Tag Archives: Foundation Inspection

FHA Manufactured Home Inspections

Exterior of a modern manufactured home
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What are FHA Manufactured Home Inspections?

Get A Manufactured Home Foundation Inspection In Utah – Call Today (435) 623-0897

A Mobile Home Inspection – 5 Ways How It Differs From A Regular Home Inspection

When it comes to mobile homes, the inspection process is a bit different. They are built much differently than you typical home and specific details must be inspected and addressed that aren’t reviewed in a normal home. Here is a quick list of how mobile homes differ from standard homes, and why they require a different home inspection.

Mobile Home vs. Normal Home

Mobile Homes (Manufactured homes as they are now called) are not built the same as a site built home. They have a number of items that make them significantly different.

1) METAL LEGS: Mobile homes rest on metal legs that over time can rust, shift or become loose from the homes main support beams resulting in many problems. Your traditional home is on a solid foundation that doesn’t rust. However, based on seismic activity, the foundation of a normal home can shift.

2) ALUMINUM WIRING: Many mobile homes have aluminum wiring. If it does then it needs to be inspected and maintained. Your traditional house has wiring that’s typically copper based. However this can vary and in some cases does require an inspection.

3) WATER LINES: The water lines and connections many times are not welded and can become loose and start small leaks that result in expensive repairs. Cracks in pipes in your traditional house can also cause such damage, however because pipes are fitted together differently with other homes, such issues tend not to occur as frequently as in a manufactured home.

4) WALLS AND CEILINGS: As might be expected, walls and ceilings may not be insulated properly resulting in excessive use of your heater and or air conditioning system and this means spending extra money. The walls of mobile homes tend to be thinner than your traditional home. With a non-mobile home, insulation in walls must meet a different level of inspection.

5) WINDS: A big issue with mobile homes that a more traditional house does face is wind. Wind can cause damage to a mobile home easier than a non-mobile home. That’s because the foundation isn’t as secure (if it was, it wouldn’t be considered “mobile”). The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has set in place special windzones in various parts of the county. These zones establish the severity of high winds in the area that could affect the stability and integrity of a manufacture, mobile home. For example, Florida has various windzones with levels such as windzone 2 and windzone 3 (South Florida is windzone 3, the strongest windzone).

These are 5 specific issues that a mobile has that traditional homes don’t. But regardless of whether you own a mobile or traditional home, an inspection is necessary if you want to ensure the integrity of your house or a home you’re about to purchase. Over time we accumulate items and may improperly store them in places that can create unseen issues with your home. Everyday new items come onto the market to help make our homes safer to live in. However if you don’t know that your home has issues and problems, then you don’t know your home needs these items until it’s too late. For these reasons you can see why it is important to have your home inspected on a regular basis.

Waterman Inspection Services is a mobile home inspector in Orange County who specializes in mobile home inspections and traditional home inspections. Get more information at http://www.watermaninspectionservices.com
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Modular Home FHA Foundation Inspection

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Manufactured Home Inspection perfromed by Ludlow Engineering in the State of Utah -

Call Today at (435) 623-0897

Permanent Foundations For Mobile Homes – HUD 7584 PFGMH Manufactured Home

Inspections Guide

When you buy (or sell) a manufactured / mobile home, many times the loan involved in real estate transaction will either be an FHA or VA loan.  However, FHA and VA will only fund the loan if you can prove that the foundation under the home is a permanent foundation.

But what is a “permanent foundation” and where do I find it’s proper definition?  Well, in HUD Publication 7584, is where you will find its definition.  The definition is quite extensive and geared, mainly, towards professional engineers.

The HUD 7584 publication is also called the HUD Permanent Foundation Guide for Manufactured Homes, or PFGMH.  It is published by the United States department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  This 400 page manual is intended for new construction of manufactured home permanent foundations. If you have an existing foundation and are in need of a permanent foundation certification, then the existing permanent foundation shall meet the intent of the PFGMH.

A manufactured mobile home foundation that does not meet the intent of the PFGMH is considered non-compliant, and one that does meet the intent of the PFGMH is considered compliant.  Only a professional engineer licensed in the state of where the home is located can make this determination.

In its most simplistic definition, a permanent foundation will generally consist of a skirting to keep out vermin and water, footings and piers to support the home from gravity loads (such as snow and live loads), anchorage to resist lateral loads such as high winds or an earthquake, and other considerations.

The reason why a professional engineer is required to determine whether it is permanent or not, is because of the safety issues involved with a structure that houses people.  Professional engineers have the training and educational background to determine if the foundation is safe and habitable, and also “permanent” as defined by HUD.

Ed Harrison, PE is a licensed professional engineer in a multitude of states across the country and is the owner of Foundation Certifications. He works with mortgage lenders, loan officers, real estate agents, and private parties across the United States with their manufactured home foundations and loans. He is an expert in the field of FHA/HUD/VA compliant manufactured home foundations. His engineering firm provides not only certifications for HUD compliant manufactured home foundations, but they are also a full service civil and structural engineering design firm. To learn more about Ed Harrison and his company, go to http://www.FoundationCertifications.com or http://www.HarrisonEngr.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ed_Harrison

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Manufactured Home Hud Inspection

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Manufactured Home Hud Foundation Inspection

Are you looking to purchase a manufactured “mobile” home and finance it with a FHA loan? Are you looking to refinance your current loan with an FHA loan? If you are, then the foundation of your home will have to be reviewed by a licensed structural engineer to ensure that is complies with HUD requirements dictated by HUD Handbook 4930.3 entitled, “Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing” and as updated per the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (enacted July 30, 2008). New homes must meet the requirements of HUD Handbook 4145.1, REV-2, CHG-1 entitled, “Architectural Processing and Inspections for Home Mortgage Insurance” and reported using form HUD-92051 entitled, “Compliance Inspection Report”.

The foundation requirements posted by HUD are often times more stringent than those required by the local building code. The intent of these requirements is to make your home safe by increasing it’s ability to withstand strong winds and earthquakes, more resistant to moisture problems and enhanced bearing strength to reduce the possibility for foundation settlement.

Below is a list of the basic HUD foundation requirements:

• Poured concrete footings or approved engineered foundations must support the piers.
• If using concrete blocks (CMU) as piers, then the piers must be either laid in Portland cement mortar or dry-stacked and coated with a fiber reinforced surface bonding cement. Steel jack stands are an approved pier substitute provided they are designed and sealed by a licensed engineer.
• The chassis must be anchored to the footings (screw-in earth anchors are not allowed).
• Enclose the foundation with a durable skirting. As of May 21, 2009, vinyl or metal skirting materials are allowed.
• Provide adequate ventilation in the crawl space area. 1 square foot of net free area per 150 square feet of crawl space floor area is required around the perimeter of the home.
• The ground underneath the home must be covered with a 6mil minimum thickness polyethylene vapor barrier.
• All equipment used to transport the home (tongues, axles and wheels) must be removed from the site.
• All utilities must be permanently installed.

As you can see, the requirements are more stringent than those required by most building codes. I recommend contacting your local licensed structural engineer who can assist you with determining your home’s compliance and what steps, if any, are required to upgrade the foundation of your home.

Contributing companies:

Structural Innovations Engineering & Consulting, PC
201 North Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28202
704.488.2439

http://www.structural-innovations.com

Structured Solutions, Inc
PO Box 596
Harrisburg, NC 28075
704.264.6561

http://www.structured-solutions-inc.com

Jon is an accomplished licensed structural engineer in CA, NC, GA and various other states. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Jon at info@structural-innovations.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_R_Vandergrift

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