Mobile Home Leveling
When a mobile home is placed on a property, the home is leveled. The mobile home leveling is necessary, because the unlevel mobile home is susceptible to warping of the floors and cracks can develop on the walls or ceilings. Mobile home leveling can be completed by a company specializing in mobile homes that is an experienced contractor, properly licensed, bonded and insured having passed state requirements for mobile home certification. Even if a mobile home has been leveled properly when placed on the lot, the home may need to be re-leveled in the future.
Areas of the ground under the mobile home may become compacted causing the mobile home to no longer be level. The homeowner may notice some signs that the mobile home needs to be leveled. The doors may not stay open or closed due to a slight slant. Cabinet doors may open on their own. Floors in the mobile home may squeak. The homeowner may notice that windows that used to open easily may stick now and cracks appearing in the walls and ceilings.
The homeowner should periodically use a water level to check if the mobile home was level. At least once a year, the homeowner should check several points inside the home with a water level to see if the home is level. Some owners prefer to level the mobile home themselves. However, hiring a contractor experienced with leveling mobile homes is recommended by many sources.
It is recommended when leveling a mobile home; the person starts at the center point and works outward to one end of the mobile home, although it is advisable to take a quick reading of all the corner and middle points because the middle of the home could be the part of the home that settled and, therefore, be the only place needing a lift. In most cases the tie-down straps need to be loosened before leveling.
The next step is jacking under the beams where the home has settled. The jack should be supported on several layers of plywood under the beam on a level surface. Then the steel beam needs to be jacked up to make it level.
Shims can be added to level the home. The person may need to replace shims or concrete blocks to straighten to supports. Each area should be checked after the adjustments have been made. When the person reaches one end of the mobile home leveling each support along the way, the person should start at the center again and work toward the other end.
The tie down straps should be secured after the process is complete. This can be a time consuming job especially when the person is not experienced at leveling mobile homes. The person should test several points in the home to ensure the process has been successful. If there are problem areas, the homeowners may want to consider hiring a contractor if they have tried to level the home themselves without success.
It is never advisable to leave the home unleveled because it can damage the home. Therefore, mobile home leveling should be a priority. If the mobile home shows any signs that the home has become unlevel or if the periodic testing indicated problems, the homeowner should make sure the mobile home leveling is done correctly and without delay.
For more information on mobile home maintenance and mobile home skirting ideas, please visit our mobile home website at www.Duraskirt.com or call us at Creative Concrete Products, LLC 360-419-9909. We are manufactures of Duraskirt, a concrete skirting for mobile homes, and we have a mobile home service division that specializes in mobile home leveling in WA and solving problems for mobile home owners.