Hey... found this place doing a Google search for some MH repair type issues and figured I'd post to get some opinions. Long post ahead.
My parents bought this MH in '87, brand new. No clue what model/etc it is... it's 70'x14' and yellow, that's about all I can tell you. It has lived its life out, and I'm trying to squeeze another year out of it. (Backstory: when they bought their house, they left, and I got this one... that was about eight years ago).
I just graduated college and I'm trying to stick around here for a little longer while I build up a bit of income, rather than just going out and renting/buying -- after all, this place is paid off, and lot rent's only $280 a month. However, I'm having MAJOR problems, most of which are related to the flooring, and most of which involved problems caused by various roommates who never informed me:
- The shower developed a small crack (which I never even really noticed, as I was rarely here). The crack was taped/patched, but it appears that the floor under the bathroom has completely been destroyed (either by the water coming through the crack, or by other water-related reasons). The styrofoam under the tub is there (but has been replaced at least once in its history), but that doesn't matter -- I can take off the wall and see the outdoors if I look down. The bathroom is in the front of the house, on one of the corners, which makes it difficult to replace the floor since I'd have to essentially knock down the wall between it and the front bathroom... not a fun idea. As well, the whole bathroom is ceramic tile (with a glass shower door), so it will mean pretty much ripping everything out.
- The water heater leaked at one point and nobody did anything for a few days. The problem was fixed, but the floor is (obviously) quite trashed under it. The refrigerator sat right next to the water heater, so the floor didn't stand much chance against the combination of water and gravity. It's not busted through, but sinks down a considerable amount.
- There was a waterbed in one of the bedrooms that leaked. While this caused no apparent damage (the frame had a water-leak-preventer thing... no idea what it's called, but it held in the water), when the waterbed liner was removed, any water sitting on top of it poured onto the floor, causing a small river to appear. The water was dried up but there's a huge dip in the floor the entire length of the room right there.
- The flooring near the edges of the house is in bad shape in many places -- most particularly wherever there's weight (aquarium, couch, etc). There are two places in the master bedroom where I have set things so that nobody walks on them, as I'm sure people will walk through.
Aside from flooring problems, I've got an entire laundry list of other issues -- anything from "bathroom sink takes two days to drain, even after using 'mobile home safe' drain cleaner", to "ceiling fan in living room no longer spins", to "kitchen sink sprayer leaks when on full", to "kitchen wallpaper is torn to shreds in places due to a pet".
My biggest concern is, of course, the bathroom floor under the tub. As it stands right now I have no shower, and just stop at my parents' house in the morning, since they're right down the street. That will get old fast. However, I hate to dump a bunch of money into this since I don't plan on being here forever. My main questions:
1. How much could you approximate it to cost to completely renovate the bathroom? As in, tear the floor out, fix the floor, put in a new tub (or even just a shower... I just want to bathe here!), re-do the walls and top flooring with whatever the cheapest option is (wallpaper, linoleum, tile, etc), things like that.
2. I considered just dropping a stand-alone shower unit into the bedroom. There used to be a sink in there, but my parents removed it and put in a raised floor over the plumbing at one point. Since there was a sink, could there be a possibility that the plumbing might be in place for a shower?
3. The floor seems like it's getting worse every day, and not just in places that water leaked onto -- for example, the kitchen floor almost looks like a series of waves. I checked under the house but didn't see any plumbing spraying up towards it or anything. Could it just be that the rest of the floor had gotten so wet (from the shower at one end, and the waterbed at the other), it spread out over the rest of the house? Or could there be a bigger problem at hand?
Again, sorry for the massive post, I just like to be as clear as possible to avoid confusion!
Losing the battle with the floors here!
Moderators: Greg, Mark, mhrAJ333, JD
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Jess
ZX I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what you're having to go through, what a nightmare.
When you mentioned the shower developing a small crack and then the floor being destroyed I thought of my parents place--their second bathroom--the crappy plastic tub finally cracked after 22 years and water leaked through and onto the ground under the house--the insulation had gone long ago, the jerks who ripped it out to do work under there never put it back and my parents can't afford to have it fixed so..they taped the tub and no one has used the shower in years.
This of course managed to go AFTER they had a company come in and remodel and redo their floors (which began cracking months later because nobody releveled the place!)
Sorry to hear about your woes, I sure hope you can get it fixed. Will send good vibes your way!
Jess
When you mentioned the shower developing a small crack and then the floor being destroyed I thought of my parents place--their second bathroom--the crappy plastic tub finally cracked after 22 years and water leaked through and onto the ground under the house--the insulation had gone long ago, the jerks who ripped it out to do work under there never put it back and my parents can't afford to have it fixed so..they taped the tub and no one has used the shower in years.
This of course managed to go AFTER they had a company come in and remodel and redo their floors (which began cracking months later because nobody releveled the place!)
Sorry to hear about your woes, I sure hope you can get it fixed. Will send good vibes your way!
Jess
In order to give you and idea of what the materials would cost to remod the bathroom, we would need to know the size of the current tub, and the size of the floor in the bathroom. The size of the tub, or how much room there would be to put in a tub can make a big difference in the price. You can get a 54x30 steel porcelain tub for $160. You could finish the walls with masonite style tileboard, 4 sheets at $26 a sheet. Or make it real nice and use one sheet of tile board just to dress out the top of a 3-5 piece molded shower wall kit. The kits can be had for $90 to $140 for cheap units. If the floor is less than 8x12, you can get a pre-packaged piece of Armstrong (cheap grade) vinyl for $52. Plywood is $30 a sheet, figure 3-4 2x4s per sheet for blocking. About 4 bucks a stick for cheap shoe base molding, a wax ring and bolt kit for the toilet. Some plumbing parts for the tub, supply line for the toilet, flooring compound, vinyl adhesive, some paint and some screws for the floor and you are looking at around $650 out the door including tax. The prices and products above would all come out of Lowe's.
These are using the lowest priced items for everything. You could spend 3 times as much for the tub, tub wall, trim and flooring, using good quality stuff. But there is nothing wrong with the econo stuff listed above.
There is always a but and I am happy to oblige. The above tub price works for a 54x30 or a 60 inch tub. If you have to have a 54x27 tub, the tub and walls could cost $550 if you need to have it shipped to you. This size is mobile home only. If there is a retail store near you, you are in luck. If you need to have the shipped, it could cost $145 just for the shipping to a residence. You could get the wall kit from lowe's and cut it down though. That might save a little.
JMO
JD
These are using the lowest priced items for everything. You could spend 3 times as much for the tub, tub wall, trim and flooring, using good quality stuff. But there is nothing wrong with the econo stuff listed above.
There is always a but and I am happy to oblige. The above tub price works for a 54x30 or a 60 inch tub. If you have to have a 54x27 tub, the tub and walls could cost $550 if you need to have it shipped to you. This size is mobile home only. If there is a retail store near you, you are in luck. If you need to have the shipped, it could cost $145 just for the shipping to a residence. You could get the wall kit from lowe's and cut it down though. That might save a little.
JMO
JD
☯JD♫
Today is PERFECT!
All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
Today is PERFECT!
All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
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Brenda (OH)
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:57 am
Floors...
Mark's book is a great reference for the how to do it instructions.
I have been redoing floors until I could scream, but I can tell you this, once you have the leaks done, then do the floor, it is such a difference, you may be like me, and feel a lot less defeated. no more spongy walking surface, just a firm surface under your foot.
it is amazing.
You can by mistinted paint to seal the plywood with, and if you don't spill a lot of water, you may get by with that as the "floor covering" for quite a while.
I also ended up doing two bathrooms, and again, night and day after you finish. but a whole bathroom redo does add up. the tile is nice, but i would be surprised if you can save it, if the tub is coming out.
4x8 sheets of 3/4 inch plywood run about $25 in my area, and you will need some 2x4x8 ft wood for some bracings, etc, it all will add up. But your safety is important. You can put a foot through a weakened floor. For a floor over, (leaving the existing floor) I wonder if 1/2 inch is thick enough? might be able to save money that way........
It would be neat if you find the old plumbing and are able to put in the temporary shower set up. Although your folks might miss your daily visit lol.
the outside edge problems may be due to water coming down the walls, and seeping into the flooring. so next time it rains, put on some rain gear, and go outside to take a look at your drip channels and gutters. you may find areas that water is just flowing down the side of the wall like a faucet. that is where you will need to fix the gutters, or install a piece of metal to throw the water out further so it doesn't cause problems.
one weird place I had to repair was the washing machine faucet was leaking, it took out the floor on the hallway side and on the interior bedroom side of the wall.
floors... if the joists are sound, installing a floor over the existing floor was much easier than pulling up the bad floor. I did this in a room by a water heater. I had to change out the water heater, so I could repair that area at the time it was out of the closet.
You may have to chip some flooring out at the walls to attach 2X4s to catch the new floor edge at the wall.
sorry if I am rambling on. I had an accident with a razor knife on Saturday, and I am waiting one more day before I go back to working on installing my flooring. 7 stitches. geez, I make it it to 45 years old , then get careless with a tool.... cut away from yourself ALWAYS applies!
Brenda (OH)
Mark's book is a great reference for the how to do it instructions.
I have been redoing floors until I could scream, but I can tell you this, once you have the leaks done, then do the floor, it is such a difference, you may be like me, and feel a lot less defeated. no more spongy walking surface, just a firm surface under your foot.
it is amazing.
You can by mistinted paint to seal the plywood with, and if you don't spill a lot of water, you may get by with that as the "floor covering" for quite a while.
I also ended up doing two bathrooms, and again, night and day after you finish. but a whole bathroom redo does add up. the tile is nice, but i would be surprised if you can save it, if the tub is coming out.
4x8 sheets of 3/4 inch plywood run about $25 in my area, and you will need some 2x4x8 ft wood for some bracings, etc, it all will add up. But your safety is important. You can put a foot through a weakened floor. For a floor over, (leaving the existing floor) I wonder if 1/2 inch is thick enough? might be able to save money that way........
It would be neat if you find the old plumbing and are able to put in the temporary shower set up. Although your folks might miss your daily visit lol.
the outside edge problems may be due to water coming down the walls, and seeping into the flooring. so next time it rains, put on some rain gear, and go outside to take a look at your drip channels and gutters. you may find areas that water is just flowing down the side of the wall like a faucet. that is where you will need to fix the gutters, or install a piece of metal to throw the water out further so it doesn't cause problems.
one weird place I had to repair was the washing machine faucet was leaking, it took out the floor on the hallway side and on the interior bedroom side of the wall.
floors... if the joists are sound, installing a floor over the existing floor was much easier than pulling up the bad floor. I did this in a room by a water heater. I had to change out the water heater, so I could repair that area at the time it was out of the closet.
You may have to chip some flooring out at the walls to attach 2X4s to catch the new floor edge at the wall.
sorry if I am rambling on. I had an accident with a razor knife on Saturday, and I am waiting one more day before I go back to working on installing my flooring. 7 stitches. geez, I make it it to 45 years old , then get careless with a tool.... cut away from yourself ALWAYS applies!
Brenda (OH)
ZX, As you have learned, water & Mobiles just don't mix. It seems that all of your problems are water related.
You didn't say if you were doing the work or if you were contracting it out. I would think from the financial side that the only way to do the job would be for you to do it yourself. As Brenda said Mark's book is a must, and the prices JD quoted you are average. Personally from the way you describe it you might be farther ahead to do a total rehab. and have a new home when you are done. Greg
You didn't say if you were doing the work or if you were contracting it out. I would think from the financial side that the only way to do the job would be for you to do it yourself. As Brenda said Mark's book is a must, and the prices JD quoted you are average. Personally from the way you describe it you might be farther ahead to do a total rehab. and have a new home when you are done. Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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ZX
I'd definitely be doing it myself. I'm no handyman by any means (give me a computer and I'll get it running good as new, and I'll set up any network you can throw at me, maintain an Oracle database... but I'll hit my thumb with the hammer every single time), but I don't have the money to hire it out. Even $650 for materials is two weeks' pay! (Remember, I said I graduated college... haven't nailed that good-paying job yet!) Doesn't do me any good to fix the floor if they'll be kicking me out for not paying the rent after all!
A total rehab would be nice, but as I said, I don't plan on being here an incredibly long time. As it is, I'd rather spend the money that it would cost for that project on either a down payment for a new place, or at least a few months' rent while I get everything else together. Given that the house is about 20 years old now, I'm sure more and more problems are going to pop up (right now I'm having a problem with my GFCI breaker tripping as soon as I reset it, even with everything off... which sucks because it controls the bathroom lights!). Don't want it to turn into a money pit after all.
Will try and get some pictures of the bathroom tomorrow, and maybe the floor under the tub, maybe someone can offer some even more specific advice from that point.
A total rehab would be nice, but as I said, I don't plan on being here an incredibly long time. As it is, I'd rather spend the money that it would cost for that project on either a down payment for a new place, or at least a few months' rent while I get everything else together. Given that the house is about 20 years old now, I'm sure more and more problems are going to pop up (right now I'm having a problem with my GFCI breaker tripping as soon as I reset it, even with everything off... which sucks because it controls the bathroom lights!). Don't want it to turn into a money pit after all.
Will try and get some pictures of the bathroom tomorrow, and maybe the floor under the tub, maybe someone can offer some even more specific advice from that point.
Just what type of "specific" advice are you looking for? Mark sells a tape here that would probably stop a tub from leaking. If you are going to fix the tub, it will need to be replaced. Same thing with the floors. Please do not cover water damaged subfloor with plywood. You will be building a rotting floor. If you are going to install vinyl flooring, use the ACX plywood. Using ULX may save you 5 bucks, but then you have to float the entire floor.
If you need to know exactly how to replace the flooring, you might try using the search feature of at the top left of this screen. There are many posts on the subject as well as tub replacements. But as all others have said, Mark's book is perfect for this and many other repairs. It comes quite complete with words for the ladies and pictures for the men.
JD
If you need to know exactly how to replace the flooring, you might try using the search feature of at the top left of this screen. There are many posts on the subject as well as tub replacements. But as all others have said, Mark's book is perfect for this and many other repairs. It comes quite complete with words for the ladies and pictures for the men.
JD
☯JD♫
Today is PERFECT!
All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
Today is PERFECT!
All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
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