Category: Manufactured Homes

There’s no doubt you have a laundry list of preparations to complete if you’re awaiting the arrival of a new baby in your life. Among the most important of those preparations is childproofing your manufactured home. While it may not seem like it at first glance, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of everyday dangers that can cause harm to little ones. Start your childproofing journey with these basics that every family with a baby or toddler should consider:

Cabinets – Curious kids love nothing more than exploration. While encouraging that sense of adventure is a great idea, you certainly don’t want to let them get into ground level cabinets and cupboards. Fortunately, cabinet locks are very affordable and easy to find. Many styles slide right over knobs or handles, requiring no installation effort at all.

Drawers – Not only can young children gain access to dangerous household items by getting into drawers, but it’s also possible that they will pinch or otherwise hurt sensitive fingers when slamming those drawers shut. Basic drawer locks can be installed in your manufactured home with just a screwdriver, and they are easily removed once your child grows older.

Sharp Corners – As little ones learn to crawl and walk, they inevitably take some tumbles. Sharp edges and corners, such as those on coffee tables or on the edges of your fireplace, can cause major injury. Cover up these surfaces with specially designed foam padding or plastic pieces. They come in a huge variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, so you can choose a style that blends in well with your decor while still keeping your baby safe.

These are just a few of the measures everyone with a new baby should take. Keep your manufactured home safe for every member of the family by thoroughly researching the topic and by spending some time on this important process!

If you live in a manufactured home located in a high-risk area for hurricane impact, you should always be proactive in the prevention of water damage from hurricanes.

Here are five ways to help protect your home.

1. Seal gaps. Windows and doors should be completely sealed. Replace damaged caulking. Inspect areas around pipes or wires coming into your home, and seal gaps and cracks to guard against leaks.

2. Guard your roof. Purchase a sealant that will eliminate wind uplift on shingle roofs, which causes of over 60% of reported damage. A low roof pitch is the most vulnerable. Look for products that have passed the Florida Wind and Water test or that adhere to or exceed FEMA recommendations.

3. Cover your windows. Make sure you have pre-cut plywood that will fit over your windows. Mark the panel so you can easily place it. This will help prevent water from coming into your house, and it will help save money on window replacements.

4. Replace solid skirting. If you have solid skirting, it’s harder for wind to move around your home. This can lead to damage due to lifting. Instead, you’ll want to have latticed or grill work, lessening wind resistance.

5. Install ground or French drains. To redirect pooling water and ground flooding, you’ll want to install drains. This is basically a trench filled with rock that drains water away from your dwelling. They work similar to the gutter system on your roof.

You don’t want to wait until there’s a storm bearing down on your manufactured home before you begin preparing. Water damage can lead to mildew, mold, and rot. It can be a death sentence to some of your most prized possessions, including photographs, books, and important documents. These tips will help reduce damage.

An old stereotype holds that manufactured homes are more vulnerable to storm and disaster damage than traditionally built homes. It’s possible that this idea comes from Hollywood or local news footage of tornadoes ripping through trailer parks, leaving piles of rubble in their wake.

It's time this myth was debunked. First off, a manufactured home is not a trailer – it's a complete structure erected with the best building materials on the market. Plus, due to recent advances in construction and materials, manufactured homes are as sturdy and disaster-resistant as traditional homes.

Beyond this, more stringent standards set in the 1990s by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) require every manufactured home to be built with the capability to withstand wind speeds common in its region. Thanks to these standards, manufactured houses are no more dangerous than traditional houses in the case of tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, or other natural disasters.

A manufactured home owner has only to take the same basic precautions against storms and disasters as anyone else. For example, in cold weather, wrap your pipes in heat tape or allow hot water to drip from faucets to keep pipes from bursting, and remove excess snow and ice from your roof and overhangs.

If you are in the market for a manufactured home, make sure you buy one that has a permanent foundation and that strictly follows HUD regulations. For those in tornado-prone areas, you'll want a home that has a basement. Otherwise, as long as your home meets all the government-mandated standards, it will be as safe for you and your family in times of disaster as a traditional home would be.

Winter weather can be severe and frightening at times. If you have a manufactured home, you’ll want to take a few steps to protect your roof in advance. Here are five ways to help prevent roof damage from heavy snow.

1. Use a roof rake. Find these tools at your local hardware store, and use them regularly to drag snow off the roof while keeping your feet on the ground, eliminating risk of injury. Removing the snow lessens weight on the roof, which reduces the likelihood of leaks and roof damage.

2. Insulate your attic floor. While it may seem like a good idea to let the snow melt so that it slides off, when the melted snow re-freezes, it may create ice dams, which cause damage and leaks. To help prevent this, insulate the attic floor so heat doesn’t escape from your living area. As a bonus, this will also lower heating costs.

3. Install an ice dam protection sheet. This is especially important if your manufactured home has a south-facing roof, which receives the most direct sunlight throughout the day. A protection sheet is a rubber membrane that sticks to the wood under your shingles to protect your roof from water intrusion due to ice dams.

4. Keep your attic ventilated to outside air. In your attic, moisture is the enemy, as it weakens roof rafters, wall components, and even insulation. Having moisture and condensation in the attic of your manufactured home can even lead to ice dams. A well-ventilated attic will keep the dry air moving in, removing this moisture.

5. Be proactive. Insulate before the heaviest snow. Monitor snowfall and rake it before it builds too high on your roof. Don’t let more than six inches build up, as the accumulated weight of so much snow can add unnecessary strain to your roof.

By carefully watching for snow and ice buildup, and by taking a few proactive steps to prevent ice dams, you can protect your manufactured home during the severe weather of this winter season.