Removing Walls In...

As a new mobile home owner, you might not be familiar with the process of removing walls in a mobile home. This article will answer some of the common questions that are associated with this process. If you are looking for professional property management services, look no further than Kodiak Property Management, we can help you simplify and optimize your payment options today! 

Do We Really Need the Marriage Wall?

Firstly, what on earth is a marriage wall? Simply put, it is a wall in most mobile homes that act as a structural load-bearing wall. It is made from two walls connected to one another, making it thicker than other mobile home walls. They typically take up a lot of space and might obstruct the center of your mobile home. Many mobile home owners feel that the marriage wall creates an unnecessary divide in their homes and opt for them to be removed instead. 

Although the fact is that the marriage line is load-bearing, this does not mean that you cannot remove the wall. However, it is an intricate job that requires professional expertise from an engineer who is well-versed in load-bearing methods for mobile home. While removal is possible, this does not mean that there wouldn’t be any problems in the future. Essentially, changing the marriage line in your mobile home might not be the best idea. 

How Do I Know if the Walls are Load-Bearing?

For most single wide mobile homes, the load-bearing is handled by the walls on the exterior. However, this is largely contingent on the style and layout of your mobile home. If you want to find out accurately which walls in a mobile home are load-bearing, your best bet would be to hire an expert to give you the answer. Bear in mind that load-bearing walls can also be modified as long as the right type of reinforcements are being utilized. 

Should I Remove My Closets?

When it comes to mobile homes, space is the biggest constraint. As such, you might be tempted to remove your closets to make more space in your rooms. However, is it a huge hassle to remove your closet walls? As mentioned, typical single wide mobile homes do not have any load-bearing walls, so if you own one, it should be alright to remove your closet walls. Hence, hiring a professional engineer to double-check if your walls hold any load is always a good idea. Once you have ensured that your closet walls are not load-bearing, you can then proceed to turn off the power to your room and remove the paneling so that you don’t get into an electrical mishap. You should also spend some time re-routing the wiring in your room to cater to the new space that is created. 

Bottom Line 

To summarize, the most important thing to take note of when considering removing homes in a mobile home is whether or not the walls are load-bearing. The load-bearing walls in a mobile home are typically made up of the marriage line and its exterior walls. However, it always helps to have a professional opinion about this.