In 2004, Florida was severely impacted by four separate
hurricanes in a six week period; Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. It has come
to be known as the “Year of the Four Hurricanes”. The State of Florida
published a document titled “The Benefits of Current Enhanced Mobile Home
Installation Standards” and stated,
“The assessments of mobile home damage
caused by the 2004 hurricanes found that homes installed by licensed mobile
home installers according to the new installation standards did not move from
their foundations. Unfortunately, older homes that were not installed in
accordance with Rule Chapters 5C-1 and 15C-2 often had tie-down straps and
anchors that had rusted away to the point of providing no protection against
movement of the home.”
In a test performed by IBHS, three homes were subjected to
hurricane force winds, a conventional home, a manufactured home with an
improperly installed carport and a manufactured home with a properly installed
carport. The conventional home suffered as much damage as the manufactured home
with the improperly installed carport. The manufactured home with the properly
installed carport, however, sustained very little damage. This test, and others
like it, show that a properly installed manufactured home, can, in fact, be
safer than other home types.
What do you mean by
“properly installed?”
A properly installed manufactured home is one that has been
set up by a licensed installer, and installed according to federal regulations
set out in the 24 CFR 3285 Model Manufactured Home Installation Standards
(dated October 19, 2007). The 24 CFR 3285 regulates many aspects of home
installation from testing soil types, to what types of material can be used for
tie down straps. A properly installed manufactured home is one that is built
and installed to geographic and climatic conditions, taking into consideration
soil type, water levels, wind zones, snow loads and much more. When all this
data is correctly gathered and made use of, a manufactured home will perform
better than many conventional homes in the same area. Improper installation can
cause minor issues, such as sticking doors and windows, or major issues, such
as leaking roofs or sinking foundations.
Today’s manufactured home is much safer, in many ways, than
a conventional home, and are a good investment for many homeowners. Make sure
you get the best installation possible by doing a little research ahead of time
and understanding what to look for before, during and after installation. Read your home’s installation manual (by law,
every home is to have an installation manual to be left after installation is
completed), and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
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