Fascia separating from eaves (photos)

[Sooz]

I am so stressed out about this! We have a Marlette manufactured home, a bit south of Ketchum, Idaho. It has HardiPlank siding on it, and it was new in 2003 and built on a foundation. The first owner was the Fire Chief and his family--we're the second owners as of 2005.

The fascia is starting to come apart up by the eaves! I am so stressed! I called Marlette and they take no responsibility whatsoever for it!

Additionally, the original paint is peeling terribly from the HardiPlank siding. I called them as well, because the paint is supposed to have a 10 or 15 year guarantee. Again, a company that takes no responsibility for this!

Can anyone please advise me as to how tis problem happened, and how this fascia problem can be fixed? Do we hire someone in construction or a handyman or what? Any details you could give me would be very helpful, as I sure don't know what to do! We need to get this done before Idaho weather starts changing!

Also, does anyone know of a really good super-powerful-against-the-elements paint and primer for us to use?

One photo is of the North side of the mfg home, looking upwards. The other is of the peeling paint...also, some of the paint on the siding itself is starting to show small areas of "bubbling" for lack of a better term.

Thank you so much for any help!!!

Sooz

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[palmettoinspect]

Are you sure its paint and not stain. Hardiplank says not to use stain on there products. Are you sure its hardiplank and not a hardboard product?

[Scottpat]

The fascia does not really look like a Hardieboard product. It kind of looks more like a hardboard product.

The paint is coming off due to a moisture problem. This is also most likely why you are seeing the fascia swelling and pulling apart.

This would not be the home manufacturers problem.

As for paint lasting 10-15 years? That would be the paint manufacturer who would give that guarantee. I have never seen paint last that long and still look good.

I have seen some paint bubbling off cementitious board(James Hardie is one brand) and it has something to do with moisture in the board that happens during its production. You need to contact the manufacturer if you know the brand on your home and tell them you have a problem.

You also might consider hiring a good home inspector to take a look at your home. They will write a concise report on the problem that you can use to help direct you in the direction that you need to go.

[Jim Katen]

1. Hire a carpenter to remove & discard the existing fascias and install new ones.

2. Hire a painter to scrape, prime & paint the house.

3. Welcome to homeownership. If you don't like it, go back to renting.

[hausdok]

What others have said. Also:

1. Take a look at how that drip edge flashing - that piece of metal that covers the top of the fascia - has been installed. The underlayment - felt - under the roof deck should extend over the top of the drip edge so that any water that blows through the shingles and drains down the roof drains over the op of the drip edge and not beneath it where it will soak into the unfinished upper edge of the fascia and into the soffit, saturate the fascia, soffit and siding and cause the paint to peel off (Sound familiar?). If there is no underlayment, was the upper leg of the drip edge sealed to the roof deck with something to force water up and over it?

2. Make sure that you are ventilating the house properly. If you close that house up tighter than a clam's butt and never change the air, the humidity in that home will force its way out through the sides, saturate the back of the exterior sheathing and siding and cause the paint to fail in addition to causing mold to form in those exterior walls.

3. Is the crawlspace vented? If not, get it ventilated.

4. Is there a vapor barrier on the soil under the home in the crawlspace - I'm talking real barrier, not that woven stuff permeable stuff that looks like landscaping fabric. If not, get a barrier over that soil 'cuz it's dumping about 11 gallons into the air of that crawlspace every 24 hours and that moisture is migrating up into the home and then outward.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Jim Katen]

. . . If you close that house up tighter than a clam's butt and never change the air, the humidity in that home will . . .

Clams have butts?

[Bill Kibbel]

. . . If you close that house up tighter than a clam's butt and never change the air, the humidity in that home will . . .

Clams have butts?

Yes, and they're very tight because it has to keep out the whole ocean.

I think Mike O. and my father are of the same generation.

[Sooz]

Yes, I remember researching hardiplank siding before we bought the place because somewhere on the house it said hardiplank or James Hardie or something like that, and yes, the peeling stuff is paint and not stain.

Thank you all for your quick and helpful replies and input and suggestions!!! I really appreciate you all!!!!!

Smiles,

Sooz

[Tom Raymond]

Thanks Bill, I just spit coffee all over my laptop.

[hausdok]

. . . If you close that house up tighter than a clam's butt and never change the air, the humidity in that home will . . .

Clams have butts?

Yes, and they're very tight because it has to keep out the whole ocean.

I think Mike O. and my father are of the same generation.

Yer damned tootin' they have butts. The problem is that the number of folks that have actually seen one is as scarce as hen's teeth. []

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[John Kogel]

. . . If you close that house up tighter than a clam's butt and never change the air, the humidity in that home will . . .

Clams have butts?

Yes, and they're very tight because it has to keep out the whole ocean.

I think Mike O. and my father are of the same generation.

Yer damned tootin' they have butts. The problem is that the number of folks that have actually seen one is as scarce as hen's teeth. []

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

You really need to have the IR camera for that. Even so, you gotta sneak up on them in the moonlight at low tide, or they'll just clam right up. []

[John Kogel]

Yes, I remember researching hardiplank siding before we bought the place because somewhere on the house it said hardiplank or James Hardie or something like that, and yes, the peeling stuff is paint and not stain.

Thank you all for your quick and helpful replies and input and suggestions!!! I really appreciate you all!!!!!

Smiles,

Sooz

As far as I know, the Hardy plank comes from the manufacturer with a primer coat only. The mobile home builder most likely applied the paint, or hired a painter to apply it. There may have been moisture in the air or on the walls when they did the work, cold temperatures, or poor quality paint, but it is not normal for paint to peel from 7 year old Hardy Plank.

The fascia boards are a different story, looks like poor quality material but it's hard to say. A handyman can paint some, replace some, and install gutters. Do you get icicles hanging off the roof there? Ask other mobile home owners what they've got.

As far as getting a new paint job from the builder, I would not hold out too much hope after 7 years.

On the bright side, you are not trapped miles below ground in a mine in Chile while the mine owners are declaring bankruptcy and walking away.

[Ben H]

On the bright side, you are not trapped miles below ground in a mine in Chile while the mine owners are declaring bankruptcy and walking away.

I vote this to be declared the best thing ever written. Period. [:-dev3]

[Jim Katen]

On the bright side, you are not trapped miles below ground in a mine in Chile while the mine owners are declaring bankruptcy and walking away.

I vote this to be declared the best thing ever written. Period. [:-dev3]

Yes truly, a little perspective is a good thing.

[Marc]

I realize that Sooz has likely checked out by now but I just noticed that Marlette builds only HUD Code homes. Hard board products are favored on them due to their light weight and economy.

What Pat said. It's likely hardboard which is moisture intolerant.

I always include a word of caution to all clients of mine if the home inspected is a HUD Code. It's a very inferior construction standard, courtesy of our federal government.

Marc

[Tom Raymond]

Marc, she(?) said it was manufactured in the OP. I don't like them very much either, but that "inferior" standard is there to meet the affordable housing mandate and keep the building light enough to have resonable road handling characteristics. The latter is somewhere near the very bottom of my list of desirable features for a house.

[Jim Katen]

I realize that Sooz has likely checked out by now but I just noticed that Marlette builds only HUD Code homes. Hard board products are favored on them due to their light weight and economy.

Yes, of course it's a manufactured home. Marlette has been providing hardiplank on their manufactured homes, as an upgrade, for years. Obviously, the fascias aren't hardiplank. They're whatever cheap-ass product Marlette had hanging around the factory that day, probably made from pizza boxes.

What Pat said. It's likely hardboard which is moisture intolerant.

I always include a word of caution to all clients of mine if the home inspected is a HUD Code. It's a very inferior construction standard, courtesy of our federal government.

Marc

Well, sure. They're value engineered. That's the niche they fill.

When you buy one of these things you're trading a low upfront price for a short life on almost every component. You have to change out the pizza boxes pretty often on these puppies.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Greg Booth]

It is too bad that folks of professional standing, such as found on TIJ can readily bash a product that meets a need within the housing market. Pizza-box components--what childish drivel. And, just to note, Marlette also builds mods.

[Jim Katen]

It is too bad that folks of professional standing, such as found on TIJ can readily bash a product that meets a need within the housing market. Pizza-box components--what childish drivel. And, just to note, Marlette also builds mods.

They do but this is not a mod so the distinction is meaningless for this discussion.

I inspect a fair number of manufactured homes -- many built by Marlette. The quality of materials that goes into these homes is markedly inferior to that found on site built homes. This is a simple fact, not opinion. I don't know where they get their materials, but for the most part, they don't perform well over time.

This isn't bashing, just recognizing reality. Clearly these homes fill a need for inexpensive shelter. Lots of folks like them and have good experiences with them. Lots of other folks dislike them. They're engineered and built for short term value, not long term performance.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Marc]

It is too bad that folks of professional standing, such as found on TIJ can readily bash a product that meets a need within the housing market. Pizza-box components--what childish drivel. And, just to note, Marlette also builds mods.

I've inspected hundreds of HUD Codes, lived in two of them when I was growing up. Repaired a lot of them as a contractor. You say that they fill a housing need? I agree, partially. The need that they fill is that of the manufacturers that need a steady market of HUD Code addicted buyers. It's entrapment. By the time it's paid for, it's nearly ready for the scrap heap. Then you move on to the next one.

Just my honest opinion Greg.

Marc

[Bill Kibbel]

Note: Greg sells and installs manufactured homes.

[Sooz]

Hi, guys,

I checked back in and found y'all posted more! Aside from the hilarious clam stuff, and aside from the commentary about the mine in Chile, well, I still got some good info from everyone's newer posts, so I thank you!

So is it possible to eventually, over time, convert a mfg Marlette home (a bit at a time mayhap?) into a stick-built one? It's already on a foundation with a crawl space beneath it!

I have to say this purchase, while right at the time, distinctly suffers as a mistake on our part when viewed with 20-20 hindsight.

Thanks again!! You guys ROCK!

Sooz

[Marc]

Hi, guys,

I checked back in and found y'all posted more! Aside from the hilarious clam stuff, and aside from the commentary about the mine in Chile, well, I still got some good info from everyone's newer posts, so I thank you!

So is it possible to eventually, over time, convert a mfg Marlette home (a bit at a time mayhap?) into a stick-built one? It's already on a foundation with a crawl space beneath it!

I have to say this purchase, while right at the time, distinctly suffers as a mistake on our part when viewed with 20-20 hindsight.

Thanks again!! You guys ROCK!

Sooz

Hello Sooz,

I'd suggest that you take a short walk around the outside perimeter of your home and look for a red aluminum tag attached to the exterior wall somewhere, with a number on it. If it's a double wide, there will be one tag for each of the two sections that came together. If you see these tags, it's a HUD Code manufactured home and my answer to you is 'no'. If you do not see these tags, then it's likely a modular manufactured home and it is just as sturdy and as good as a site built (or stick built) home.

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Marc

[Jim Katen]

Hi, guys,

I checked back in and found y'all posted more! Aside from the hilarious clam stuff, and aside from the commentary about the mine in Chile, well, I still got some good info from everyone's newer posts, so I thank you!

So is it possible to eventually, over time, convert a mfg Marlette home (a bit at a time mayhap?) into a stick-built one? It's already on a foundation with a crawl space beneath it!

No, don't try that. Every time I see a manufactured home that someone's tried to alter, it's a disaster. You have a manufactured home. As manufactured homes go, you'd probably got a decent one, fascias notwithstanding. Don't try to make it into something it isn't.

Also, you'll find that the local building department will have serious problems with you trying to change the structure of the home.

As for the "foundation with a crawl space beneath it," I'm not sure what you're talking about. All manufactured homes have crawlspaces beneath them - except for the ones that have basements beneath them. Having a crawlspace isn't exactly a positive thing. And the foundation, are you sure that it's a foundation and not just a block skirt? In the Pacific Northwest, most manufactured homes are set on block piers. The skirt around the exterior doesn't (usually) provide support. In cheaper installs, the skirt is plywood or steel. In better installs the skirt is concrete block. Even nicer installs are "pit set" with the home placed over an excavated hole in the ground, almost like a site-built home. But they're still usually supported on the interior, and not around the perimeter.

I have to say this purchase, while right at the time, distinctly suffers as a mistake on our part when viewed with 20-20 hindsight.

You're probably imagining it's worse than it is and we aren't helping. You got a larger, more recently constructed home than you could have afforded if you had bought a site-built structure. The trade off is that this home is going to need more aggressive maintenance and earlier replacement of some of the components -- that's not the end of the world. Take care of your home, wait for the economy to improve, and someday you'll be able to sell it for a profit.

Think about it this way. Let's imagine that, back in 2005, instead of buying a 2-year old manufactured home, you bought the only other thing you could have afforded, a very small 1940 cape "fixer." You've spent every single weekend since working on it and you haven't taken any vacations in 5 years because you had to replace the old furnace, the old water heater, and all of the old appliances. The house now looks great. But then last month, you learned that it has an underground oil tank that's been leaking. The leaked oil has migrated under your neighbor's basement and the smell is causing them to get headaches. They say that they won't sue you if you promise to have the oil cleaned up. The first three bids you get are $35,000, $38,000, and $40,000. As you try to figure out how you're going to finance that bill, you feel a drop of water on your head and you realize that the roof is now leaking and you're going to have to replace it. That means that all 4 layers of shingles will have to be removed and plywood placed on the rafters, making for a very expensive roofing job. That's when your doctor calls to tell you that your last blood test showed elevated levels of lead in your blood. As a precaution, you have the rest of the family tested and everyone has high lead levels in their blood. A round of testing reveals that the lead paint on the outside of the house has been sloughing off into the soil and the vegetables that you planted there have been soaking up the lead. Now everyone in the family has to have chelation therapy. As you lie in the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, you bite your lip and wish like hell that you'd bought that nice two-year-old manufactured home instead.

So be thankful that the worst problem in your life right now is a crummy fascia and some peeling paint. Go get them fixed.

Feeling better?

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[hausdok]

Hi, guys,

I checked back in and found y'all posted more! Aside from the hilarious clam stuff, and aside from the commentary about the mine in Chile, well, I still got some good info from everyone's newer posts, so I thank you!

So is it possible to eventually, over time, convert a mfg Marlette home (a bit at a time mayhap?) into a stick-built one? It's already on a foundation with a crawl space beneath it!

I have to say this purchase, while right at the time, distinctly suffers as a mistake on our part when viewed with 20-20 hindsight.

Thanks again!! You guys ROCK!

Sooz

Hello Sooz,

I'd suggest that you take a short walk around the outside perimeter of your home and look for a red aluminum tag attached to the exterior wall somewhere, with a number on it. If it's a double wide, there will be one tag for each of the two sections that came together. If you see these tags, it's a HUD Code manufactured home and my answer to you is 'no'. If you do not see these tags, then it's likely a modular manufactured home and it is just as sturdy and as good as a site built (or stick built) home.

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Marc

Oh, I dunno if I agree with that.

Sure, I agree with Jim; that they're built out of very cheap materials but they do, as Greg says, fill a certain housing need.

There were a fair number of them in my hometown back in New York State and they served pretty well as starter homes for young folks there. I've seen folks live in these and be able to save enough in ten years to put down huge down payments on stick-built homes; so huge that they're payments on the stick-built homes were pretty small and that allowed them to pay off their stick-built homes far sooner than someone who'd bought their stick-built homes years before they'd bought their manufactured home. The guy that buys a Yugo isn't under any misapprehension that he's buying a Lexus; and, if he takes care of it well enough, it will serve him just fine until he finally gets around to buying that Lexus he wants.

As far as converting them to stick-builts and Marc's response that you can't do anything like that, I guess he's never been to Florida, 'cuz in the 55 and over manufactured home park my mother lives in most of those homes have been built up and out. Apparently, there's a whole industry in Florida built around framing up and installing storm-resistant truss roofs on top of manufactured homes and some of them in her park don't even look like manufactured homes anymore.

There's a 55 and over manufactured home park here in Kenmore. It's about a mile as the crow flies from my place. Many of the homes in there have had very expensive landscaping done around them, have had truss roofs, breezeways and two-car garages added and have had their kitchens and baths torn out and redone with conventional materials. When you are in some of those, even though you know in your mind that they are manufactured homes, it feels like you are in a conventionally-framed and stick-built home. The prices reflect it as well - the average price on homes in there was up to about $175K the last time I inspected one in there.

I think it's all a matter of perspective.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike