It’s very frustrating when the floor of your mobile home gets saggy. And it’s a very tedious and tiring task to fix the floor.
How to fix a sagging floor in a mobile home?
Firstly, you need to fix any existing leaks besides the saggy floor. Then make holes underneath the basement of the floor. Use some jacks in the holes and stabilize these jacks with cement. Then pool the jack over perfect height and stabilize it.
What we just read isn’t enough to get your floors fixed. Lucky for you, we prepared this elaborate guide to help you fix your floor. Take a look!
Why Does the Mobile Home’s Floor Get Saggy?
Mobile homes can get saggy due to water damage inside it. Water leakage and repeated exposure to moisture create soft spots in the flooring.
The problem can also be blamed upon the particleboard flooring. Particleboard flooring that can’t hold water well enough can get saggy after a while. Devices such as dryers leak water on the floor, making it wet and soggy.
6 Steps How You Can Fix Sagging Floor
Whatever the reason, it’s very common to find a saggy floor for a mobile home. And it’s a commonly asked question how to fix them.
You can fix them with the help of a professional, which will cost a lot. Whereas, fixing it by yourself will significantly cut the cost of fixing the floor.
Fixing a mobile home’s saggy floor can be easy work for you. But to do that you will need some step-by-step suggestions, along with some tools.
Tools You Will Need
Fixing up a floor sounds like a lot of trouble. The truth is, It’s actually not! It can be done easily with a lot less than you can imagine. Here’s what you will need:
- Moisture barrier
- Shovel
- Jack
- Gloves
- Water locking tube
- Self-leveling floor patches
- Thin-set mortar
You can get from your nearest local flooring store.
Got everything you need? Fantastic! Let’s get to work then!
Here are some step-by-step guidelines for you that you can follow to fix your floor:
Step 1: Fixing Moisture
The most common thing that can cause a saggy floor is moisture. Your floor can’t hold up to the continuous moisture damage. To fix that, you need to detect the source of the moisture.
After detecting the source, the first thing you need to do is fix up the leakage. Check alongside the saggy floor if there is any moisture leaking out. Then use a water locking tube to lock moisture. It’s like when you are fixing a water-damaged stud.
You can use a moisture barrier on the floor to prevent it from getting soggy. You can also use a vapor barrier to prevent any insect damage.
In the market, there are many different types of vapor barriers. You might find it difficult to pick the right vapor barrier for yourself. Don’t worry! Take a look at some of my recommendations for top vapor barriers:
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The quality of these vapor barriers is outstanding. It will be a huge benefit to your floor.
Step 2: Removing Old Floor
Take away your wooden floor, and reveal the underneath floor. It’s more like fixing a hardwood floor. Make a few holes in the floor where it’s sagging.
Sagging can be caused by a concentration of increased weight, such as an appliance or fireplace.
You need to fill the holes with cement and add a support of your choice. Dig those exactly underneath the saggy floor.
It will help you to give straight support to the saggy floor.
Step 3: Jacking Underneath the Floor
In order to stabilize the floor, you can use jacks. These jacks can be dropped into the holes and then pulled back up.
Once they’ve reached the proper height, put extra cement around the jacks to stabilize them. You can use as many jacks as you think you will need to support the base.
Step 4: Stabilizing Jack
If you need to go higher, raise the jacks a few inches each day. You don’t want to put too much pressure on the flooring. Because that might break the flooring.
Step 5: Using Longboard
As an option, you may use longboards to support huge sections of flooring. Lay boards on top of the jacks while they are still low.
If you want to keep the structure stable, place the jacks every four or six feet.
Step 6: Replacing Damaged Base
Find out if there is any damage under the mobile home where the floor is sinking.
If your floor has been damaged by water or insects. you might be thinking of repairing it. But you may have to replace some of it also. Don’t try to jack up a floor that’s deteriorating. Your time and effort will be wasted.
You will need to remove the base underneath the damaged floor. Then use a self-leveling patch to the damaged area. It will level the sagging mobile homes underneath the floor. Then you can use mortar to stabilize the underneath floor.
You can jack up your upper floor according to the steps. With that, you can call it a day.
FAQs
Question: How long does a trailer floor last?
Answer: A wooden floor can last many years. If you carefully use and clean it properly then it can last more than 25 to 30 years. Even some people state that it can last more than that.
Question: Exactly how much droop on the floor is considered acceptable?
Answer: Sagging is allowed in building rules for framed flooring, which is a terrible thing. However, 1/360 of the span is the maximum permissible. If a 45-foot-long joist could be made. That fraction would result in just one inch of sag across that length.
Question: A sinking floor costs how much money to repair?
Answer: Between $1,000 and $10,000, on average. The cost of labor alone for floor repairs ranges from $75 to $125 on an hourly basis. It is possible to have it for much less money. Only if you design it just for your floor space.
Bottom Line
That’s all for now. Thanks for catching up with me at the end. Hope now you are sure about how to fix a sagging floor in a mobile home.
If you find it that troublesome. Then there is always an option of calling a professional.
Best of luck!