Manufactured Housing Resources George Porter

 

"We have a great deal of praise for the content of the seminars and for the presentation of the program."

William Murschel
Former President and CEO Skyline Corp

Products

Manufactured Home Installation - Online Training:
MHEI is the place to go for manufactured home installation. George Porter of Manufactured Housing Resources teaches the courses. Together, MHEI and Porter have created the online training program. With humor and detailed explanations of the installation process, these courses will take the installer from the first to the last step of installing a manufactured home. Please click here to begin.


Manufactured Housing Installation and Repair Manufactured Housing Installation and Repair:
Textbook used by many states for the certification of installers. Contains explanations and procedures for the repair of Manufactured Housing as well as some installation procedures. Contains hundreds of pictures of repair procedures. $45 plus $4 priority mailing Purchase via phone or email. Call 302-645-5552 or MHR@George-Porter.com

 

Manufactured Housing Installation and Repair Downloadable/Electronic Version:
Manufactured Housing Installation and Repair:
Textbook used by many states for the certification of installers. Contains explanations and procedures for the repair of Manufactured Housing as well as some installation procedures. Contains hundreds of pictures of repair procedures. $29.95 - Click here to purchase.


Manufactured Housing Installation Guide Manufactured Housing Installation Guide:
This is the latest book out on Manufactured Housing Installation. The topic of installation is covered much more thoroughly than previous books, but there are no references to repair. This book also contains hundreds of pictures concerning installation procedures and equipment. Click here to purchase.

 

Vanishing Americana:
The original painting is oil on canvas. The prints are of exceptional quality on archival paper. The colors are identical to the original and even the weave of the canvas is visible in the print. This is an excellent value for a print from a well known American artist.

Includes: 20" X 30" high quality print of Vanishing Americana painting History of painting and place. Biography of Artist Howard Schroeder (PDF). The print is $350. Plus $10 shipping and handling. Purchase via phone or email. Call 302-645-5552 or MHR@George-Porter.com

 

Pocket Penetrometer Pocket Penetrometer:
Device used to measure the load bearing capacity of soils so as to determine the correct footings for a home. Recommended by nearly every Manufacturers Installation Manual, comes with directions and a carrying case. It comes with instructions written by George Porter. $65 plus $4 priority mailing. Purchase via phone or email. Call 302-645-5552 or MHR@George-Porter.com


Pocket PenetrometerThe Use of a Pocket Penetrometer
There are many ways to identify the load bearing capacity of soil. You can take soil samples and send them to a laboratory. You can ask an engineer who has been specially trained in the analysis of soil. Or, you can do a very good job with a tool called a pocket penetrometer. If you follow a few simple directions, you can get a very good idea of the load bearing capacity of soil. And it won't take long.

First, the scale of a pocket penetrometer is graduated in tons per square foot. To use the charts in a factory manual, we'll have to convert that to pounds per square foot, so we'll multiply that by 2,000 pounds. For instance, the number 1 on the pocket penetrometer translates to 2,000 pounds or 1 ton. 1.5 means 3,000 pounds or 1.5 tons, and so on. The charts in most manuals go to 4,000 pounds. Any values you find above that will still be considered 4,000 pounds.


Notice that there is a spring in the handle of the pocket penetrometer and that the body of the mechanism slides into the handle. The tip of the probe has a little grove around it exactly 1/4" up from the bottom. This is the part that is inserted into undisturbed soil that has the same moisture content as the soil under the home. What this means is that you can't test sunbaked soil or loose fill. Never place a home on loose fill. Any fill needed should be compacted to the original density of the soil prior to its being disturbed.

Finding the same moisture content may require that you dig into the ground 6" 8", though in some areas your footings will not be down that deep. In other areas of deep frost you will have to test the soil at the bottom of the footings how ever deep they are. What you are looking for is ground that has not been affected by the sun, just like the ground under the home will be after the home is installed. That's where you should take your readings. Insert the probe to the little grove on the bottom then read the placement of the red ring up the barrel. If you take five readings in the same general area, throw out the high and low readings, average the remaining three readings, this gives you a fairly accurate reading of the load bearing capacity of the soil.

There are a few things to watch out for. Pocket penetrometers do not work on sand or gravel. If you have sand use a 1500 lb. load bearing capacity. If you have a layer of gravel test the soil under the gravel. Don't put the Penetrometer on stones larger than it's tip, this will cause an inaccurate reading.

The time it takes to accomplish this task is certainly less than a couple of minutes and will ensure the success of the rest of the installation. We didn't have to do this 40 years ago in the trailer business, but we're not in that business anymore.