Manufactured homes, a cost-effective housing option, offer great value and safety to homeowners. Whether you’re local to Florida or looking to move, it’s likely you’ve heard one of the biggest myths about living in Florida: Manufactured homes aren’t safe.
Continue reading as we debunk this myth and discuss exactly how safe manufactured homes are in Florida.
What Makes Manufactured Homes Safe?
Manufactured homes are, in fact, just as safe as site-built homes in the face of severe weather. They are designed from start to finish with your safety in mind. Prior to their construction, manufactured homes are drafted by a team of engineers to ensure they’re designed safely and accurately.
Manufactured homes are built according to the federal building standards set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These standards guarantee the safety and quality of manufactured home design, construction, and installation, and prohibits manufacturers from offering homes that don’t meet these specific criteria:
- Built on a permanent chassis to guarantee stability and safety
- Constructed in adherence to fire codes and national electrical and plumbing requirements
- Made in a controlled environment, ensuring all materials are protected from the elements
When purchasing a manufactured home, choose a manufacturer that uses high-quality materials and precise building techniques to feel safe and secure in your home.
Can Manufactured Homes Withstand Florida’s Occasional Inclement Weather?
While Florida is known for its beautiful, warm weather, its subtropical climate also brings about occasional severe storms and hurricanes. Manufactured homes are constructed to withstand strong winds, even winds resulting from a hurricane. The HUD Code requires a manufactured home’s exterior to be able to withstand the maximum wind strength in their wind zone, which varies by region. Different parts of Florida are in Wind Zones 2 or 3. Homes in Wind Zone 2 need to be built to withstand force up to 39 pounds per square foot and sustained winds up to 100 mph. Homes located in Wind Zone 3 need to be constructed to withstand force up to 47 pounds per square foot and sustained winds up to 110 mph. This will protect your home against wind speeds up to a category two hurricane.
Ways You Can Protect Your Manufactured Home in Florida
Your home is your most valuable asset and the risk of hurricanes and other natural disasters shouldn’t be taken lightly. Make your house a home by taking additional measures to protect it.
The Right Insurance
Finding the right kind of manufactured home insurance will protect your assets should a natural disaster occur. Homeowner’s insurance will cover your dwelling and personal property against certain perils including wind, theft, lightning, and more. If you live in an area that’s prone to flooding, hurricanes, or sinkholes, you may need to purchase additional insurance to make sure you’re covered.
Proper Preparation
While manufactured homes are constructed to withstand severe weather, we recommend that you take the necessary measures to protect yourself and your home.
Follow all home preparation recommendations to ensure your home is protected from the damage that high winds can cause. You will want to secure any outdoor items, cover your windows and doors with plywood boards or shutters, and place sandbags where necessary. Certain state and federal guidelines may suggest you evacuate your home if a hurricane or storm containing strong, sustained winds is expected.
If you are a Jacobsen Homes homeowner, visit our storm protection guidelines to learn how to protect your manufactured home should a hurricane occur. Read our Disaster Guide for Community Residents to learn how to prepare yourself and your home for a storm and what to do after.
Jacobsen Homes Are Built to Last
Have the peace of mind that your home is built well by choosing an experienced, reputable manufacturer that you can trust. As a trusted leader in the manufactured home industry, we’re proud to have helped families throughout Florida create the manufactured homes of their dreams.
We’ve pioneered the use of AutoCAD software in the manufactured home industry in Florida — a sophisticated drafting and design software that enables our highly-trained, in-house engineers to create precise home designs. What’s more, we are a certified HUD manufactured home provider. All of our homes are HUD labeled to verify that they’ve been designed, tested, and constructed to not only meet but exceed federal standards.
Contact us today or schedule a tour to get started.