Landslides, water under mobile home, MH slipping off blocks!?

Question

Ok... We had a flash flood in late 2003, and though I live upon a hill and was not directly affected by the floodwater I had a large landslide on the side of my home, some of the mud busted out some underpinning and went underneath my home.

I just let the landslide remain on the side of my home and have been planting flowers, turning it into a large raised flower garden. However, the yard has stayed consistently wet around thefront/side of my home, very swamp-like. Water has been accumulating under my home, also, and my home has been shifting gradually off the blocks.... To the point that the sliding glass door will not close properly. Now the floors seem to be begining to become weak. *sigh*

My question(s):

1. How hard is it to re-block a mobile home (DIY), what is involved?

2. How do I dry out the soil under the home, and around the home?

(I like in a "bowl", steep hills on both sides and back of home. Small slides fill in ditches everytime we dig them!)

Help? :)

Answer 1

You have a dangerous situation. Leaving the landslide against your trailer is probably what is causing it to shift. Even though you can't see it, the ground is still trying to move. The water is running down the hill under your home.
You need to get that extra dirt moved, and your trailer needs to be jacked up and reset. You may also have some water pipes or other utilities that have been knocked loose. If you have natural gas you have a potentially explosive problem. I recommend you get a mobile home service co to put your house back properly; maybe rent a bobcat to get the excess dirt moved. Once you get that big pile of dirt moved, you need to build a retaining wall to help hold the hill back or it will come down again. Best idea is to maybe move the trailer to another location out of harms way.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

You should address the water situation first and foremost because this is undermining your foundations-ideally you should try to get the water away from your home by landscaping swales into your yard so the water has somewhere to run off even if it means cutting through one of your hills-find the lowest point where the water would run off naturally if there were no obstacles to impede it. Alternatively you could dig the ditches deeper and add some rip-rap (large stones for errosion control). After this is accomplished,then use house jacks (they can be rented) to slowly jack up the end that is settling. You will need concrete blocks of course and if you soil is not supportive enough, add some concrete footings where your blocks will rest. Also make sure the damp earth is not in contact with the underside of your mobile home or you will be adding floor repairs to your project due to rotted wood and wet isulation ,ductwork,etc.Best of luck!

Answer 4

Mobile homes are blocked with cinder blocks & they use shims to tighten them under the metal frame. You can stack your blocks under the frame on a level surface & top them with a solid block. Use wooden shims to aply support to the frame.
To dry out the under side you could either dig a pit under the home at the lowest section or slope the ground to it & install a sump pump. Another option would be to bury french drain in multiple channels & run it well away from the house to a low spot, ditch or even a storm drain in the street. The only visible section would be where it penetrates the at the end. Be sure & buy french drain with the sock so it wont fill with soil & debris. Easy to install just labor intensive.

Answer 5

You'll need a 5 ton jack, and some bracing materials to do this. It's not as hard as it sounds. Just be sure to raise the lowered side SLOWLY!!!. If you raise the lowered side too fast, you can break up the sheetrock on the walls , or even your celings. Rember, jack up a little, apply wooden shims to cinder blocks, and check the inside of the trailor constantly with a 4 to 6 foot level.

Answer 6

You need a contractor and engineer to come out to your home and "look" at the problem. I don't see how anyone is going to help you online. You probably also have insurance. Call your agent and open a claim for damages/additional damages - of course, your endorsements at the time of the loss will determine your coverage. I would do this right away as most policies state the customer must mitigate their damages (keep additional damages from occurring)...otherwise you would be responsible. You need that foundation contractor (preferrably one with mobile home experience for this type of terrain). Good Luck.

Answer 7

the nice and comfy temperature tape you receive is warmth is it no longer? It should be plugged in continually (works an same way as a block heater on your automobile). in case you in hardship-free words ran a three foot strip up one fringe of the pipe and left some thing of it uncovered to the chilly that is going to nevertheless freeze because a tremendous variety of the pipe is contained in the chilly. construct a lengthy container(pipe length)-closed on 3 aspects and open on one and the ends are open and then %. it with insulation- fibreglass admired - and then slap that overtop of the pipe and warm temperature tape and then extra insulation and % up the container(truly it appears like a splint or solid round a damaged arm/leg in case you have not were given plywood or forums to make the container, there is not any reason you may't use metallic pipe like heating duct (extra admired therefore) chop up it open and stuff with insulation and do an same cept you should use "duct tape" to close it up. it is all you ought to do an might want to be sufficient. yet you ought to have the nice and comfy temperature tape that heats "the only you plug in". Insulation does no longer warmth both....in the different case clarify your beer cooler or refrigerator.