How to Level a Mobile Home

Your mobile home needs care and attention. It requires regular repair, especially frequent leveling and re-leveling. This is so because any mobile home shifts a bit on being placed on a station for a year or two. It is quite natural and very common. The responsive agents are weather conditions, humidity, soil, and even time. The soil softens, and the support berths dig into the dirt. The piers begin to rot and decay, which in turn leaves a gap. Soil fills the gap. Because of this settling of soil underneath the mobile home, the I-beam becomes uneven. Usually, a shift of about ¼ of an inch leaves the I-beam unsupported. Under such a condition, you experience that the doors and windows no longer close and open normally, and you notice the appearance of some sheetrock cracks in your home. The drooping I-beam must be leveled in order to prevent any structural damage to the home.

Instructions on Mobile Home Leveling: You can get the leveling job done by hiring professionals. But if you do it yourself, you will save money and time. Want to give it a shot? Following are the instructions on how to level a mobile home.

• Some portions of mobile home skirting will have to be removed from all sides of your mobile home. You may have to remove all the skirting, if required. This is done to gain access to the piers underneath.
• The second step is to check whether all the sections are level or not. This is done with the help of a level that is equal to the length of your mobile home. Start from the center. Place the level near the closest supporting pier. Take a look at the bubble vial on the level. If it is in the middle, the section is level. Check the next closest pier in the same manner.
• Keep repeating the second step till you reach the end. Do the same for the other side also. The pier needs leveling at the sections where the bubble vial is not in the center. Keep the bottle jack on a piece of wood. Place it near the pier. Raise it to the level of the I-beam. Keep raising the bottle jack till the point the bubble vial in the level is in the middle. Do it slowly.
• The above step creates a gap between the I-beam and the pier. Put in shims in the space between the I-beam and the pier and force them in with a hammer. Repeat the above steps on all subsequent piers till they are level.
• Leveling is accomplished. Do not forget to check the connection of all the plumbing and water lines. Replace all the skirting that was removed around the mobile home.

You can stretch the time period between two successive repairs by following two very important tips. One is to seal up the hole or any open space that you find while crawling around. Secondly, spread a plastic sheet on the ground under your mobile home. The plastic sheet acts like a moisture barrier and will protect the underside of the mobile home from damage due to humidity.

All the above-mentioned steps describe how to level a mobile home. Leveling a mobile home is very important to maintain your mobile home for a long period of time. Now that you are equipped with all the necessary instructions, you are better able to take care of your sweet mobile home. Good luck!