Richard S Imus went to high school in Lake Arrowhead, CA then finishing in Sandpoint, Idaho. After high school he studied at College of Idaho and San Bernardino community college. His father was a contractor, so he worked as a carpenter during breaks and vacations. After college he went to work as a lead carpenter, superintendent, and project manager. Richard eventually became a master carpenter, concrete expert, and Terrazzo mechanic. Moreover, his experience ranges from building custom homes for high-end customers, designing, and building concrete formwork for industrial, commercial, and residential customers. Additionally, projects size ranges are from $5k to millions. Finding work in the manufactured home industry more than thirty years ago he began using his talents and creativity. Soon he started to imagine a concrete skirting product. He imagined the precast skirting panels to be made in high-production and eventually becoming an industry standard. During the R&D process his brother David and Father Dick came alongside to help. Richard and David are still in the manufacture home site-work business and mobile home releveling business. Even though the skirting factory is in full swing Richard and David keep contracting and skirting installations going. This aids them with their product improvements.
Richard writes of his experiences to help mobile home homeowners.
We have been releveling mobile homesin Washington State for many years. The things we find, from what I hear, are typically found under mobile homes all around the country. Moreover, it does surprise us when a home looks as if it was set up just yesterday, but this is not the norm. Mobile home re-leveling in Washington state is typical.
Hire MH SERVICE & SUPPLY– mobile home re-leveling experts in Washington state! 360-419-9909
Many times, we open the crawl hatch and find dead animals, stashed needles, rodent droppings, and sometimes live animals. Cats either climb out or we find their carcasses.
One time we were re-leveling the mobile home and repairing the insulation when an opossum jumped on one of the guy’s chests and started hissing. From that day on it was called the Dracula house.
Aside from animals though, we often find leaky pipes, torn insulation, missing vapor barrier, and inadequate blocking. Occasionally there are missing or broken mobile home tie-downs too. The biggest cause we find for a mobile home becoming un-level is poor soil preparation.
Inadequate Soil Preparation Causes
Quite often we slink under a mobile home and find poorly prepared soils. Buried tree stumps are a huge culprit creating voids where support blocking falls away. Although, contractors who determined not to use a compactor or adequately remove organic debris are causes too.
Best Soil Preparation Practices
The right way to prepare the soil for holding the weight of a home is to remove the top layer of dirt. This layer has tree roots, plant mulch, and sometimes buried stumps. Removing the organics or materials that break down will assure a good foundation.
Soils preparation.
After removal of the topsoil layer, it is necessary to compact the stirred-up dirt. Subsequently, adding a gravel layer to the needed depth of no less than four inches. Now it’s time to compact everything once again.
Compacting the soils has another benefit as well. It seals the earth from absorbing moisture preventing a muddy work site.
Mobile Home Re-leveling in Washington – Prevention
To summarize what we’ve learned about mobile home re-leveling in Washington state is that we find many of the same causes. Soil preparation is key to preventing settling. Homes needing re-leveling probably were not properly prepared. For more tips and mobile home, upgrades stay tuned to DURASKIRT.com/blog/.
Steel Jack Stands or Otherwise Known As “Metal Pier Supports” A Big Mistake
In the Manufactured Home Industry Metal Piers or Steel Jack Stands are becoming notorious. Moreover, they’re a costly mistake to mobile home owners. Consequently, homes placed with these installed from the 1970’s through 2015 are ticking time bombs poised for collapse. Indeed, it’s a wonder we haven’t had much press coverage over these lately.
Before we get started let’s get this straight. We’re talking about stands to hold mobile homes up, right? So, it’s a good idea inspecting under a manufactured home fitted with metal piers. Specifically, looking for the beginnings of rust and corrosion. Not to mention after finding rust going forward another ten years and some will already be disintegrating.
Are “Metal Piers” A Standard That Needs To Go Away?
What was once a standard support component is now under scrutiny in our industry as dealerships, contractors and municipalities. Hence, they’re distancing themselves from admitting they ever thought they were a good idea. Likewise, contractors and installers retrofitting homes are at risk installing new manufactured home skirting or Earthquake Resistant Bracing Systems (E.R.B.S.) are crawling under existing homes.
However, finding a life safety issues like rusted mobile home jack stands are helping home owners. Talking about an accident waiting to take place. Just imagining, even a small earth tremor has the potential to have hundreds if not thousands of homes collapsing.
How To Know If Your Home Has Steel Jack Stands
Every home is required to have a crawl space opening for the purpose to have access to the underside of your home. Finding the access opening on your home take a flashlight and carefully look under the home without placing your body under the home. Obviously, this is an important safety precaution. Certainly, you can see from the photos these kinds of homes can collapse at any moment.
Now have a look. What do you see? Many homes were blocked with 8″ x 8″ x 16″ concrete blocks and wood wedges which is good. If all you see is metal piers then you will need to replace them at some point, although if steel jack stands appear to have any scaling rust then they will need replacing as their engineered ability to support is already below the original specifications.
How Do You Go About Replacing Steel Jack Stands?
Carefully, very carefully. For us at MH Service & Supply, we begin at the crawl space shoring up the beams on either side. Then we work both
After an earthquake in California jack stands like these could be found poking up through the floors.
ways along the first and second beams. With one person on the outside at all times, we begin loading one of our low profile DURASKIRT™ Retrofit Carts with blocks to pull under the home.
This process can take up to two days depending upon the conditions of the stands and crawl area accessibility. Because of the danger factor and hard conditions it is difficult to find qualified companies like ours that can be trusted and will do this work both correctly and cost effectively.
How Much Can I Expect To Pay To Replace The Metal Piers for Manufactured Homes Under My Home?
You can expect to pay anywhere from $3500.00 to $7500.00 depending on the conditions and size of home. But this is money is well spent when considering the considerably higher costs of life an limb. Supposing you decide to add Earthquake Resistant Bracing System (E.R.B.S.) for additional peace of mind, you can expect to pay an extra $3000.00 to $5500.00.
However, we do recommend these systems as they proved their worth in 1989 when California’s magnitude 6.9 earthquake known as the San Francisco World Series, and Loma Prieta Earthquake happened. As a result all the homes with E.R.B.S. were left in tact while 67% of the homes with metal piers for manufactured homes collapsed.
Moreover, the homes with concrete blocks without E.R.B.S. fared better than homes with metal piers having a 40% collapse rate. All of the homeowners having earthquake insurance were paying deductibles considerably higher than simply adding Earthquake Resistant Bracing Systems. Therefore, replacing jack stands with concrete blocks are a good idea. Truly, all of this is on record at the California Housing And Community Development – The Factory-Built Housing Program.
Is An Earthquake Resistant Bracing System A Good Idea and Why?
As we’re alluding to above, E.R.B.S. are an excellent idea. Surely, because they’re such a good idea and many consumers are retrofitting their existing homes today. Similarly, adding them to the new home setups. Because of their popularity at this time, it is difficult to find qualified contractors that are schooled in all the systems.
Knowledge and understanding of these systems takes years to compile and that is why you need to hire a company like ours for peace of mind. But if we cannot serve you look for a qualified manufactured home installer/contractor who understands the importance of re-leveling manufactured homes and knows what to look for in these systems and their benefits for your home. Then install an E.R.B.S. and be safe.
(State of California Sent This Notice Out To Property Owners After The Earthquake)
“If you live in a mobile home…
Mobile homes can easily slide off their foundations if not properly secured to resist side to side motion. Look under your home – if you see a metal or wood “skirt” on the outside with concrete blocks or steel tripods/jacks supporting your home, you need to have an “earthquake-resistant bracing system” (ERBS) installed.
Call or use the contact form below if you would like to learn more about these systems and their benefits. Or for more information regarding mobile home skirting please visit the DURASKIRT™home page.
MH Service & Supply – 115 Lind Street, Mount Vernon, WA 98273 – phone: 360-419-9909.
DURASKIRT™ Solves The Problem for Log Cabin Skirting
Log cabin skirting can also be used for all raised structures. Homes such as mobile homes, manufactured homes, log cabins, post, and pier homes, deck surrounds, and more. Why is skirting necessary? Certainly, there are many reasons to make sure that you have the proper skirting around your home.
First, it is important to keep the wind from blowing under your home. Without skirting, the cold weather can cause your pipes to freeze. Moreover, your house will be much colder than if you have skirting. Especially, skirting for log cabins will help with your heating and cooling bill, and who doesn’t need help with that?
DURASKIRT™ looks great on this log cabin. The best choices for skirting are concrete products.
Second, the skirting will help to keep out animals and other varmints. Many times animals will seek out the comfort under your home; they want shade in the summer and warmth in the winter. Oftentimes they will destroy things by chewing; this is especially relevant to the rodents. The log cabin skirting will help to keep them out of your home.
Third, the concrete skirting will help to keep your home stable. The concrete is strong and will prevent your home from becoming unstable due to wind.
What About Venting Skirting for Log Cabins?
Does your log cabin skirt need to be ventilated? The answer is yes! Why? The ventilation helps to keep things dry under your home, preventing your sub-flooring from rot. You may not realize it, but your home can put off poisonous gases. Moreover, these gases can come from plumbing, Radon, Carbon Monoxide, heating, and cooking gases all of these can become trapped under your home and cause a potential hazard.
If you are a do-it-yourself kind of person the skirting from DURASKIRT™ is for you. This company provides a great product that is easy to use and high quality. Duraskirting comes in several different styles; they have something to match your home, pole building, hot tub, deck, garage, or whatever you need to put the log cabin skirting on. Moreover, raised house skirting kits are sold for many home sizes.
Don’t go another year without putting skirting around your home, you will not regret it. It will not take you long to see a decrease in your electric bill and everyone will notice how great your house looks. DURASKIRT™ is so easy to install, your neighbors will think you are a professional! Your home is your castle, treat it that way and protect it from the elements, animals, and rodents today!
Finally, What Locations Have DURASKIRT™ Been Used For Log Cabins?
Whether your log cabin is in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, or California we are installing DURASKIRT™ everywhere. Look for the DURASKIRT™ brand in all states and if you don’t find it ask.
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