What Should Sarasota Mobile Home Owners Do In Bad Weather Let’s discuss and find out about this very important topic.
Hey Guys!
Today’s question for our blog was sent to us through one of our Facebook friends, Aretta Burkhead.
She asked, “Mark, could you please cover some of the dos and don’ts of mobile homes in bad weather?”
Sure, Aretta, I’d be happy to do so. Thanks a lot for the question. Now guys, just so you know, if you are interested in having us cover a particular topic any time, just connect with us through our website at sellmobilehome.com, or through our Facebook as Aretta did, and just give us a holler, let us know what you want us to discuss. We’d be more than happy to do so.
When discussing things to deal with mobile homes and bad weather like today, when we have a hurricane coming over us, I will discuss the obvious issue we are dealing with today and every other day living down here in Florida is hurricanes and the heavy rain and heavy wind that comes with them.
So let’s first discuss the importance of identifying and locating your hurricane tie-downs in your mobile home.
Now in this mobile home, you’ll see they’re right down here, right by the sidestep. You want to make sure that you know exactly where these anchors are. We want to make sure that you know where they are and that they’re fully functional because they do exactly that. They tie the home down should a hurricane come through and it prevents your house from blowing away. That’s the first thing.
Damaged mobile homes due to bad weather
After a heavy rain storm, Aretta, you want to make sure that you take a look at the ceiling of the mobile home and see if you find any wet spots.
Wet spots are going to have an off-whitish color on the ceiling. You’re always going to want to look for these all the time in any mobile home. These spots will initially look just like a plain wet spot, but if you don’t get to them early enough, they’re eventually going to look like a coffee stain on a white shirt.
Hopefully, you never see these on your ceiling, but if you do, you must address them right away.
If you do not tend to these then wet spots can lead to a sagging ceiling or, worse yet, they can leak through the roof onto the drywall enough that water will pool up between the drywall and the roof, and an extreme situation, it’ll break after sagging so far and will have the ceiling fall in on it.
I’ve been in several mobile homes where I’ve seen this, and it’s a shame because a lot of times that could have just been fixed by identifying the wet spot in the first place.
Now Aretta, mobile homes are much stronger than what people a lot of times give them credit for.
The reason for this is when a mobile home is made in a factory and shipped to another state for sale, it needs to meet the wind zone or snow load zone for the location that it’s being shipped to.
So for instance, if the home you bought has always been located in the same park in Florida since it left the factory, then chances are your home will be able to handle the winds that come through your area without much of an issue, and that’s required by the manufacturer when it leaves the factory.
And the snow load zone, for all you northerners who follow us, well, thank goodness we don’t have to worry about that down here, but the same idea applies there as well.
In addition to the above suggestions, being prepared before bad weather comes is essential. Here are some weather preparedness tips every mobile homeowner should know.
Secure everything that might be outside your mobile home. This includes lawn furniture, portable carport, bikes, toys, ornaments, and the like. These things can fly and hit your windows and can even hurt other people.
Make sure to have an active insurance policy. The state of Florida is always hit by storms and having active insurance will give you additional peace of mind.
Make sure your mobile home anchors are properly installed and meet the manufacturer’s requirements.
A storm cellar is not required but having one makes your life safer during the storm. A storm cellar is an underground structure and can cost $5,000”
Have a disaster preparedness kit and a NOAA weather radio. The radio will alert you any time of day if a tornado or hurricane is coming.
Make an escape plan. Even if you think that you are fully prepared, having an escape plan when things get out of hand is better than nothing.
Thanks again for your question Aretta. I hope this was helpful to you!
Lastly, Sarasota is known for its beautiful weather, but even paradise has its rainy days. If you find yourself stuck indoors during a storm, there are still plenty of things to do around town.
Here are some ideas to help make the most of a bad weather day in Sarasota:
- Visit one of Sarasota’s many museums, like the Ringling Museum of Art or the Florida Maritime Museum.
- Take a walk or bike ride through one of the city’s many parks, like Selby Gardens or Payne Park.
- Check out a local bookstore or coffee shop that you’ve been meaning to explore.
- Spend some time getting organized and cleaning your home or office.
- Catch up on some reading, either for pleasure or work.
- Plan your next vacation! Use the extra time indoors to start researching and booking your next getaway.
No matter what you end up doing on a rainy day in Sarasota, remember to take some time to relax and enjoy the downtime.
This is Mark Kaiser with The Mobile Home Dealer, and we help mobile home buyers and sellers get to a better place in life.
The Mobile Home Dealer are licensed mobile home broker in Sarasota Florida and the surrounding areas. We provide professional buy and/or sell assistance to our clients. If you have any questions, please contact us by clicking this link. You may also visit our Facebook Page and send us a message.
See Also:
- Is The Mobile Home You Are Buying In Sarasota Real Property?
- How Much Does It Cost To Sell Your Mobile Home Yourself In Sarasota?
- What Is The Best Option To Sell Your Mobile Home In Sarasota?
- Adding Onto A Mobile Home? Important Things You Need To Know
- Is Sarasota A Good Place To Live? 10 Reasons Why You Should Move To Sarasota Florida