In this episode of Assembly Required, the old trailer home gets a major image boost. Learn the ups and downs of setting a factory built house and meet a Florida family who pushes manufactured home building to a whole new level.
InstallationBuilder Alan Buxton and his team have a one day installation to accomplish for a two-section manufactured home (figure A). The crew must first construct concrete block support piers to set the house (figure B). Palm Harbor Homes’ Set-Up Manager, Chuck Rogers, is on board in case there are any surprises. Accurate ground elevation is crucial for setting a manufactured home. The house must be above the center crown of the road to prevent damage from water run-off. Alan’s crew gets a little worried when the house is measured at twelve inches below the crown of the road. Luckily, what the crew thought was a big error was just a misread on the house elevation. The house is eight inches above the crown of the road.
Back on track and ready to roll, the crew should be able to catch up. The home arrived 90% complete from the factory, after all (figure C). About a week ago, a highly trained crew built the structure in a controlled weather-tight environment (figure D). All that work in the shop should mean speed on-site. In the old days, these were called ‘trailers’ or ‘mobile homes’ but aside from their metal chassis, axels and wheels, it’s now a whole new breed (figure E).
Different from modular homes which are craned onto a permanent foundation, the manufactured home frame allows it to be set without a foundation (figure F)– that usually means less cost and a faster build. Construction cost per square foot for a manufactured home averages 10-25% less than a comparable stick-built home. Despite the ease of prefab and the non-stop action, the crew doesn’t make their one day deadline. They will have to return the next day to finish the installation.
Alan and his team return ready to finish off setting the two-section Palm Harbor manufactured home. Ground wire (figure G), vector plates (figure H) and hurricane straps are installed as protective measures against inclement weather. Inside, everything is almost ready for move-in (figure I). After Alan’s crew installs the ridge vent and touches up the siding, a finishing crew will seal up the marriage line between the two manufactured sections (figure J).
RESOURCES :
Palm Harbor Homes
Website: www.palmharbor.com
Gunter Design Inc.
Telephone: 1-813-767-3809
E-mail: dgunter@microd.com
Contractors Group Unlimited
Contact: Nick D'Ascenzio
Telephone: 1-727-939-9633
The Highlands at Scotland Yards
Website: www.highlandsfl.com
Belle Casa Communities
Telephone: 1-727-938-7989
Manufactured Housing Institute
Website: www.manufacturedhousing.org
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