Mobile home installers in Texas must follow certain rules.
Companies in Texas that install mobile homes must be aware of the installation guidelines set by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. They are expected to install according to every area of these guidelines and face penalties for any deviation from the rules. These guidelines are designed to ensure the safety and comfort of mobile home buyers. Does this Spark an idea?
Site Preparation
The installer is responsible for the proper site preparation of the home. The purchaser of the home is given a Notice of Site Preparation that must be signed by the purchaser for every home built in Texas. And this must be done prior to the beginning of building.
Site preparation includes clearance of overgrowth and natural materials from the land, drainage, leveling of the earth, and stabilization of the foundation and other areas.
The installers of the mobile home must ensure there is at least 18 inches of clearance between the bottom of the floor joists of the home and the ground. Also, there must be sufficient distance between the I-beams supporting the home and the ground to insure proper installation of the crossover duct.
The installer must remove all sods, tree stumps and debris from the site before installing the footings.
Moisture and Vapor Controls
The installer must equip the home with any necessary moisture and ground vapor control mechanisms that are required. The crawl space of the mobile home must have proper cross-ventilation to prevent moisture build-up. Also, skirting--materials that protect the underside of the home from debris blockage, animal intrusion and other threats--must be properly installed.
If the consumer seeks anyone other than the installers to provide moisture and vapor controls, then the consumer bares full responsibility for this necessary service and cannot hold the installer liable.
Footers and Piers
Footings for the home must be properly installed. The footings are the areas where the home will be attached to a support. The size of footings depends on the load-carrying capacity of the piers and the soil, both of which must be determined before installation. The footing must also be built with allowances for the frost line in certain counties. Footings must be placed on soil compressed to at least 90 percent of its maximum density and must be spaced so as to provide the greatest assurance of the stability of the home.
Anchoring Systems
Installers must make sure the building is properly anchored. The mobile home must be built to withstand winds in the Wind Zone in which it is built. Type 1, Finish B, Grade 1 style steel strapping must be used. Tie materials must be capable of resisting a workload of 3,150 pounds with no more than 2 percent stretching and an overload capacity of 5 percent (4,725 pounds). Anchors must be installed in the direction of the load.
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