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Looking to buy a Manufactured Home?
Here are some suggestions of things to look for in a new or used manufactured home.

Wall facings and insulation

- Many of the newer manufactured homes have drywall instead of paneling and this is very inviting as you can decorate by painting and wall papering at any time. Many older manufactured homes have also had the paneling removed and 1/2" drywall installed. I have found the latter to have great insulating properties. Other wall facings may be paneling, structure board, cloth coated drywall. Now if you are like me and you want to see how well the walls are as far as protecting you from the Florida heat you only have to walk close to a wall where the sun is shining on it to feel if the wall is insulated well or not. I always tell folks to put their hands on the wall that the sun is shinning on and if it is hot then they will have an expensive air conditioning bill or heat bill!

SUB FLOORING

- One of the most important things you should be looking for is the type of sub flooring that was used in the home. Why? Most of us have seen what happens when you add water to many types of SUB FLOORING! Remember that there are different types of sub flooring and each has its faults. While plywood can delaminate particleboard can dissolve or hump up badly. If you can, go to the edge of the room, lift enough of the edge of carpet to see what kind of sub flooring you have so that you will know what kinds of problems there may be! Remember that many of the newer homes have a board called chipboard that I believe is supposed to be superior to any type but I have not seen it put to a test.

PLUMBING

- What kind of plumbing is used in the home? For many older homes there was a class action lawsuit that called for the replacement of the pipes throughout the home. Many homeowners simply put the money in their pockets and did not have the work done! They never had a leak! Many people have had upgraded plumbing in their home so as to not to have the possibility of a pipe failure due to faulty plumbing lines. You can check what type of plumbing your home has by looking under the sinks in the home for the cold and hot water lines to see if it is tubing (gray or black), copper, pvc, or cpvc to name a few. Some older homes had gray tubing in the home and I know from experience from my first trailer that it can leak whenever it wants to at the fittings or at a sharp bend.

ELECTRIC

- Next you should check that the electric service coming into the home is of a sufficient size for your use of the home. Some families use very limited electric service and can get by with a 100amp service while some need a 150amp service. How can you tell? Open the main electric circuit breaker box and see what numbers are on the top main circuit breaker! While you are looking at the electric check the outside service box to be sure that the concrete pole the meter is on and the box are in good condition. You can also look at the circuit breaker in this outside box to confirm the amp service as the breaker out here will be the max power you can draw. You should also check to see if the home has ground fault service and if possible test the circuits to be sure they work! These are special breakers in the electric panel with a test button to test them or a special outlet in the bathroom with a test button on it. Now you may also have owned a manufactured home or other home where you have had the outside pressure washed and water go into the outside outlets! This will obviously trip these breakers and the water must dry out before the breaker can be reset. You might also want to test the outlets to be sure that they all have power to them and that when you plug something in the plug does not fall back out which is an indication that the outlet has been used to the point it needs changing. Turn on all the light switches to be sure they work.

ROOFING

- There are a couple of different types of roofs for manufactured homes such as shingle, rubber, and metal. You should look inside the home for any signs of leaks in the roof by looking for discolored spots in the ceiling and walls. If it is a shingle roof check that the shingles are in good shape and all in place as well being sure that they are stuck down. Metal roofs usually have had a coating applied to them after so many years to help maintain watertight integrity and re-applied every so many years. I am not familiar with rubber roofs.

SIDING

- We can discuss all the pros and cons of metal siding or vinyl siding but what you are really looking for is that it is secure from holes. You do not want leaks! Check the walls for obvious signs of water penetration. Very few manufactured homes actually have any wood behind the siding except for the 2X4's for the framing. A plus is having some type of plywood or wood siding under the exterior finish as this protects your home from penetration by wind blown objects from storms.

WINDOWS

- I have not seen many manufactured homes that actually have thermal windows and even fewer that have hurricane rated windows. The normal window is of single pane glass in aluminum frames. Check the window carefully to see that it opens and closes with ease. Check for caulking around the window if required! Check the windowsills for any water penetration.

TERMITES

- Contributed by Sue Bassett, Barefoot Bay
-- Make sure that you look under the home for any wood debris that may cause termites. Our home was set in 2003 and in Nov 2005 we found termites. What was the cause of the termites? A tree that was on the lot was supposed to be removed when our lot was cleared by the contractor but rather than removing the tree in its entirety, the contractor left some large branches under our house, which caused our termite problem. Fortunately for us, we caught the problem early!
Look around the foundation where possible for any signs of Termite activity! Like Sue says it is a very good idea to check under the home if possible for wood or debris that can attract termite activity.
You also have to remember that there are more then one type of Termite and while most people deal with Subterranean Termites that tunnel to the ground for water there ia also a Termite called Drywood Termites that can exist without a water source so they do not make tunnels to the ground and are much harder to spot.
I recommend that anyone living in a Manufactured home or stick built home have the home checked yearly by a professional and I pay for a yearly exterior treatment as well. I have heard of many homes, Not just manufactured homes, that have had termite problems and it is important to remain vigil!
Does having a treatment once a year guarantee that you won't get termites? NO! But if you are like me you want a professional to check the home and give you some reassurance.
One of the things that I have found is that unlike a home built on a foundation most of the Termite companies will not offer a insurance policy to repair damages if your Manufactured Home has been treated and then found to have termites again later.