Basics of Mobile Home Additions
A mobile home is an inexpensive option for many people. When you decide you need more room, mobile home additions could be a money saving solution.
Check First!
Before starting a mobile home addition, check with your local building inspector’s office. Your building inspector will be able to give you construction details that will make your addition safe and legal.
If possible, consult a local mobile home dealer to get leads for contractors familiar with mobile home additions. Adding on to a mobile home has different requirements than conventional home additions. An experienced contractor will go a long way toward making your project successful.
Designed Tough
Mobile homes are built to withstand the rigors of traveling down the highway and being transferred to their final location. What they’re not designed for is added weight being placed on their tops or sides. The builder of your mobile home can provide you with information regarding weight tolerances.
Together, But Separate
Generally, mobile home additions are designed to be free standing, with only minimal contact with the mobile home itself. Think of a mobile home addition as a three-walled room, where the open wall butts against the mobile home. The addition will be sealed and roofed against the mobile home, but will not rest against it.
Your mobile home addition will have a separate foundation as well. The floor elevation will probably be different from the mobile home’s floor elevation. The addition is usually lower to simplify the roofline. A lower floor elevation also removes the need to exactly match the mobile home’s floor. This means, your mobile home addition will probably feature a ramp or step up to the mobile home floor.
Other Options
If the idea of constructing a mobile home addition is daunting, consider a turnkey addition. Turnkey mobile home additions are factory assembled in the same way as mobile homes. A turnkey mobile home addition is transported to your home site and can attach directly to your home. Turnkey additions are designed to be cost competitive with stick built additions.
Home Additions Articles, Videos & HowTos
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