LESLIE: Greg in Nevada listens on KBZZ. What can The Money Pit do for you?
GREG: We’re looking to replace an older mobile home with a new manufactured home. Because we’re on a budget, we don’t have the money to buy a stick-built; if you know what I mean. And one thing I’ve noticed in here, all the major dealerships that sell manufactured homes in Nevada use a floorboard known as Cres deck (ph), which when I look at it looks like not much more than a (inaudible) particleboard. When I look at various specifications, they claim it’s stronger than plywood or OSB. But when you look at these tests that a lot of companies do where they shoot the 2x4s at them, OSB and what looks like particleboard shatter horribly compared to your plywood. So when I asked the companies if they could do plywood they’re talking $8,000 to $10,000 more.
TOM: Well, probably because it’s changed their existing system.
GREG: But I’m wondering if it’s really worth the cost of going up to plywood if this Cres deck (ph) is better or not.
TOM: Well, I’ve never worked with Cres deck (ph) but I will tell you I’m familiar with the engineered wood products and it is very common to use those in manufactured homes. And I wouldn’t be terribly concerned about not having wood there. I think that the engineered products are just as strong, in many cases, as the type of wood that you use. For example, if you use, you know, the next grade plywood, you’re going to find that that might be weaker than engineered wood products. So I’m not afraid to use engineered wood products. They’re dimensionally stable. They are less expensive, which is good for you and good for the builder; another reason it keeps the cost of the home to the point where it’s very, very affordable.
I wouldn’t get too worried about comparing it between that and a particleboard or a wafer board or an aspenite board. I think that an engineered board like that on a floor is probably just fine.
Leave a Reply