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The best thing to do is hire an Appraiser. The Appraiser knows what to look for and is familiar with the market. An Appraiser makes decisions on appearance, what can be seen and what can’t. If you do not want to spend the money, there are a few things you can do that can save you money and headaches.
Check for DRY ROT.
This is actually very easy. You need two items, an Ice pick and a dry block of wood. Take the Ice pick and poke the block of wood. Put a little pressure on it. Feel how the wood resists? Put a lot of pressure on it. It is firm and solid. That is a good thing and what you want to find wherever you stick the Ice pick. If the Ice pick enters the wood, does not resist, and feels soft, that's wood that needs replacing.
Where do you stick the Ice pick?
You are looking for rotten wood. Wood rots when it is exposed to water. So first look for places that water can get in. The most obvious is the skirting system. If the skirting system is made out of wood or metal and it touches the ground, chances are you will find dry rot anywhere around the outside edge of the floor inside. This is due to frost heave. If frost heave is not an issue, then you can move to the under side. If the skirting system is wood or metal, you may want to figure the cost of correcting this problem with a system that moves with the frost heave.
Push the Ice pick at an angle at the edge of the floor and bottom of the outside wall. Do this near doors, sinks, toilets, bathtub, and shower and washing machine area. If the home has Aluminum framed windows, check both top and bottom left and right corners. Aluminum windows sweat and rot the wood framing it. You should figure the cost of replacing those Aluminum windows with Vinyl thermal windows, (double glass). This will stop the sweating and reduce your heating costs as much as 40%.
Do the same for the ceiling. If you see signs of water entry, check along the outside edge. If the ceiling is damaged and you think you can replace some of the panels, (they are 4’ x 14’ panels), you can’t. They are no longer manufactured. And you can’t put up standard 1/2" sheet rock, as the ceiling was not built for the weight. You can re-enforce the ceiling joists for the heavier 1/2" rock or you can use 5/8” sheet rock and not go through the extra expense and labor.
Don’t forget to check around ceiling fans and sewer vents.
Try to stick the Ice pick where you won’t see or notice the tiny hole.
What is the home sitting on?
Unfortunately most homes in Alaska are sitting on a combination of wood and concrete blocks. The industry has come a long way in improvements; there are much better ways to block a home and protect your investment. Wood rots when it gets wet and cracks and splits when it dries out. Check every block of wood. Confirm that the wood/block are straight and in line and that the unit is firm under the beam. All of these should be sitting on a 6-mil plastic sheet with the edges rolled over fiberglass insulation and tucked under the skirting system; this stops airflow.
While you are under the home:
The water line should be wrapped with heat tape and insulated. The water line should be suspended above the ground. There should be a shut-off valve at the point where the water comes out of the ground. There should be another valve at the point where the water enters the home; these valves should be wrapped by the heat tape. The heat tape should plug into an electrical outlet under the home and not an extension cord.
Check that sewer lines are intact and there are no cracks. There should be a "knock-out" accessible from the outside of the home, without crawling under.
Check the dryer vent for leaks. You will know it is leaking if you find dryer lint clinging to the vent tubing or on the ground. Remove the dryer vent coupling above and examine for lint build-up. Has the system been cleaned? Fires from dyer lint rank among the highest causes of fires in a home.
There should be a vent located at the front and rear of the home to ventilate under the home during the summer. If it is winter, check to see that it is closed. If it is summer, check to see if it is open. If you buy the home, remember to check your vents at the start of every summer and winter.
Make sure there are no holes in the rodent barrier. This can effect your heating costs and your personal comfort.
Is the home tied down?
The tie-down straps should be loose, not tight, wrapped around the beam and attached to the tie-down in the ground. There should be six tie downs per side if it is a 14’ x 70’, fewer if it is smaller. Also, if the home is older than 1976, you must have up to three straps over the top of the home attached to a tie-down; again depending on the size of the home. Homes built prior to 1976 were not built with strapping in the frame. Since 1976, home construction includes straps attached to the floor joist and the outside of the wall stud, and another strap that goes from the floor joist across the outside wall studs to the top of the wall studs, over the top and down to the floor joist on the other side. So the straps are built-in and there is no need to run additional straps over the roof. In the Municipality of Anchorage there are no straps required over the top of a doublewide, regardless of the age of the home.
Inside of the home.
While you are checking for dry-rot, you are also checking stuff like the age of appliances and the over-all condition of the home. There aren't many homes with aluminum wiring, but you can find them. If the home you are looking at has Aluminum wiring, remove a switch plate and check to confirm the Aluminum wires are "pig tailed" to Copper wire and secured with a wire-nut that has a lubricant in it. The lubricant prevents the Aluminum wire from oxidizing and stops electrolysis between the Aluminum and Copper wire.
Check the furnace. There is a metal plate attached to the furnace, usually on the outside of the fire-box behind the door, that will tell you if the furnace is rated for mobile home use. It will have the "U. L." label stating that the furnace is approved for mobile/manufactured home use and date of manufacture. If the furnace is ten years old or older, the furnace should be replaced. Here's why. Check to see what the "BTU" input and output is. Today a 90% AFUE furnace with a 80,000 BTU Input has a 72,000 BTU Output. A new 80% AFUE furnace with a 90,000 BTU Input has a 72,000 Output. The new 80% furnace will save you hundreds in electric and fuel and easily pay for itself in less than five years.
Just like the furnace, the water heater has a metal plate attached to it that should have the "U.L." label stating that the appliance is approved for mobile/manufactured home use. If the water heater is not an approved mobile home appliance, it is not necessary to replace it. However, consideration needs to be given to the age, (today's water heaters are far more efficient and that saves money), and weather the home will be moved within five years. If the home will be moved within the next five years, wait to replace the water heater if you can. Once the home is moved it will have to be brought up to code and that means the water heater MUST be a "U.L." approved appliance or the city will not allow anyone to occupy the home.
There are two kinds of water heaters for mobile/manufactured homes. Most homes built after 1976 have water heaters that are accessed from a door on the outside of the home. This kind of water heater is an "atmospheric" water heater and draws air from around the heater cabinet. The water heater that is accessed from inside of the home draws air from a vent in the floor and costs more than the atmospheric water heater. In the Municipality of Anchorage, a permit is required before replacing a water heater.
Do the doors open and shut easily, if not the home needs to be leveled. Do the sinks drain slow or the bath tub? Check the toilet. Does it have insulation in the tank to keep it from sweating?
Better, more accurate information can be obtained from the Municipality's Dept. of Building Safety. Pick-up handout No. 4. Also see Stuff about Mobile Homes for more detailed information on many of the subjects just mentioned.
We will be adding more subjects that can help improve your home and your investment.
If you have some tips, please let us know so we can include them here.
Send your tips to: postmaster@reallyneatstuffalaska.com
