It has been a number of years now, but it is said that the man who invented Particle Board was smiling when he was laid to rest.
Particle Board is the scourge of any early model mobile home owner. All you have to do is spit on it and it starts coming apart. Under windows that sweat and washers that overflow, toilets that sweat or children that splash in the bathtub, anyplace water can get to it and you have major problems. Replacing the floor is a real pain.
There are things you can do to prevent this nightmare. Replace those aluminum framed windows with vinyl framed thermal windows and you stop the sweating and save money on your heat bill. Keeping the toilet from sweating is easy. Dry out your tank and install an insulation kit. They are available from retailers like Fred Meyers or Home Depot. They work!
What ever you do, DO NOT COVER THE DAMAGED PARTICLE BOARD WITH PLYWOOD! You are only putting time, money and labor into a project that will have to be done again. Some home owners have discovered this the hard way after purchasing a home remodeled by the previous owner.
So what product do you replace the floor with? Most home owners go with the obvious and replace the floor with plywood and others with the expensive treated plywood. There is another product most people are not familiar with, it is "O.S.B.", Orientated Strand Board. This is a board made from laminated sheets of compressed wood chips and poly-resin. It almost looks like Particle Board, but the big difference is this product DOES NOT come apart in water. It is a wood and plastic composite. Put it in the direct sun without a coat of paint on it and it comes apart just like Particle Board. You don't get much direct sun inside the house and even less under your tile or carpets. The price of lumber is becoming astronomical, but in most lumber yards, you'll find O.S.B. less expensive than plywood.
There are many reasons water can get onto your floors. Knowing that the floor won't crumble when it happens is reason enough to do it the right way the first time.
Have a suggestion we can share with other mobile/manufactured home owners? Please call or email us postmaster@reallyneatstuffalaska.com