The most important consideration with leaks is to constantly be alert for evidence of one. Sometimes you can smell wet floor or wall material, you may notice a soft spot developing, occasionally you can hear a drip inside a wall, etc. The next important thing is to determine as best you can exactly what is…
Manufactured home drain line venting Venting is one of the areas where mobile homes differ from site built homes. In site built homes every drain has a vent pipe that eventually goes up through the roof. The purpose is to prevent the siphon effect of water going down the drain from pulling all the water…
Manufactured home exterior walls I had good luck getting replacement metal siding from an aluminum fabrication place. It took me weeks to find them but when I did, I discovered they bought pre-painted rolls of flat aluminum and would bend them to match the pattern I needed. They can even bend the edges so the…
The most frustrating aspect of working in the mobile home repair industry is that it feels like the entire system is designed to guarantee poor workmanship. Every advice book ever written tells the consumer to get three bids before having any work done; but how many say not to always use the low bidder? How…
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. Many people just paint it white, which works, but always looks like panel painted white. Sometimes people…
Manufactured home toilets The good thing is mobile home toilets are just like those in site built homes. You probably don’t want to buy the extra large size because of space limitations, but all the normal toilets and parts are the same. Below are listed the symptoms and solutions for a series of common toilet…
Manufactured Home Tubs Mobile home bathtubs are NOT the same as those used in site built houses because they don’t have overflows. In addition they are supported above the floor so the drain line can go under the tub and down through the floor. You do not want to attempt to put a tub designed…
Manufactured Home Cabinets Mobile Home cabinets are some of the cheapest, poorly constructed furnishings known to man. They are frequently made of paper and held together with staples. In addition, the manufacturers build them them themselves from a variety of supplies. The supplies change frequently to meet changes in decor and lower prices from vendors….
Manufactured Home Pipe Connectors If you visit a home improvement center you will find an overwhelming array of fittings and connectors for hooking up water lines, gas lines, sewer lines, water heaters and others. The vocabulary is strange and the variations subtle, but very significant. Glossary of terms: FIP – Female Iron Pipe. Used to…
If the home has not had a disposal before, check to see if there is an outlet under the sink. If there is you will still have to thread a wire up through the wall to put in a switch to turn the disposal on and off. If there is no power you will have…
