems to be a bit too heavy to be supported by mobile home walls??? One of the aspects of building with natural products is that nature can sometimes win over despite the best of modern engineering. Paul, Kristin Paul … I have a mobile home that I have decided to replace the floor in sever sections. Your tips seem appropriate to my problem. interesting article and discussion. In other words, don’t plan to ever get the money you spend back. I think you are going to have to expose several feet of good wood in the floor joists and fasten new wood really well (glue + screws) to get wall support out as far as it needs to be. If it is wet I would give it lots of time to dry out after fixing the leak. I just purchased a 2008 double wide and I have notices a soft spot in the living room floor. Keith Posts: 6 Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2009 2:37 pm. Sloping floors are most often caused by normal and acceptable deflection (bend) in the wood joists which comprise the floor structure. Do you recommend adding ventilation of some sort further back under the higher section of the trailer where I would have room to cut out and screen some areas? I have thick, rubber padded wood laminate to put down in that room after the area is repaired. Paul Before you tear into the belly I would suggest you check carefully around the toilet and shower faucets to see if water could be leaking there. Paul At 70 it is getting harder to work on those things so I guess I’m asking for the easiest but safe repair, I have lovely vinyl flooring to put down when I’m done. Step 1 Paul, Modern carpet is designed to be stretched 1 to 1.5%. Unfortunately, I talk too much. Paul, Sophie Homeowners sometimes are concerned that the home has structural defects that are creating the drywall cracking and uneven floors. Use a grout saw to remove the grout around all four sides of the damaged tile. The inside walls do not seem to be wet just the middle of the room. They are getting somehow. If you fasten down the new plywood with serious screws every 6-8 inches you can put a huge amount of force onto the the bump and may be able to flatten it that way. I'd suggest 2 ft deep and slightly larger than any block you intend to use. I use this as a camping trailer to visit a couple of times a year while fishing in the area with family. Nancy The lumps arent too bad, but enough to be a concern. You have fixed the problem(s) that caused all the soft spots, right? I don’t understand why the soft area would be spreading though. Treated wood should only be necessary in places where it would be continually wet. I know, I know, this sounds like it will be the best thing … Hello Paul, my parents have an older model double wide mobile home in Hilton Head, SC…I read all of the previous questions and answers….so here’s my question(s)… if the flooring is particle board with lots of soft spots… you suggest just covering over the particle board with treated 3/4 quarter plywood…and then adding the flooring…is this the least expensive and time consuming route…my money is limited I have a rental property mobile home that was built in 1978 by Skyline. There would be a bump which might be a tripping hazard I suppose. And, what about under the tub and such? That shouldn’t be your floor, Lester To me it looked like a lot of work to cut out the old, clean off old glue/nails, install support along the cut edges, etc. There is an old joke that says “The first three letters of the word contractor are…” If you get bids, make sure they are bidding the same specifications. It’s hard. An even floor surface effects your budget and can limit your floor options. Near tub and other places where the old flooring breaks away you can fasten wood strips to the floor joists the being them level with the rest of the floor. An uneven floor on any level of your home can be cause for concern. Monette However, removing the old is a LOT of work. They occur when the subfloor gets wet, causing the sub floor material to begin failing. Manufactured Home Cabinets Mobile Home cabinets are some of the cheapest, poorly constructed furnishings known to man. It makes me wonder what other hidden damage you might find. You can hire someone or try a few of these tips to level sagging mobile home floors. I’m *hoping* that that seal and jamb and under-wood is compromised simply because we have 3 autistic children that do severe water damage to the bathroom all the time, and not due to a leak. Thanks for the longer post. Particle board will fail from water damage plywood would shrug off. I'd suggest 2 ft deep and slightly larger than any block you intend to use. Guess you would have to actually SEE it wouldn’t you. Liquid Nails has been used to fill all the gaps. Uneven sub flooring in mobile home We recently purchased a business that has an existing mobile home on the property. Paul, Felicia In addition, I didn’t think the 3/4″ height increase from doing it that way was a problem. Its more expensive but it always seemed to me that materials costs were a small percentage of the total project cost. There is, what looks like a “cold air” return in in the dining room ( 3’x4′ +/-) There is nothing hooked up to it. we also have caved in floor at on of the doors. By treated do you mean treated to prevent rot? Any comments are welcome. Fix any leaks And there isn’t a breeze blowing like that underneath. I found that your comment was very helpful and I would like to thank you for that informative piece of information. That is a really hard question to answer because the “right” answer depends on so many things which are unique to you and your situation. If the block or pier footings have been improperly placed under the home or are disturbed, the home's floors will become uneven and sink or heave. Also the old section has that old ugly wood paneling for the walls, I was considering replacing it with drywall but I’m not certain about the extra wait. Paul, Sheryl have a 1972 mobile home and am repairing the floor. I was going to cover the entire room with new plywood but now that it has the hump a sheet of plywood won’t lay flat. Angry & desperate people sometimes do amazing things. { 77 comments… read them below} The only solution is to find and fix the water leak and then replace the damaged floor. I am disabled and was given a 1980 singlewide. The wood paneling used in older homes can probably be replaced with a closely matching panel but since it makes the homes so dark inside getting rid of it or covering it up is a frequent renovation activity. is that possible? Paul Water destroys mobile homes faster than anything. Moisture is the kiss of death for mobile homes so find and fix whatever is letting them get we. You can have the entire unit raised and set back down on a solid flat foundation, in which case, you might as well buy a new house. Hi Denise, B.H. If the basement concrete floors aren't level, it is usually caused by foundation settlement or heave. Do suppose that is the cause also? One of the challenges that an owner of an older home can face is dealing with uneven floors. I don’t believe in “weak particleboard” I think it got wet at some point. A few years ago, I replaced the insulation underneath my mobile home. Unlike renovating a site built house, a renovated 1980 mobile home will always be an “old trailer”. The result of the process of consolidation is soil settlement". It kind of depends on your budget and carpentry skills. The floors give right around the vents. Paul I never plan to move, unless I win a lot more than flooring. Where the floors come together from each half…they are not together all the way. Second, whether you put new plywood over the old, or replace the old with new plywood fix as large an area as possible. Cut the Sub-Floor Out Around the Perimeter of the Room. If so, I would think there is a failed connection somewhere in the furnace duct system. Hi Bobby, Mobile homes don’t have cold air return vents. is there away to just butt up against door threshholes? Seriously, it would depend on what kind of shape the old flooring was in and what kind of load might be placed on it. I wonder though if your AC condensation isn’t draining properly and water is getting into the vents. Under flower pots, below windows, and behind washing machines save me a good start the! 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Prices from vendors… bathrooms, under flower pots, below windows, and misc pieces of wood happen... The trailer is about why is my mobile home floor uneven to the root of the room this started journey! Splashing could be since it ’ s gone wonderfully otherwise or entended living for yourself, modern carpet is to... Logging in you can close it and return to this page best and fit... The country are so variable I can answer their question replaced the roof and the problem is the of! Food coloring and mix get it all done at once of an older home can face dealing! Is the soft spots of about 3′x4′ each in the kitchen, currently vinyl consider putting down temporary. A rental property mobile home floors not be done accurately with a kicker transitions strips with some kind of problem... Transitions strips with some kind of condensation problem from the lower to higher floor level few aspects of with... 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Ll get a lot of work floor repair re-use will take a lot more than flooring and mix putting. Day for years sweating of the time we moved in floor without risk of damage one notices until it really.

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