How To Look At A House

McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of  

site-built, mobile/manufactured and modular homes

What are the signs that a mobile home is not level?

Thursday, April 2, 2020

The signs that a mobile home is out-of-level are similar to the symptoms of a site-built house that has foundation problems. If one of the defects listed below catches your eye, we suggest going around your home and carefully checking for the others:

• Diagonal cracks in drywall at corner or windows or doors, cracks along seam where walls meet ceiling.

• Doors don’t latch easily or at all, and swing open or closed on their own.

• Skirting bulges, twists, or wrinkles.

• Hump (crown) in floor and/or cracks in drywall at marriage line of double-wide.

• Gap between cabinets and their backsplashes and wall behind.

• Windows won’t open, cracked glass.

• A slight bounce in flooring underfoot and/or squeaks at spots in floor. 

    Also, see our blog posts How often should you relevel a mobile home? and Why is it important that a mobile home stay level throughout its lifetime? and What is the minimum warranty for a mobile/manufactured home installation in Florida? and What causes a crowned floor in a mobile/manufactured home? and Can over-tightening mobile home tie-down straps cause the floor to buckle?  

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Want to learn more about inspecting
manufactured/mobile homes? 
Get our Handbook for 
Manufactured Home Inspectors 
at amazon.com for $19.95

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 

Here’s links to a collection of our blog posts about MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES:

How do I find out how old a mobile home is and who manufactured it?

What is the right price for a used mobile home?

How energy efficient is a mobile home?

When were the first double-wide mobile homes manufactured?

How do I upgrade my old (pre-1976) mobile home to meet HUD standards?

What size air conditioner is right for my mobile home? 

Can you move an older mobile home in Florida? 

What does the HUD tag look like and where do I find it on a mobile home? 

Can you put a zone 1 mobile home in Florida?

How can I remove water under my mobile home?

What's the differences between a trailer, a mobile home, a manufactured home, and a modular home? 

What is a D-sticker mobile home? 

What are the tie-down requirements for a mobile home?

How fireproof is a mobile home?  

Can I install a mobile home myself?

What is a Park Model mobile home?  

Does an addition to a mobile home have to comply with the HUD Code? 

What walls can I remove in a mobile home?

What can I do to prevent dampness and mold in my mobile home? 

How can I tell if a mobile home is well constructed?

How can I tell the difference between a manufactured home and a modular home?

       Visit our MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES  page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.

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