In traditional home construction, wooden studs have been the standard due to their strength and ease of use. However, manufactured homes often utilize metal studs, which offer different advantages.
How thick are manufactured home exterior walls? Our exterior walls are most frequently constructed with standard 2x4” studs, but they could also be constructed with 2x3” or 2x6” studs depending on a variety of factors such as: Home site thermal zone. Home site wind zone.
The walls of many manufactured homes are made with materials such as drywall and vinyl-covered wallboard. Drywall is the most commonly used for manufactured home walls, but vinyl-covered walls have their benefits as well. Both drywall and vinyl-covered wallboard (or paneling) have their benefits.
A manufactured home will generally have a metal frame while a modular home will typically have a wood frame. However, the metal frame of a manufactured home may not be visible if it has been placed on a permanent foundation and skirted to look as though was a "stick-built" home constructed on site.
As such, you might be tempted to remove your closets to make more space in your rooms. However, is it a huge hassle to remove your closet walls? As mentioned, typical single wide mobile homes do not have any load-bearing walls, so if you own one, it should be alright to remove your closet walls.
In most RVs, you'll find that the interior layer — which includes walls and ceilings — is made up of two different materials. RV walls are usually covered in thin plywood or medium density fiberboard (MDF). In higher end or more expensive campers, you may see vinyl paneling used as well.
Fortunately, replacing a wall panel is one of the easier manufactured home repairs to DIY. The process is relatively simple, and the tools and materials are readily available from any hardware store. (Note, however, that some types of wall paneling, such as porcelain tile, are more difficult to replace than others.)
However, manufactured homes often utilize metal studs, which offer different advantages. Metal studs are typically made from steel, which provides excellent durability and resistance to fire, moisture, and pests such as termites—common concerns in many regions.
The walls inside your mobile home are built much like the inside walls of all homes to meet the requirements of HUD. They use 2×3″ or 2X4″ studs placed 16″ to 24″ inches apart on center.
How to hang drywall in a mobile home comes down to two basic choices. Remove all the existing wall panels and attach the drywall to the studs, or attach the new drywall sheets over the existing wall material.
Any exterior wall that stands on the foundation sill can be considered load bearing. Walls that run perpendicular to the joists are load-bearing walls. Walls that are parallel to the joists rarely are, but sometimes a bearing wall will be aligned directly under a single joist.
To verify whether or not you've found a stud without doing any damage to your wall, knock or tap the area gently with your hammer, says Rothman. If you hear a hollow or empty sound, tap a little to the left or to the right. When the sound is muffled, you'll know you've hit a stud.
Manufactured homes usually use vinyl-on-gypsum (VOG) wall panels rather than standard drywall. Instead of using tape to cover the seams, as is done with drywall, the joints are covered with batten strips during assembly.
Most mobile homes feature walls with an overall thickness of 3.5 inches to 5.5 inches, depending on whether the walls are built with 2x4 or 2x6 framing.
The Manufactured Home's Frame
Building a manufactured home starts with a steel frame. Once the frame is in place inside of the facility, we add layers of insulation before the flooring system and plumbing are installed. The wooden floor frame and plumbing are then assembled together.
The underbelly of a mobile home refers to the protective layer located underneath the floor structure. It serves as a barrier between the interior of the home and the elements beneath it. Typically, the underbelly is made up of a combination of materials such as polyethylene sheeting, insulation, and protective fabric.
It really comes down to the structure--one home built in 1970 may be in better condition than one built in 1990. Some moving companies may enforce a policy where they do not move any mobile home over 20 years old, whereas some companies may have no limit as long as the structure is sound for transport.
What Is A Marriage Line? In a mobile home that has two or more sections, the marriage line is the area where the separate sections are connected to create one multi-section manufactured home. If you have a mobile home with three or more sections, you'll have multiple marriage lines that join each section.
Framing consists of light, heavy, and expedient framing. There are three principal types of framing for light structures: western, balloon, and braced. Figure 6-1, page 6-2, illustrates these types of framing and specifies the nomenclature and location of the various members.
Drywall framing is the process of constructing a metal or wood frame to which drywall sheets are attached to create interior walls and ceilings.