

Recent research indicates that the damage sustained by manufactured homes during high winds typically comes from adjacent structures and not from failed components in the home. If a manufactured home, which complies with the latest construction standards, is set up right and tied down properly, it can perform surprisingly well at high winds. A factory-built home that meets the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards receives a HUD label, also known as HUD tag, certifying it has been designed, built, tested, and inspected according to the federal standards. To ensure their safety and durability, manufactured homes are also inspected throughout the installation process. Additionally, the inspection ensures that the home is built to the correct standards for the zone in which it will be placed. Quality Assuranceįederal regulations require quality assurance professionals to verify that the manufactured homes are built correctly, according to the HUD Code.

Zone 3 mobile home wind rating code#
As well, the frame anchors used to tie down the home are often part of the foundational system.įurthermore, the HUD Code includes thermal protection and fire safety provisions as well as the characteristics of the plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical systems that are currently used in manufactured housing. The wind-resisting components of a manufactured home must also be designed and constructed to withstand horizontal wind loads and uplift roof loads specific to the area in which the home will be placed. This will allow a manufactured home to resist wind overturning, uplift, and sliding. To ensure the safety of factory-built homes in different weather conditions, the structural design should include only HUD-approved methods for fastening the roof framing to the wall framing, the wall framing to the floor structure, and the floor structure to the chassis. As well, manufacturers are required to use products that protect against corrosion, mold, decay, and insect infestations. To begin with, the building materials, components, equipment, construction methods, and quality of workmanship must ensure the structural integrity of newly manufactured homes. To ensure that today’s manufactured homes are able to withstand the elements, the HUD Code specifies exactly what is required before, during, and after the building process of a manufactured home. Therefore, these homes can survive a hurricane and other extreme weather conditions just like a site-built home. In the rest of the country, manufactured homes should be able to resist wind speeds of 130 mph in Wind Zone 1 and 150 mph in Wind Zone 2.īecause most manufacturers also use advanced technologies in cutting and joining components and sub-assemblies, newer manufactured homes are as weathertight, structurally sound, and safe as conventional homes. Based on the International Building Code, a manufactured home that will be placed in a hurricane-prone area must be designed to withstand sustained wind speeds of 160 mph. Additionally, today’s manufactured homes must be specifically engineered to comply with the latest construction requirements for wind safety, snow load, and seismic activity. These standards require manufactured home builders to use high-quality, standardized building materials that have similar or identical characteristics to the materials used in conventional homes. As a result, today’s factory-built homes must comply with strict construction and safety standards, which are comparable to the building codes governing site-built housing. Through the years, the effects of tornadoes and hurricanes on manufactured homes have led to important changes in the manufactured home building requirements. To put your mind at ease, we’ve done some research on the safety of manufactured homes during tornadoes and hurricanes. If you’re planning to buy a manufactured home soon, knowing whether or not it can withstand extreme weather conditions is very important. The safety of factory-built housing during tornadoes and hurricanes is one of the most common concerns raised by potential homebuyers.
