One of the most popular questions we get in our Facebook group, Mobile Home Living: Remodels and Repairs, is the topic of removing walls in a mobile home.
Many manufactured homes have half-pony walls, weirdly designed built-ins, and oddly angled walls that separate living areas. Open floor plans are the most popular floor plans, so many homeowners want to remove these walls.
The main concern when removing mobile home walls is knowing which walls are load-bearing. you can remove it. In this article, we will cover how walls are built, mobile home construction, and step-by-step instructions on how to remove a wall.
Removing walls in mobile homes depends on several variables, such as the type of construction and layout of your home. Another important variable is how much money you want to spend or how badly you want the wall removed. In reality, anything is possible if you want it bad enough, but sometimes, the cost and potential long-term side effects are just too much.
Before we begin, please check out our article, How Manufactured Homes are Constructed, to learn more about the construction and anatomy of interior and exterior walls, ceilings, and flooring.
Remove Walls in a Mobile Home โ Single Wide
In a single wide mobile home, there are typically very few load-bearing interior walls. In site-built construction, a wall that runs perpendicular to the roof joists may be carrying weight, but that isnโt always the case with mobile homes because of their construction. However, the perpendicular rule is still a very good rule to keep in mind.
A manufactured homeโs stability and integrity are typically derived from the roof and the weight is carried on the exterior walls, down to the outriggers on the chassis. This is a concept called integrated engineering. Thatโs why the outriggers are so important and we always recommend that you get an upgrade if needed.
A manufactured home steel chassis being welded (itโs upside down):
Integrated Engineering
Some builders describe integrated engineering as โroof-down construction,โ meaning the mobile homeโs structural integrity is derived from the roof. It makes sense because the homeโs weight sits on a steel chassis and that chassis is what they use to pull the home so to create the strongest โboxโ they need to focus on the roof first.
There are many ways for manufactured home builders to design the framing and loadbearing placement, and each builder does it a bit differently. Thatโs why finding information on your exact home modelโs construction is nearly impossible.
Researching Your Modelโs Construction
Understanding how your manufactured home was constructed is tricky because builders rarely, if ever, release engineering or construction information for their homes.
The manufactured housing industry isnโt known for its customer service. We can barely get ahold of an ownerโs manual for a recent manufactured home model so finding actual load-bearing information is next to impossible.
Only the manufacturer that you purchased the home from can give you the schematics and load-bearing information. Donโt be afraid to call them and ask questions. If your home builder is no longer in business you are probably out of luck, unfortunately.
Single Wide Construction
In this next photo you can see a few interesting things. First, in the bathroom on the far left, you can see the flooring is under the wall so if you remove that wall carefully you may not have to replace the floor covering.
The roof and the perimeter of the home are not added until the very end after the interior is close to being complete.
Once all exterior walls are placed the roof is added and it creates a perfectly strong and structurally sound home that can be pulled on the highway going 55mph!
Read about the Tools Every New Mobile Home Owner Should Have in their Toolbox
Framing in a Mobile Home
Hereโs what a the perimeter wall looks like on a single wide mobile home looks like when you remove the the wallboard (and everything else):
You can expect to find studs every 16 or 24 inches in mobile home interior walls.
Removing Walls in a Mobile Home
A double wide is essentially just two single wides joined together on site. The center line is called the marriage line.
As long as youโre not modifying the marriage line, load-bearing interior walls, or the exterior walls and corners you shouldnโt have any issues when removing walls.
In other words, remove all the partition walls you want but leave the structural walls alone.
Signs of a Load Bearing Wall in a Mobile Home
In Single Wides
In single wides, there is rarely any load-bearing walls. This is because the length and number of the roof trusses can handle the weight of the roof.
However, ceilings that go from one height to another on the same wall can be a sign of a load-bearing wall. That could signify that a shear or load bearing wall is being utilized. Each company did things just a little different and Iโm painting with a broad stroke here.
Can I Remove a Load Bearing Walls in a Double Wide?
I always advise that mobile homeowners leave their marriage lines alone. Incorrectly modifying the marriage line of a double wide can create roof leaks, weakened structural integrity, and several other very expensive issues.
You really need to know about construction before you remove a wall on the marriage line. The weight that the wall is holding has to be redistributed correctly. That takes a lot of math, experience, and construction knowledge.
Marriage walls support your roof ridge beam. That beam is a particular thickness and length to hold the weight of the roof and distribute it down to the ground. If you remove any section of a load bearing wall at the marriage line you will need to create a
Still, with all that said, removing walls at the marriage line and redistributing the weight with a beam and span or post support system is very popular. This is when things start getting serious and you need to have a professional contractor and a licensed engineer involved. Your home was designed a particular way and modifying that can cause a domino effect.
How to Remove a Wall in a Mobile Home
If you are removing an interior wall there is an order in which you should do it. This ensures you donโt start busting through a wall and find out that it is load/shear bearing or full of juicy wires.
Step 1: Turn Off Electricity and Water
Turn off the electricity in both the room you are in and the neighboring rooms. If possible, turn the breaker off on the entire side of the home youโre working on.
If youโre near a bathroom or kitchen or thereโs a slight possibility that there could be a pipe anywhere near where youโre working, turn the water off as well. Donโt forget about the ventilation pipes or vent stacks to your homeโs plumbing system.
Step 2: Test for Wiring and Plumbing
At this point, we have only removed the trim, battens, and flooring (if applicable). Now, itโs time to test for wiring and plumbing before we start cutting studs.
Step 3: Remove Trim and Battens
Next, remove the battens or strips that cover the seams where your wallboards meet. You can read how to do that here. Also, remove the base, chair rail, or crown molding from the wall if you have them. The seams will cover a stud. You can use a stud finder to mark where all the other studs are or just measure 16 or 24 inches (depending on what framing your home has).
This step sounds odd, but it shouldnโt be skipped. Use the side of your fist to knock around the wall. Start at the ends and work your way inward. Youโre doing this to help you locate the studs and to loosen the glue holding the wallboard to the studs.
Also, notice how the electric wires are placed in the walls. Usually, wiring is about one foot up from the flooring on the exterior or perimeter walls, but interior walls are different.
You may find a ton of glue holding the walls to the studs. This image by Instagram user MobileHomer shows the amount of glue used to attach the wallboard to the interior studs in her home.
Step 3: Flooring
If your interior walls sit on top of the floor covering (and many mobile homes do), you may want to leave the carpet alone. If itโs not too damaged you may be able to get by without needing to replace the flooring. If you are installing new flooring then go ahead and cut the old flooring at the perimeter of the wall so you can carefully pull it pack.
Step 4: Removing the Wall (a bit at a time)
Once you know there are no wires or pipes you can use a new blade to cut through the wallboard. No studs or framing should be touched yet.
Cut the wallboard into a small rectangle starting at the top or bottom corner of the wall first. This will allow you to check for signs that the wall is load-bearing without too much damage.
If you think you have a load-bearing wall, you should stop and consult an engineer before continuing the project.
If there are no signs of a load-bearing wall, cut the wallboard across the middle. Use your hand, a crowbar, or a hammer to gently pull the rest of the paneling away from the framing.
Do not alter or harm the framing within the wall. Go a little at a time to ensure no wires or pipes.
Step 5: Loosen the Bottom Plate from the Subfloor
Now that the wallboard has been removed from both sides of the wall, you will need to get the glue loosened and the staples and nails out of the bottom plate and the top plate of the wall frame.
Step 6: Remove the Top and Bottom Plates
At this point, you can take a Sawzall and cut the studs midway between the floor and ceiling. You could also cut the vertical stud from the top plate and bottom plate โ itโs really up to you. I think by leaving the vertical studs on the top and bottom plates you allow yourself a little more leverage to loosen them from the ceiling and floor.
Real Life Example of Removing a Wall in a Mobile Home
Keia Holm lives in a Hart single wide and it had an odd divider wall between the kitchen and the living room that she wanted to remove.
Below is the image of the wall with one side of the wall removed. After the other side of the wall is removed and the frame you can see the white space left. A little paint and a new home for the light switch will fix it right up.
When you are ready to remove the studs itโs best to remove any nails, staples, or screws and then carefully pry the lumber from the floor and any attached walls. You donโt want to scar the ceiling. Ceiling panels are a pain to replace in manufactured homes!
Consider the following before you remove the studs from the ceiling and floor:
- How are you going to handle the ceiling? There will likely be evidence that a wall was once there. You can paint or spackle it over or use trim of some sort. Patching the ceiling will be difficult if it isnโt sheetrock. The ceiling panels used in manufactured homes are hard to find and transport.
- How are you going to handle the flooring? If you are installing new floor covering youโre fine but patching is difficult with many types of covering. Read about mobile home flooring options here.
Of course, by removing a wall youโre probably going to be remodeling the room so you already have a good idea of how youโre going to handle these issues.
Related:ย Someย Questions about Removing Walls in a Mobile Home.
Conclusion: Removing Walls in a Mobile Home
Thatโs it! You have successfully removed a wall in your mobile home!
Remember, every manufactured home is built differently; therefore, removing a wall in your home may not be possible. This article should not be considered professional advice. Please consult a professional before attempting a major modification.
HGTV had a good warning on one of their shows about removing walls:
If you canโt identify it by its proper name you shouldnโt remove it.
HGTV
If youโve removed a wall in your mobile home, please comment below about your experience. Every little bit we can share can help someone out there get one step closer to their dream home, and thatโs a pretty awesome thing to help someone do.
As always, thank you for reading Mobile Home Living!
Updated April 13, 2019. Originally Published in 2014.
Image Sources: Clayton Homes, Laurie Beadle
I recently purchased a 24 x 60 1974 mobile home. I want an open concept kitchen and living room. I had an architect drop the plans and confirm that the wall I want to remove is not no bearing. The man at the permit department And insists the wall is load bearing having never seen the mobile home. I opened up the wall which is 3 1/2 inches away from the marriage line. It is built of one by three for strips. My questions are; what a load bearing wall be built with one by three for? The wall is built on top of the original vinyl floor and placed beneath the ceiling tile. Our mobile home loadbearing walls built different, are they connected directly to the ceiling joists and beams?
Greetings, I have a single-wide 66X14 mobile home. We want to remove the wall that contains a very small bedroom to expand the living room area. Its a skyline 3 BR 2 Bath constructed in October of 2000. Iโve read that single wide homes do not have load bearing walls, so I would expect I can remove the walls of that small bedroom/office. How can I tell if a wall is load bearing? Are there things to help identify that? Thanks!
Hi Dan,
Most single wides will not have interior load-bearing walls. Itโs the perimeter walls and the roof that do most of the work (besides the chassis and bottom of the home, of course). Load bearers are typically 2x6s or 2x4s, and there will usually be two studs nailed side-by-side on the ends (such as the corner or edge of a hallway or window) that creates a 4ร4 or 2ร6 post.
Best of luck!
Hi, We bought a used 1979 14ร70 single wide home. We would like to put a metal roof over the existing crappy roof. Every step we take, we take two back. This home is nickel and diming us to death. Any help would greatly be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I got a 79 double wide and just did a peel and stick roofover made if asphalt but I also got my gutters replaced tooโฆ.for both jobs it cost me $3kโฆ.no leaks and itโs been raining like crazy hereโฆ.any pin hole, and rusty screw, any lack of drainage will create leaksโฆ.Liberty peel and stick at home depot $90 a rollโฆI needed 9 and also hired someone to do itโฆ..then seamless gutters witheaf guardsโฆ..$3k well spentโฆ.hope this helps
Thank you so much for the info, Jax!
Why on 2001 with metal sides did they not put some kind of wrip around the out side to help with wind ?
Hi Danny,
I wish I knew. Even the most affordable manufactured homes should have an exterior wrap and gutters (or j-channels) above the windows. Itโs cost-saving but it usually comes at a steep price in the long run. Thanks for reading!
I started moving an interior wall in my 2009 16 by 80 Clayton and found 3 large bolts going through the bottom sill. Anybody know what these are for and can I remove them?
Hi Charlie,
That may be indicative of a load-bearing wall. They usually just staple and nail the non-load bearers? Were any of the studs doubled together (or even tripled). If so, you likely have a load- bearer.
I recently inherited a mobile home which needs many repairs. Apparently there was a roof leak at one time and there are stains on the kitchen ceiling as well as a small hole. A piece of tile ,which was removed from a closet was used as a patch. How can I repair this area without replacing the whole ceiling as funds are really low and I would rather not have to do the complete ceiling. The panels are approximately 7or8 feet long and about 14โ wide with 1 and 1/2โ wide strips on either side. I would like to repair this patch to match the rest of the ceiling as close as possible
Hi Lorraine,
Finding the ceiling panels are difficult so most people go with a completely different material. Here are our articles on ceilings. If you read the first 4 articles you should be ready to tackle any ceiling problem.
Best of luck!
A drywall contractor neighbor told me I could get rid of dark water stains on ceilings, after the roof leak was fixed, by spraying them with a bleach and water mixture. He said it might take repeated applications. I havenโt tried it yet, just wanted to pass along the tip
Hi โ we are remodeling a lot our our 1970โs double wide and am looking seriously at walls in the kitchen area. We have already removed some of the interior walls framing out the space, and am looking at a vertical structure that we canโt tell is a supporting element or not. It is on one side of the marriage line. The other side of the house has a span greater than 30ft with no similar support. This particular support is three 2x3s side by side and tied with metal stripping to floor and ceiling. This led me to believe it was a supporting element.
On further investigation, the ceiling fiberboard is between the ceiling joist and these vertical 2ร3, with NO sign of compression (even after all these years). When pounded on, these beams vibrate a fair amount, also leading me to believe I could remove them. Any thoughts? I have a few pictures to share if that would be helpful.
Thanks!
Hi Brent,
You are way over my head โ I had to get 3 different contractors to helps me write this article..lol
The 3 studs that are strapped together are def load bearers. Keep in mind that mobile homes have a โtop-downโ structural integrity so you wonโt find compression in many places you think it should be. Most all of the weight and the load-bearing is in the perimeter walls (which would be the marriage line on a double-wide). Sorry, I canโt be more help.
We have a 2005 Skyline double-wide where the original owner had the wall between the living room and master bedroom moved during construction to enlarge the bedroom. We are interested in moving that wall to gain back the lost living room space. The wall if perpendicular to, and attaches to, the marriage wall. Do you think this is possible, and how would we find a professional for this job? We are very new to manufactured home living. Thanks!
Hi Lynn,
It sounds like it would be possible since the home originally had the wall where you want it. If you have to go through inspections then a contractor would be your best bet, that way he can pull in the various crews that are needed to handle it (electrician, framers, drywallers, etc). However, you may be able to do yourself or just hire someone with extensive construction experience. Itโs not that difficult to frame in a wall and then drywall it assuming no electricity changes are needed.
I love your site and have a question. I have an older American homes double wide, 2 bedroom, 2 bath. the first half from end to end consist of living room, closet space for living room facing closet as well 2nd bedroom closet, the the 2nd bedroom, and the master bathroom (tub and toilet) in one small room and a sink and his and her closet room to take up the remaining space. The other side is dining room, kitchen, laundry room, bathroom and master bedroom. My wife and I did not realize that the tubs for these mobile homes were so small and barely deep enough to wash your knees. The washer/dryer room on the other side of the faucets is quite large and was wondering if this would be a load bearing wall or not to extend the required 2 feet to accommodate at normal tub or is there any floor structural problems because a normal tub full of water would weigh considerably more Iโm sure then the oleโ knee soaker. What are your thoughts on this.
Hi Whit and Cheryl,
The โoleโ knee soakerโ is hilarious! So, usually an interior wall that isnโt attached to or part of the marriage line in a double wide is not load-bearing but some builders donโt play well with others and like to add load-bearers in odd places. It would be impossible to tell without a visual inspection.
However, the best wall in a manufactured home to move or remove (if I had to choose) is the laundry room wall where the washing machine control box is located and the bathtub is on the other side. I choose that wall situation for 2 reasons: First, it allows for a larger tub and secondly, removing or moving the wall will give you the opportunity to redesign or at least replace the auto vent that is usually used in manufactured home washing machine lines to give your plumbing drainage system better ventilation. Builders are notorious for putting the auto vent lower than the control box and it should be higher. Installing a Studor brand vent in place of the small generic auto vent builders use is a good idea too. If you really want to go all out you could install a vent stack out the roof instead of relying on an auto vent (that is the best design for these powerful new washing machines).
Hope that helps!
I would like to remodel my double wide with two french doors in my livingroom. Is it possible to cut two openings in the exterior of my home as long as itโs framed properly or will this decrease the strength of my home. We plan to hiring a professional to do this job, not a DIY.
Hi Angela,
If it isnโt the marriage wall, you should be OK. Modifying marriage walls is tricky. Youโll def need to hire a pro that understands the framing needed. Best of luck!
I design Park Model RVโs. My area of Arizona is Tucson and there is a LOT of mobiles here that can use both updating and remodel. I do a series of books with Blurb publishing that I hoped to change how the industry spits out this product but after 11 factory tours coast to coast I have given up on trying to get them to change. I have worked on the factory floor so I know how and what systems are used and remodel is generally MUCH easier than stick built. There are exceptions but nothing a competent builder can not overcome with ease. Finding someone with vision is the big issue.
Hi Bill!
I would love to chat with you. Park models have SO MUCH potential to be the affordable tiny home we all want but I donโt understand why they insist on a RV classification. Can you please email me at crystalAdkins@Mobilehomeliving.org? Iโd love to pick your brain a bit.
Thanks!
Iโm planning on adding to the back my single wide mobile home and I am looking for advise on how this should be completed. This will be done by a professional I just want to arm myself with knowledge about this type of project. If you could email me I would appreciate your advice.
Hi Tracy,
I have a couple of articles about building additions on to a mobile or manufactured home. This one is an all-inclusive article: Building Additions on a Mobile Home. This one is a Q and A article about additions. These should arm you with some basic information. The key to a successful addition is that it be completely separate from the home but that all possible entries for water to get into (roof and siding) be sealed very tightly. Pay close attention to how the additionโs roof will be affecting the homeโs roof. Think of every possible way water could get in and use flashing and other roofing materials to make sure water goes where it is supposed to go.
Best of luck! (Please take photos).
You talk about removing interior closets. I want to remove the interior clothes and kitchen pantry closets that are separated by a common wall and also remove the wall in the kitchen that connects them. Can I do that without touching the marriage wall? Removing the closets will obviously enlarge the kitchen. I should also mention that I removed the old cabinets and want to install new flooring that continues from the living room. Is there any way to remove part of the marriage wall and replace it with a post or beam?
Hi Barbara,
It all depends on the layout of your home. Are these closet walls a part of the marriage line? If so, you should leave it alone โ the cost and the future issues you would incur is just not worth it. The new cabinets and flooring are a great way to update your home so def go with that. Iโm just not a fan of anyone touching the marriage wall regardless of reason โ youโll never be able to move the home again and youโre essentially disrupting the entire structural integrity of the home.
I like to remove a section of my marriage wall that separates the living room from dining room. It has a 8โ or so header in the opening lid like to leave that and install a column under it. Is this feasible?
Hi Carrie,
Good question! To be honest, Iโm dead against any kind of modification to a marriage line. Itโs absolutely possible to do what you want but every time Iโve seen a home with any kind of mod to the marriage wall an issue of some sort eventually happens (sagging roofs, leaks, etc.). Itโs just to big a chance to take in my opinion. Sorry to be the Debbie-downer!
I have a 16 x 80 single wide (93) i think.its a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom. In the 2 small rooms in the back i removed wall and made into one big room.wall studs were 3ร1, no load. Hard part was relocate of 2 wall outlets. But all in all took about 1 day
Hi Billy!
Iโd love to see pictures of your process. You wouldnโt happen to have any would you? I love to see people make their homes better suit their needs! Thanks for reading!
Billy,
I just purchased a 2018 single wide that is 3 bedrooms, I want to remove the walls to the middle bedroom to enlarge the living area. Can you give me more details on how to do this? Iโm sure I could hire an electrician if I can get the wall down. Were you able to keep the flooring, or was it damaged to much?
Love to see some pictures if you have any.
Rhonda
Hi Rhonda,
The article has all the info I know to share. You will have to deal with the scars left from the wall but itโs not too hard to sand and paint to make it all blend in better. New flooring or a new rug would be needed if you have carpet because those carpet strips with the staples or nails are usually following the perimeter of every wall. Best of luck!
Hi,
We have a double-wide in the Harvey disaster area, it was built in โ98, we are having a hard time finding VOG suppliers, I asked about rebuilding with traditional paper faced gypsum but it was suggested cost might be higher, I donโt mind a little higher, since walls would look much better. Even Googling for answers has not turned up much and our interior has been demolished and ceiling and walls are ready to go up. Do you have any supplier options for VOG, and you mentioned XRoc but when I search all I find is some junk sites and canโt find that manufacturer or a supplier for XRoc, is XRoc thin like VOG 5/8โณ? Any help would be greatly appreciated, we are trying to get my elderly mother back in her home after being in hospital for over 6 months including having been evacuated 3 times during the hurricane. Thanks again from Victoria TX
Hi Mark,
Unfortunately, finding VOG wall and ceiling panels is very difficult. However, you are in TX so you have a better shot at this than anyone because you have 19 manufactured home builders in your state and thatโs who I would call first. My second move would be mobile home supply stores. No one wants to ship them because they are so easily damaged but if you can get a store to work with you and be your delivery point you may be able to get some.
Let me know how it goes! Best of luck!
yes my husband and I are looking to take out a counter top in kitchen to open it up it is between the livingroom and kitchen will that be diffacult to do and are they attached to the floor it is what I call a wrap around counter that devides the kitchen living room we want to open that up but we have to do that ourself cause we definetly cant pay to have contractor come in and do the work please if anyone is familiar with that let us know send an e-mail ty so very much for your help
Hi Gena,
Removing counters isnโt as difficult as a wall but itโs not as easy as most think. You need to consider electrical and plumbing first. Subfloors and joists will also need to be considered (patching any holes, etc). You will probably have scars on your flooring and any connecting walls, too. A big open floor plan is a great thing to have these days โ everyone wants them so it may make selling your home easier in the future.
Best of luck!
When remodeling, can regular gypsum board be used to replace the vinyl wall material? (This is a big remodel that will affect all the interior walls.)
Second question: You mentioned carpet, laminate and a โfloating floorโ <โ what is that? Also, when it comes to upgrading insulation, what have you found most effective?
Third question: I have a collection of favorite books; while planning my remodel, built in shelves are an item I want to discuss with my designer and contractor. Have you seen this done nicely anywhere? Got any photos to share?
Thank you for answering my questions! I am brand new here, and I am so glad I found mobilehomeliving.org. I appreciate the diagrams, photos and lists. This is clearly a work of love.
Hi Cynthia,
Itโs a great idea to replace VOG with sheetrock or XRoc, or whatever brand you choose. You can rid of the strips that cover the seams of the VOG.
The different terms is a common problem because different parts of the country use different names for products. In WV, laminate flooring is also called floating floor and I use both terms interchangeably. Itโs the flooring that interlocks together to create a single plane and the perimeter is covered with trim. Itโs a good DIY product.
As far as built-ins, Iโm kinda against them. You never know when youโll want to change the space around and built-ins are pretty expensive. Iโd go with bookshelves or braces and boards or floating shelves.
So glad you found us! Please take photos of your project!
We would like to add a framed room to the back of our double wide and then take the wall of the mobile down. Can this be done. Bruce
Hi Bruce, you can absolutely build an addition to your home. You will just need to build the foundation separately. Then youโll just seal the roof, siding, and door between the addition and the home. Hereโs an article called Building Mobile Home Additions that may help.
Best of luck!
Hi Crystal , great site! My husband and I are remodeling and wanted to open up the kitchen by removing the center and connecting wall. We figured it might have to stay there or maybe do an Arch or Columns ( spread a little farther apart) Can I email you a picture? Any thoughts of what we can do ? Greatly appreciate!
Hi Mr. and Mrs. Guzman!
I sent yaโll an email yesterday โ Best of luck!
Hi Teresa,
Iโm not a big fan of doing anything to a marriage line but Iโve seen some gorgeous archways done. As long as pro is involved and you remove the absolute least amount of framing while reinforcing it back youโd probably be OK. I still get nervous just thinking about it, though. Thanks for reading!
Looking for an engineer in Arizona that does Mobile home rebuilds.
Hello. Excited to find this site. My husband and I just bought a four seasons 2000 16ร60 mobile home. 3 bedroom 2 bath the bedrooms are small and we would like to take off the wall between the back bedroom and the bedroom next to it to make a master bedroom any suggestions please
Hi, Peggy!
Congratulations! I would love to have a 16โฒ wide home! In most single wides all your integrity is derived from the perimeter walls. That means most interior walls are not load-bearing. I canโt give tell you for sure if your wall is load-bearing but in most cases, single wides can be modified fairly easily.
Hope that helps a little! Best of luck!
Hi,
I have a 2002 26ร80 Clayton. I was wanting to replace the sliding glass door with a patio door white one of the door opening not both. Floor to ceiling I only have 84 inches and the door is 79.5 inches tall. Could I use a 4 inch steel I-beam as a header?
Hi Billy,
You will usually need to frame out new doors because the sizes are not standard industry sizes. Iโm not really familiar with steel beams but Iโve seen a ton of regular ole lumber used to frame-out doors and windows. Sorry!
I am planning to move our bedroom wall back about 2ft and taking out those 2ft in our walk in closet we live in a double wide skyline 2004 we need to do this to make room for my husbens wheel chair how hard will this be for me to do this and can I just move it back and use the same wall if I am carefull or what do you say about it after the wall is up how do I paint the room thank you Agnes Thomas
Hi Agnes,
Youโll want to use new sheetrock for the new wall. Removing the panels without damage is difficult. Plus, sheetrock is a lot easier to deal with over the VOG panels (you can patch the seams better because sheetrock has a slant edge that helps to smooth the mud. VOG mobile home panels are just straight edge so itโs more difficult to smooth the seams and paint).
Best of luck!
Hi Crystal,
I removed the carpet in some of my rooms in a 1998 Palm Harbor double wide mobile home and put down self stick vinyl tiles on the wood floor. Some of the tiles have separated and have a small line between them, other spaces are okay. What causes this problem. In 2 other rooms I purchased a more expensive tile and there does not seem to be a problem there. Thank you for your help.
Hi Betty,
If I had to guess, it was probably the glue. The more affordable brands donโt use the best adhesive. It just didnโt make a good bond to the surface. You can find a vinyl tile adhesive and put them back pretty easily.
Best of luck!
Peel and stick vinyl tile should not be applied to sob subfloor
On the marriage wall, we have a post and 4โฒ knee wall separating the kitchen and living room. Our plan is to retain the post, remove the knee wall and add a second post with a decorative arch between the two posts to create a walkway. Taking account of possible electrical wires, I was wondering if you had any thoughts on thisโฆ
Hi Sandy,
Iโm not a pro at all but I donโt see anything wrong with removing pony walls as long as there is plenty of support.
Just so everyone knows that may not know, an early 90s model Palm Harbor 16โx80โฒ has 2โณx8โณ floor hoist! I was really surprised!
I have a double wide affixed to a full foundation with a one car garage underneath. Itโs rugged but that being said we used one of the three bedrooms upstairs as a stair way would I be able to tear down the wall to open up that room completely? I can provide pictures if needed to get a better suggestion
Thank you.
Hi John,
Since the home is over a garage youโll need an expert. If it wasnโt over a garage I would say it depends if itโs part of the marriage line. If it is, it needs to stay or the weight needs to be redistributed. But, with it being over the garage, I would be hesitant without an expert inspecting it. Sorry!
Can a window on the end of a single wide mobile home be removed and the opening enlarged to add an exterior door?
Yep! All you need is the proper framing.
Hi Crystal,
My husband & I are downsizing from a 1750 sq ft frame home possibly to an older mobile home located near (500โ) from a lake. The date on the real estate listing says the single wide home was built in 1981. We would like to re-configure the floor plan. I have been reading on your site about moving walls on a mobile home. The statement was made in the article, โIn a single wide, with recent construction methods, there are no load bearing interior walls.โ What classifies a recent construction method? Unfortunately, I do not know the manufacturer. We have not been inside the home yet, but are considering buying the home & renovating it to our specifications. We are not โflippersโ, but have renovated several large projects over the years- restaurants, B&B, condo, our own home that was built in 1933, so we feel somewhat qualified to make the changes, even though we have never taken on a mobile home project. What should we know going in?
Hi Susan,
You should be fine as there are rarely any load-bearing walls in a single wide home. The way they are designed and constructed is amazing โ the integrity is derived completely different from a site built home so all the load goes to the exterior walls.
Best of luck!
we have a 1978 Fuqua double wide with 1 half having vaulted ceilings. we are remodeling, and removed all the fake wood paneling to install drywall. interior framework is 2ร3, and exterior framework is 2ร4. we also decided to frame in a new window where there isnโt one. If I frame it in as a load bearing wall (supporting it during the re-framing, and installing 2ร6 header, king and jack studs, etc), should I expect to see problems in the future? I am following tutorials online about framing in a window in a load bearing wall. I havenโt cut any of the walls framework out yet.
Hi Will,
It sounds like you know what you are doing and have a good handle on the research. As long as you create a path for the structure to continue its load bearing capabilities you should be fine.
Best of luck!
I have a 1997 clayton home I want to take out the first bedroom wall to make the living room bigger. But Iโm not sure if that wall is load bearing, because there is a division in the cealing. It has small vaulted ceilings in the kitchen, livingroom to the first bedroom. Then has a flat ceiling In the back rooms. Do you think I can remove that wall, and if so will we have to put columns to support the ceiling?
Hi Jennifer,
Iโd get a professional in to estimate the job โ that will give you an idea of what needs to be done (and how). Typically, only your perimeter walls and marriage lines are load-bearing but they can be sneaky sometimes.
Sorry, I can be more help,
Is it possible to remove the chassis of a 1972 14 x 68 General mobile home and replace with manufactured wood joists . I realize that this is a huge project but can it be done and any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi Paul!
I suppose anything is possible but I wouldnโt recommend it. Mobile homes are built on cambered chassis and get their structural integrity differently from a site-built home (top down instead of bottom up). The chassis is slightly curved to properly hold the weight for that modelโs design and weight distribution. By modifying it you are risking some serious structural integrity.
You can do just about anything you want with the chassis in place- raise the home, add a basement under it, etc. Iโd leave it and work it into your plans โ itโll be a lot less trouble.
Best of luck!
We have a 1973 Festival double wide 2 bedroom 2 bath. My question is what is the interior and exterior construction? We were told it was 1ร2 and i thought all walls were 2ร4 wall construction.
Thank you,
Steve
Hi Steve,
Iโm pretty sure some homes were built with 2ร4โs on the exterior walls, where all the load is held, and 1ร2โs for the interior walls. And this doesnโt mean your home is inferior to any others โ it simply means it has thinner walls. Back in the early 1970โs homes werenโt โgreenโ and weight and cost were the main issues. Thinner walls helped both cost and weight.
Thanks for reading MHL!
Crystal,
You really seem to know your stuff, glad to have found your site.
I have an old โ73 double wide that Iโm tearing apart and Iโm thinking about using the old 10โณ i-beams that run underneath the frame to use as a long beam on the outside edge of a porch cover that I want to build for my new double wide. Less posts!! The guys at the permitting office are giving me grief, saying I need to know what the grade is on that before theyโll approve my plans. Any ideas? Should I be looking for a stamp on it thatโll declare the grade? Or was there a standard grade used for all U.S. made double wides from โ73? Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Julian.
YOU are the one that sounds like they know their stuff!
Hereโs what I think I know: All those steel beams under a manufactured home are cambered, meaning they are formed specifically to distribute and hold the weight for that homeโs specific design or layout. They each have slight bows, none are stick straight. The inspector could have been talking about that. Then again, when I hear the words grade I think of the grade of the land (or maybe the pitch of a roof? Iโve heard grade used instead of pitch).
Sorry, I canโt be much help! Let me know how it goes โ Iโm interested in the results.
Hello. I have a 3bed 2bath1970s Tidwell manufactured home. My husband and I are looking to do some remodeling. As we are on a budget we are starting with kitchen and bathroom. My question lies in the kitchen, there is this weird console bar area, with mirrors. We want to remove this area to open the kitchen up to the living room. Any tips? There is an electrical outlet attached. Another question, we would like to remove the Intertherm furnace in the kitchen/ hall area for more space, as we do not heat or cool with it. Is this possible?
Hi Tashianna!
I have a love-hate relationship with those mirrored walls! On one hand, mirrors really do make a room seem larger but on the other hand, some styles of mirrors date the home terribly.
Removing the walls with the mirrors all depends on whether the wall is load-bearing or not. If itโs a single wide and the wall is not an exterior wall you should be fine, itโs likely not a load bearing wall (single wides do not have many load-bearing interior walls). If itโs a double wide and the wall is not on the marriage line or an exterior wall you should be able to remove it assuming itโs not a load-bearing wall. Of course, Iโm no expert. You will need to have an electrician deal with the wiring but it shouldnโt take them long to do it.
The furnace can be removed but itโs a little more complex than just taking the unit out. The walls you want to remove cannot be on the marriage line or load-bearing and you will need to properly seal/remove the vents, the electrical, etc. The ceiling is usually a bit complicated because you will have to repair the ceiling after the walls are removed (especially if you remove a couple of walls in a small space). Plan on replacing the whole ceiling panel instead of just a small section. Iโve seen furnaces removed a few times and every time the job ended up taking a lot longer than planned. Sealing the vents is a big job, too.
Hope that helps a little. I donโt want to scare you but thereโs a bit more to the removal of a heating/cooling unit than just removing the unit itself. Best of luck โ let me know how it goes and if you have any more questions please feel free to ask!
This is a wonderful site! I do have a question. I have a wall in my double-wide that runs in between my living room and kitchen- approx. 13 ft. At the end of the wall, on either side, the wall โdoublesโ where the two halves of the double-wide come together; however, in that 13 foot section it is just one half of the house. Would this still be a load bearing wall? I can send pictures if that would help.
Thanks!
Hi Corrie,
Yes, most likely. If itโs running down the middle of your home itโs probably your marriage line. You can send me a picture if you want (my email is crystaladkins@mobilehomeliving.org).
Thanks so much!
I also have a question about a well that is the โmarriage lineโ mine is a small section of wall that has a window type opening so you can see through from the livingroom to the dining room. I am wondering if I can put to support post since it would be a very large area to only put 1 post (I am assuming) and remove this marriage wall? Or is there a way to remove the marriage wall completely in my living room?
Hi Crystal!
Let me say that you really should consult an engineer. With that said, youโll want to add a support beam when doing any kind of modification to a marriage line. Thereโs a lot of engineering involved in marriage lines (seals, connectors, etc). so Iโm not a real big fan of doing anything that doesnโt absolutely have to be done. Perhaps you could leave the studs in and just update the middle of the wall with shelving where the windows are? That would be a lot easier and cheaper and no structural mods will be needed.
Best of luck! Let me know how you decide to go!