Permanent Foundation for Doublewide Home

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

Can you put a permanent foundation wall (leaving the crawl space) under a doublewide mobile home without unhooking all the utility lines? Would it support it well?

-- Vickie in OK (ouvickie@hotmail.com), October 05, 2001

Answers

Hi, Vickie - what is your double-wide sitting on now; blocks under I- beams? Or was your home constructed so that the walls could sit on a foundation?

If it's sitting on blocks under I-beams, I think you could trench around the perimeter and put a block or concrete "foundation" or sidewalls around it without too much trouble, couldn't you? Or do you really want a basement? If you just want a perimeter wall, perhaps you wouldn't have to disconnect the utilities - just be sure to avoid hitting them in any way.

As for supporting it, it would depend on how your home is built. If the I-beams are supporting the home at this time, your "foundation" won't support it because the walls probably weren't made to sit on a foundation. I used to sell manufactured housing 20 years ago, and don't know what changes have been made by now, but back then a "double-wide" was made to sit on blocks under the I-beams - NOT a foundation, and a "modular" (looks the same, but built differently) was built so that the walls could sit on a foundation. Maybe just a difference in wall strength and sill plates. Hope this helps.....

-- Bonnie (chilton@stateline-isp.com), October 05, 2001.


Vickie, I'd think it'd be a real challenge in that you have to either raise the structure to build up to the current level with your foundation then lower back down onto it or build up to within an even, level gap beneath the current height then lower down onto that. I suppose if you have enough play in your lines you might be able to pull it off, but I've not often seen much play in pipes. ;o)

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), October 05, 2001.

Don't know the answer to your situation, but it's become commonplace here to put manufactured houses on a concrete slab just like 'real' houses.

-- ~Rogo -Texas- (rogo2020@yahoo.com), October 05, 2001.

We have a cement block foundation under our double wide. However the house does not set on the foundation. It sets on pillers under the I beams (is that what they are called?) The foundation is only for looks and to keep the varmits out. The cement blocks are only 4" wide and not 8". Like I said it only looks like a foundation. The house is not designed to set on the outside edge.

-- Belle (gardenbelle@terraworld.net), October 06, 2001.

Good Answers! Thanks so much. The pillar and cement block idea sounds pretty workable. Maybe we won't have to move pipes as much.

-- Vickie in OK (ouvickie@hotmail.com), October 09, 2001.


vickie, you can dig a footing and then install block as a skirting, but the home will not be sitting on the outside wall.

you need not jack up the home, but all of the digging will have to be done by hand and to the depth of local building codes.

some areas require a footing, before the home was installed, to check this, remove the vinal skirting and see if a perimeter footing was installed before the home was set.

do not jack the home up to install the block walls.

-- doug hoskins (lexus@blueriver.net), October 27, 2001.


Vicki, Our new doublewide is sitting on a full basement.The house sits on I-beams with jackposts under the Ibeams just like a "regular" house. We love it. We built our basement first then had the house set on it. They rolled it on with what looked like roller skates. In your situation I think your situation may be a bit harder but I think it can be done. The hardest part will be excavating around your current pillars. I think you may want to consult a profesional and certianly check the building codes for your area. Good Luck Ralph

-- Ralph Rice (Roadapple@suite224.net), October 27, 2001.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ