Okay Fella’s, I need your help one again. Here’s the short story; I have been approached by my church to provide a bid to work on a church members trailer. The problem is that I know the skeletal anatomy of houses (stick framed) but I am not too familiar on the headaches of working on a house trailer.
My limited knowledge of trailers is that they build the floor first (including floor coverings) and then frame on top. The materials look similar but I think there is more composite material than I think.
The problem with the house (trailer) is that there was a major leak from the water heater (in a closet beside the tub in the bathroom) that caused the floor to give way in the bathroom and kitchen (which is on the opposite side of the wall). I will have to replace much of this floor and most of the things above it.
It’s going to be an interesting project but what I need to know is what are the little things I need to account for in working on a trailer?
David H. “Splinky” Polston
Founder of Sawdust, Norfolk, Virginia
Replies
It’s going to be an interesting project but what I need to know is what are the little things I need to account for in working on a trailer?
Well, if the floor is bad on both sides of a wall, then the wall will need to come down to replace the floor under it. The wall is probably framed with 2X2 lumber, so taking it out might be easy. But it also might be full of wiring, so be careful. Oh, and it might be holding up something in the roof structure too.
And I NEVER provide a bid to replace soft or rotted wood. I tell the client what my hourly rate is, and how I expect to be paid for materials. I explain that rotted wood jobs are impossible to estimate, because you just can't tell if you're seeing the tip of the iceberg, or if you're seeing all of the damage.
Good luck.
Unless you're the lead dog, the view just never changes.
BTW - I have picsDavid H. "Splinky" Polston
Founder of Sawdust, Norfolk, Virginia
We have a retirement community here that is all mobile homes. They are thrilled to pay my rate as they can't get anyone to work on them. Everything above is true. They are typically built with steel framing running side to side, floor joist (often a real 2X3) running the length of the home 24" on center and then 1X4's going side to side with 3/4 to 5/4 particle board on that.
Any water on that particle board or moisture from below and you get what your pictures show. We cut out the bad section back to good wood and the 1X4s and replace with exterior ply. Then cover the entire are (room) with 1/4" BC plywood as insurance and a leveler.
I have not done one under the walls but the walls are usually 2X2 and full of wiring. Not too many wires underneath. DanT
To help people figure the picture out...
You were laying on the ground, looking up at the floor, in this pic.
I live in an RV trailer. Quite similar to a mobile home.
Even without leaking water... with age comes rot issues.
Living in a trailer is like living in a terrarium. It has a metal skin on all 6 sides. Any water put into the air inside, tends to collect in the walls, floor, and ceiling before very slowly finding it's way outside.
If that floor is bad into the kitchen, count on the whole kitchen floor being replaced. Along with the bathroom floor. And if you are smart, you will check the floor on the other side of the bathroom, as well.
I have already done this job on one corner of my trailer. I will eventually replace every bit of the floor and framing in this trailer, unless I move out of it first.
Here is what I did...
I tore out the outside walls. Then tore out the floor.
When you take out the inside walls, leave the corners. They will be helping to support the roof.
Now, when the floor rotted, the outside wall sagged with it, down over the outside of the steel frame.
With the floor torn out, and the "joists" (2x2's on 2 foot centers laid across the steel frame...) removed, I laid down INCISED PRESSURE TREATED 2x4's. You want the incised pressure treated. The kind that can be buried for 60 years, and not rot...
I perforated the metal skin below, so that water will be able to escape from now on...
I laid those IPT 2x4's down flat to replace the 2x2's. I also laid them only a foot apart. I screwed those down to the steel frame.
I cut foam insulation to replace the old crap 1 inch thick fiberglass they had had there. I filled all the space in between the 2x4's.
I then laid a new floor of 1 1/8 inch aviation plywood, that Art, (Junkhound), gave me. It had a thick vinyl coating on one side, I laid that side down.
On all the edges where the new plywood would contact the old wood, I cut plastic 2 liter pop bottles, and wrapped them around the edges. Then screwed the plywood down, then cut away all the excess from the pop bottles..
Next, I jacked up the roof, from a point on my new floor, directly on the steel frame underneath. Once the roof was back to the height it was supposed to be, I built the outer wall again. This time using composite maple/poplar "studs" that Art had aslo given me.
I also built a new wall, inside, right next to the wall I had left.
All this has the effect of using that thick plywood as a cantilever. As the weight of the outside wall bears down on the outside edge of the plywood floor, the inside edge of the floor wants to come up. The new wall there, now pushes up on the roof. That of course, pulls up on that outside wall. So it all basically evens out.
I have foan insulation in the outside walls now, as well. And before I finally close everything up there, I am going to drill 3/4 inch holes in the metal skin. 3 per "stud bay. Top, middle and bottom. And install those small reound screened vents. This will keep the ,oisture from collecting in the walls again.
I have checked a couple times now, and the new floor is still not getting wet. While the remainder of the floor continues to. The perforation of the metal skin on the bottom, does the trick.
BTW: I came to this trick naturally. In all that rotted floor, there was a patch that was fine. This patch was over and surrounding a hole that had been made in that metal underskin at some point for a pipe or wire or something...
As far as I am concerned, if this trailer were ever pulled down the road again, the holes in the underskin would be fine. Because as much water as could be driven up through them, on a trip, would all quickly drain anyway, and the wood would be given the chance to dry out again, while sitting. On this motorhome you are talking about, you don't even have to consider that.
BTW, make sure the space below the trailer is vented as well. Put a vapor barrier on the ground, and cover that with pea gravel, to prevent moisture from coming up and collecting that way, under the trailer.
I think replacing the fiberglass insulation with foam is doing as much for the longevity of the wood that was replaced, as anything else I have done, as well. Plus, I think that at that thickness, the foam is a better insulator than the even thinner fiberglass.
The person you offend today, may have been your best friend tomorrow
Luka, you nailed it! I lived in an aluminum house trailer out here in the sticks while I built my real house....took me 14 years!
Thanks to a patient DW and advancing age that made me immune to the smell of dead rodents, I survived!
I think I'll send you another one of those Acorn Squash enhancers!
Acorn squash enhancer ?
14 years !!!
Well I have been here on the property for 5 years now. Maybe I am not going so slow, after all. LOL
:)
The person you offend today, may have been your best friend tomorrow
Well, I suggested a "recipe" with the syrup.....been awhile....
Ah yes !
And it works, too !
Thank you very much !!!
:)
The person you offend today, may have been your best friend tomorrow
14 years?!?
Ah, I feel better already. I am not alone in this world!
bwaaa!
nope the way you get to the floor is brace it up (the wall) 2 corners and middle- cut the bottom of the wall 1 1/2 -3" replace floor with 5/8 or 3/4 plywood.just like you do when replacing rotted sills.replace studs drywall- tape and sponge.lots easier than pulling all the walls
the way you get to the floor is brace it up (the wall) 2 corners and middle- ........
True, but lets not forget that this is in a trailer, where the floor joists are probably on 4' centers, and the rest of the floor is soft. Jacking the wall up sounds dicey to me.
But if it works, then I agree its a better option than pulling the walls.
Unless you're the lead dog, the view just never changes.
C'mon Luka ... no pics of this "quick fix"?? lolDavid H. "Splinky" Polston
Founder of Sawdust, Norfolk, Virginia
It was by no means quick.
And I do have some pics somewhere, but you'll have to wait until I have time to find them.
The person you offend today, may have been your best friend tomorrow
i did this once on a mobile home and one of the tough things about replacing the floor [which in the one i worked on was particle board] was what you just said. they set the floor ,cover it then build the walls. so i had to cut out the particle board as close to the wall as possible, then start trying to pry the rest off of the bottom of the sill plate. once that was done i then slid the new floor under the sill and screwed it down. if i remember right the "floor joist were on about 4' centers.it wasn't much fun, but one way to look at it is ,it doesn't have to last for30-50 yrs because the rest of the structure will probably fall down in 15 yrs anyway!! larry
The flooring (5/4" particleboard) was fire resistant when I last got involved in one. The sawdust was a real irritant. Studs were set sideways to conserve space. Everything was fastened with staples and adhesive. Hammer(s), ripping bar, and a Sawzall with demolition blades. Good luck.
You're getting good advice. On a job like that, honest T&M is really the best way, especially when you're probably dealing with a customer (the Church?) with limited funds.
When you say "mobile home" are you speaking of an aluminum house trailer, or a more recent "manufactured home?"
Neither are very friendly to renovating, but MF's are a little friendlier (not by much) because the wood is a little heavier (not by much).
Also, not all of either type is built the same, so, regardless of the advice you may get, you may be plowing new ground.