This wasn’t something I see every day, so I took a couple pics.
The wall doesn’t have plaster/lath and it doesn’t have drywall…. It has panelling attached directly to the 2×4’s. On one side the panelling was stapled, and on the other side it is glued/stapled.
The second picture is nice. Now granted, I’m no electician, but I always figured you were supposed to attach outlet boxes to something other than panelling. The wire just appears through the top plate and dangles down to the box. Not stapled or attached to anything until it hits the box. Nice.
jt8
Replies
Is this wall in a mobile home? Maybe you could staple a piece of ripped 2x to each panel (from the finish sides of the wall), so that the block spans the void in the wall. Then fasten the box to this 2x. I don't know if this would be code compliant, but at least the box would be stabilized. No pigtails, too bad. At least they got the polarity right.
Give that man a cigar! There is a reason a good percentage of people in the construction trades are taught the phrase "I don't work on mobile homes," on the first day of school. Personally I was thinking, "gee, we could tear down the trailer and build a house," but that wasn't an option.
Gawd, I wish I had taken a picture of the tub! I kid you not, it was being held up with 1x2's.
In this case, I'm heading in the direction you and steve mentioned. I've disconnected the old box (had to in order to get the panelling off) and will replace it with a GFCI (tub is about 5 inches away). The nearest 2x4 has a bad wane, so I will probably block it just like you suggested. I'm also going to block the bathroom light switch, which currently is floating just like the recepticle was. And secure the dangling wires.
jt8
Edited 9/20/2004 1:27 am ET by JohnT8
This is what is called an 'old work' box. It is legal if properly installed. It hangs on the sheet goods. Usually these sheet goods are a bit more substantial.
i'm no electrician, but that looks scarry
rework boxes are really designed to work in at least 1/2 inch material like drywall and are code compliant here in Ontario
personally i dont like them, the strain of inserting and removing plugs can loosen them or even break the wall surface
and any good electricain will tell you that "backstabbing the wires is a no no
personally i'd remove the panelling sheet, place some solid material for the box, rewire properly, also stapling the cable to something solid and placing the wires under the terminal screws
caulking is not a piece of trim
That looks like drywall on the edge, but at any rate where you have to move or replace such as the pic shows a newer version work box is legal as long as the panel is strong enough . Once you find that you may be assured that theres more where that came from and the question arises ," how far do you want to take it ", or , "do you want to live in it ?"
The word has came through channels that lending institutions are now refusing to finance moblie homes. Its a question I need to find out today as Im thinking of putting in a mobile home park. In just such a question as you have brought to light , I need to also check their building codes and if any companies are different with age or parts of the country.
I cant imagine that happening today with the current codes.
I know the oldler homes had aluminum wire. HUMBUG!
Tim Mooney
The only good point of that recepticle was that the wiring looks like copper. I'll trim the ends and take a closer look to make sure. Don't need copper-covered aluminum. I guess if they haven't attached it anywhere, it wouldn't be hard to replace the wiring. Just use the old wire as the fish.
There wasn't ANY drywall in either the BR or BA (the two rooms sharing this wall). Guess that not only makes it cheaper to build, but less weight to haul. This particular mh was at least 20 years old, so one can only hope the construction techniques have improved, but I suspect there is a great deal of variation in quality, especially by region. In the upper midwest, you can get 2x6 walls, but a little further SW and you might be looking at 2x3 walls.
The "how far do you take it" is the reson I thought tearing it down and building a house would be a good idea. You open the wall and realize the wiring needs to be re-worked. You then see that the tub needs better support...and maybe there's water damage to the MDF floor (stuff is like shredded wheat when it gets wet) and then maybe you don't like the plastic water lines and want to change them. And then you figure that if you're changing the supply lines, you might as well work on the drains (schedule 20?). And before you know it, you've doubled the price of the trailer without actually increasing the value of it. Better to spend that effort and $$ on a regular house that might actually increase in value.
But I certainly understand that mh's fill a valuable role, especially as entry-level homes and retirement communities. And I sure wouldn't mind having a new mh park! Wheew, around here they charge $250+/month.
A couple months back I noticed an old railroad right of way for sale. I was jokingly suggesting turning it into a trailer park. The dimensions on it was like 100x5k' (or was it 125x10k?) You charge Joe Blow $250-300/month for the lot, and you pick up the water and garbage bills ($30ish?), and then pay for the snowplows to go through in the winter and maybe a fresh coat of blacktop coating in the summer. How far apart are they spaced, about 50'? On that 100x5k piece, you could cram about 100 of them in. Multiply that by $250-300/month and you're talking $25k-30k/month (22-27k after water/garbage).
There used to be a mh finance company called Greentree, but I heard they got bought out and aren't doing real well. You are correct, if the mh want-a-bees can't get financed you're gonna have a hard time filling that park up.
jt8
Good post .
I think Green Tree is out of business, or at least bought out and the new company isnt issueing new loans. The MH business is in deep stuff right now. I talked to one banker today and he said 4 out of 5 banks in my town had quit financing them. The one bank does it at hight interrest. There ya go.
Tim Mooney