Can someone tell me how to re level a Mobile home?

Question

Can someone tell me how to re level a Mobile home?

Answer 1

Ive done this many times... You need a hydraulic 'cylinder' jack, (anywhere from 6 to 12 tons will work just fine), and a water level.  Do not rely on the carpenter's levels at 4 to 8 ft long.  You also need whatever blocking to reach from the ground up to the steel beam.  I usually carry a couple of patio blocks and some scrap lumber.

If this is a singlewide home, it shouldnt take more than a couple of hours.  Doublewides can take up to half a day.

I like to chart out how the home is setting before I start doing any jacking.  I'll set the water level up and get a reference point.  A 100ft water level, set at about the center of the home lengthwise, will reach all the block stacks under a home, even a double-wide.  Once I have the reference point calibrated, I will go to each stack and measure where the bottom of the steel beam is at, in reference to the calibration.... whether it is above, or below, and how much.  That gives me a very good indication of where I need to start with my jack.  Always start at the lowest spot, and bring it up to the reference point.  Often, a home will have a combination, low spot to high spot.... this is usually due to the home leveraging over a particular stack.  Raising the home at the low spot, will often cause the high spot to drop back to level, on the other side of the stack of blocks that is acting as a fulcrum point.  So don't automatically assume that the whole house has to be lifted to the highest measurement, hehehe.  When you are done, don't forget to tighten the anchor straps.

Now, to actually set up the jack for work, I usually set a piece of lumber, or plywood, on the ground first (the muddier it is, the larger piece you need), then a patio block, and if necessary, a cement block.  Anytime you use a cement block, always stand it so the holes are up and down, never lay it on its side.  Use a thick piece of wood scrap, or patio block over the top of the cement block, and another block of wood between the jack and the steel beam.  Center the jack under the beam.  Lift it to the needed height, and move the shims in closer.  If you have to raise it very much, then you'll need either some steel shims, or a patio block (or replace a thinner block with a thicker one, patio blocks come in 1", 2" and 4" thicknesses).  The reason for this is that you should have no more than 2 inches of wood total (and it needs to be hardwood).  Any more wood than that, and you run the risk of it compressing.  

You can purchase one of several models of water level, but you can also make them.  I've made several over the years.

Use clear, flexible tubing (can be found at any building supply, or hardware strore), about 1/8" inside diameter.  At 100ft length, you'll have an accuracy to within 1/16" inch.  A water container (gallon jug, or bucket), and a valve.  The valve is to keep the water from running out of the tube while you are crawling around under the home... don't leave this out, hehehe.. it only takes one accident, and then you have to start all over, hehehe.  I've used everything from a pinch clip, to a radiator valve (which seemed to work out the best for me).  Use a little food coloring in the water to make it easier to see in the line.  Do NOT use windshield fluid, hehehe... the alcohol can skew your measurements.  You can duct tape the tubing over the lip of the container... set it so that the tubing reaches the bottom, but does not coil around, or stick back up.  Fill the container, and add your coloring.  Open the valve, and let the water run into the tubing.  Get all the air bubbles out of the tubing.  Once youve done that, close the valve to keep the water from running back into the container.

Now you're ready to get your calibration....

The idea here, is to get the water level in the container, level with the bottom of the steel beam, at your chosen location.  This may require some stacking of blocks, or lumber, just be sure its steady enough you won't yank it off the stack when pulling the line around, hehehe.  (I leveled homes so often, I built a special jig to hold the container, which I could raise/lower as needed... made setting up much faster, but for just one setup, you don't need that).  Hold the end of the tubing up to the bottom of the steel beam.... (it should stick up above the beam a few inches at least), and see if the water level is at the level of the bottom of the beam... if it is too low, add some height to your stack holding the container.  If it is too high, you can remove something to lower the container.  For 'fine tuning', you can add/remove a little water.

One additional tip to make measuring faster.... Once you have a calibration spot, (close the valve), mark the tube with an ink pen at that level, and use a tape measure to mark off in 1/8" increments, for 2 inches above and below that mark.  If you make the 1/4" and 1/2" marks stick out further (like on your tape measure), it makes it easier to read.  Sometimes a flashlight shown thru the tube makes it easier to read too.

For your first time doing this... expect it to take longer for you to set up and calibrate, than it actually will to relevel the home, hehehe.

This may sound complicated at first, but its really not.  It can be time consuming, hehehe.

To actually use the water level, once you have it calibrated, you close the valve to move around with the tube, and make sure to hold then end of it up, so the air bubble doesnt get back into the line.  At the stack you want to measure, hold the tube up to the beam, and open the valve.  Read the measurement off (a second pair of hands is really helpful here... as long as they can hear you, they dont need to be 'under' the home, heheh).  Read off the measurement as positive or negative, for the beam being above/below the calibration point... doesnt matter which way you want to read it, just be consistent.  I normally call it positive, if the beam is higher than the calibration point, myself.

I've found some new homes at 2 inches or more, out of level, hehehe.  (Some of those were set up using an 8ft level, hehehe)

Ok, some notes on how a mobile home should be supported, and things you should look for while under the home, hehehe....

Most manufacturers (and codes) call for a stack within 2 feet of the end of the home, and then no more than 8 to 10 feet apart, from stack to stack.  If you have more than 10 ft from the center of one stack to the next... you need to add a stack.

The very best foundation for a mobile home is a full slab, or poured basement with steel supports columns.  The next best, is called 'runners'.  This consists of a trench under each I-beam, about 2 ft wide, to below the frost level in your area.  The most common support is the 'pier'... this is literally, a 2 ft hole drilled to below the frost line, for each stack of blocks.

The absolute worst set up for a mobile home (but legal in some southern states), is a pad laying on top of the ground.  This pad can be either 1/2" plastic, or concrete.  But because it is on top of the ground, the house level will fluctuate with the freeze/thaw of the ground, as well as if it becomes particularly muddy.  I've actually seen a couple of homes that 'fell off' their support stacks, because of a high wind, and extremely muddy ground.

The support stacks themselves should consist of either a steel support (rare), or a stack of cement blocks (8x8x16 inches).  MOST dealers / set up crews will use a '2 block high' stack, but if the ground is very uneven, you may see as much as 8ft of stacked blocks.  Special care is needed for that type of situation.  For the standard stack, you'll have 2 blocks at the base, with 2 more setting crosswise on top of them.  Then you'll have patio blocks crosswise on top of those.  The patio blocks will vary from 1 to 4 inches thick, depending on necessity.  (Usually, when the concrete is poured for the runners, or piers, the contractor just levels it off to the ground, and makes no attempt at keeping them level to each other.)  Then you may have one solid piece of lumber (hardwood) at 1 1/2" thick by 6" to 8"wide, at 16" length, running with the I-beam.... that is, the length of the wood is parrallel to the I-beam.  On top of everything, is the pair of shims... and it should be a PAIR.  The shims are set perpendicular to the I-beam.  So... if you sit with your feet on either side of the stack, and your head under the steel beam, the shims at the top of the stack should be pointed towards each other, to your left and right.  You want them centered, as much as possible... I find it handy to use TWO hammers at the same time, to close in the shims (one in each hand, swung together towards the shims.)  This prevents one from knocking the other out from under the beam.

There should NOT be any cracked blocks, or patio blocks.  If there are, you need to replace them.

There should NOT be more than 2 inches of wood at the top of the stack (NONE at the bottom or middle of the stack).

Also keep an eye on the underbelly as you crawl around.... if there are any open holes, they need to be sealed up.  If you see it sagging a lot at any one place, you may have a water leak.

There should be a moisture barrier on the ground (a layer of 6 mil plastic works just fine).  You'd be surprised at just how much moisture comes up into the home, from underneath it.

Looks like I'm at the text limit, hehehe... feel free to email me, if you have any questions.

Have Fun

Answer 2

For app $100 you can get a pro to do it. Well worth the money.

Answer 3

20 ton jack-6 foot level- wood shims -check beams under house-jack up house till level and set shims-after leveling check doors in house-they will move and not close or open

Answer 4

This is not a job for a DIYer.  Lots of knowledge and equipment needed. Call any manufactured home service company, or set crew.