Manufactured Home – Structural Connections
I’m going to talk about multi-units here and I define those as units with more than one sections. That could include a double-wide home or by attaching a garage, deck, or a porch. Some manufacturers may have other options as well, but the concepts are going to be similar. All the components have to be tied together.
The installer will use varying materials to attach sections together. Correctly attaching the structure together makes it water tight, prevents conditioned air from escaping the home, and adds to the rigidity of the whole structure. These connections are known in the trade as Line Surfaces. The act of putting them together is called Mating.
When the installer mates the surfaces, he/she is making sure the individual components are put together with fasteners. The type, size, length and in some cases, torque values may be part of the specifications. They may also use caulk and expandable foam. The mating of the walls sections, roofs sections and floors sections are all included in the Line Surface Mating. The installers must take care not to damage the framing members when they do the installation or they will have to replace any damaged members. The fastener types are determined by the wind zone where the home is located.
The next requirement is to put the roof members together. Just like other parts of joining the components, the roof fasteners have specifications as to the gap allowance, and the material allowable to close the gap. After the roof sections are attached then the roof is made weather tight.
Now that the home is set in place, anchored correctly and the units are married and made water proof, the mechanical connections need to be completed. In order to have running water, electricity and heated/cooled air, all of these things need to be connected together. To learn more see the Mechanical Connections page.
If you have not read the complete manufactured home installation series, here are the links to those individual articles:
Manufactured Home – Overview
Manufactured Home – Foundation
Manufactured Home – Anchoring
Manufactured Home – Mechanical Connections
Some states require installers to be licensed. As part of that licensure, installers are trained, and complete continuing education to insure they remain qualified to do their job. You may want to contact your state to determine if licensue is required where you live.
Relying on this or any reference to do an installation yourself would be a poor choice and could violate state or local laws. The information provided here was taken from publicly accessible documents, but should not be considered a complete course nor instructions for a DIY installation.
The foundation is set and the anchoring is complete. With a multi-unit dwelling you now have to tie the pieces together. Go here to learn more about this link to structure connections.
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