Manufactured? Modular? Site built?

[Pittsburg_22_m]

I think its because I just took the Institute's Manufactured home class making me look at things harder than I should.

I've got a house, listed as built in 1972. Can't view the underneath due to basement finished ceiling.

Floor plan is odd, house is 32' wide with a wall at 16' and a 50' long (3.5' wide) hallway down the middle of the entire house. Bedrooms are same size and layout and lined up all next to each other on one side. Also noted is what looks like a beam in the ceiling down the middle of the house at the 16' mark, like you'd see in a manufactured home.

Also, there are vinyl sectioned walls like in a manufactured home as well as wood paneling in some rooms. Ceilings are drywall. Unfinished stairway to basement shows 2x4 framing. The attic showed nothing that would indicate anything out of the ordinary from a site built home of the same age.

Its obviously pre-HUD code and not a manufactured home. Water heater, furnace, and breaker box are in the basement. But what I don't know for sure if it's a modular of some sort or just a site built with lower quality and poor layout. Reporting will both be on the 1004 but I would like to be as accurate as possible.

No county data or permits indicate anything other than site-built but that doesn't say much around here...lol.

 

[Tim Schneider]

I would explain just as you did. Say you can not determine if factory built, but it is comparble to the comps you choose to use for zzz reason.

 

[CANative]

Perhaps it's a mobile home which has been modified with site built additions. I think you need to see the underside to be more sure of anything.

 

[Mr Rex]

Did you look for an electrical sub-panel in the above grade portion? Some of the older modulars and trailers had a stamp or sticker on the inside of the panel door with some manufacturing data etc.

 

[Pittsburg_22_m]

I did not see anything above grade as far as electrical panels. I'll post some pics. So far it looks like I'm just going to have to explain it as much as i can in the report.

 

[Mr Rex]

Brad, some of those older units had the panels inside a closet and are farily well hidden. That was before NEC required them to be in more open areas without obstructions etc.

 

[Pittsburg_22_m]

Argh, photobucket is being crappy, I'll get some pics up at another time.

 

[jeanwillick]

Look where you would think the two sections come together (marriage wall) and are they thicker than your normal wall?

This could also be a sectional/panelized home. They did have paneling on interior walls. Maybe some of the older neighbors would know.

 

[Pittsburg_22_m]

No, the walls are the same thickness all the way through. That was one of the first things I looked at but it wasn't very informative lol.

I'd ask if there were neighbors but its miles from civilization.

 

[Rich Heyn]

Brad,
Are the drywall ceilings seamless or do you see batten strips every 4 or 8 feet? And if you are taking a harder look at things than before you took the seminar, that's good.