|
MANUFACTURED
HOME STANDARDS
All
homes built for sale in the United States after June 15, 1976,
must conform to the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and
Safety Standards established by HUD.
However, prior to 1976, forty-six states required that homes comply
with similar requirements of the Mobile Home Standard established
by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and adopted
by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
Homes built prior to June 15, 1976, in accordance with the Mobile
Home Standard, do not have to be modified to meet HUD requirements.
The federal standard covers the following basic parts of the home's
construction: planning considerations (including ceiling heights,
light, ventilation, and exit facilities); fire safety (for example,
smoke detection systems, pop-out egress windows and flame spread
limitations); body and frame testing (such as structural load
tests and test procedures for roof trusses); thermal protection;
plumbing systems; electrical systems; and transportation (covering
such things as design of the house to withstand rigors of highway
movement).
If the home is built according to the federal standard, the following
items must be displayed to assure the buyer that the structure
is built as specified:
-
A seal, affixed to the house specifying that the manufacturer
has built the house in compliance with the HUD standard.
- A
diagram provided by the manufacturer must show the required
number and position of placement piers. It must also show
the positioning for anchoring devices.
-
A certificate must be posted inside the home to tell what
performance can be expected from the heating system, within
a specified range of outside temperature and wind velocity.
-
Maps must be included as part of the certificate, mentioned
above, indicating the energy efficiency zone for which the
home was built, the home's resistance to wind, and snow loads
that the roof can be expected to withstand, provided the home
has been properly anchored, in accordance with the manufacturer's
specifications.
NEXT:
Warranties & Guarantees
|
