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If you have decided to restore your storm-damaged home, you’ve already determined that your neighbors are probably coming back, that public utilities will be restored (or you will provide your own), that you will have police, fire and medical services and that there will be jobs and schools. Other things to consider include new building regulations, cost estimates, debris removal, opportunities to upgrade systems and add space.
One of the hardest determinations you'll have to make when you decide to restore a damaged home is how much work needs to be done - and how much help you'll need.
Mobile homes have been steadily growing in popularity as a temporary and permanent primary residence for many Louisiana residents. Mobile homes can provide years of comfortable and convenient living, while giving you the most for the dollar you spend on electricity. Using the following energy conservation tips will help you to make the least of your electric bill.
Living in a mobile homes is one option you can consider when planning for your future housing needs. In the past, mobile homes typically were considered starter homes. But today, many people are choosing to make mobile homes their permanent dwelling.
"Factory-Built Home” is a generic term that refers to any home that has been predominately designed and constructed in a controlled factory or plant environment. Factory processes are extremely efficient with materials and, thus, are considered more environmentally friendly. In addition, the factory environment can provide a much greater degree of quality control, compared to on-site construction.
Manufactured Homes are the buildings we have, in the past, referred to as mobile homes or trailers. While other factory-built homes are built to the codes of the area where they will be installed, manufactured homes are built to a special HUD-code and installed in accordance with HUD guidelines. Thus they are sometimes referred to as HUD-Code homes.
For those who need fast, affordable and reliable solutions for their housing problems, modular homes might be the best solution. In contrast to what many people think, modular homes are quite different than manufactured or trailer homes. In fact, they are very similar to site-built homes.
Factory built homes are nearly undetectable from the street and, often, people cannot recognize, from appearance alone, the difference between a factory built home and a site built home. In New Orleans, manufacturers have been dedicated to creating stock designs that are specific to the New Orleans region. The architectural style of a typical New Orleans “shotgun” style house has been adopted and modified to create new home styles that fit seamlessly in their environments.
When calm returns after the storm, it’s time to assess the damage and begin repairs. A number of factors should be considered, and the following information may be helpful.
Hiring a qualified contractor for mold remediation is not required, but is generally safer and more effective than a “do-it-yourself” approach.
Although it is uncommon in most homes, toxic mold, also known as black mold, has become a major issue for some home builders and homeowners in the United States. The effects have run the gamut from disposal to litigation. An understanding of the mold issue from these points of view can aid private companies, public policy makers and extension professionals in developing and disseminating unbiased, useful information to these and other groups.
Homeowners in South Louisiana and elsewhere in the Gulf South who are building homes should add termite protection in the process. Combining termite protection with proper strapping for wind resistance and anchoring to prevent floatation present some challenges for maintaining the integrity of the barrier..
If you're thinking of rebuilding in a new location, and would consider moving to a new community, you can do some "long distance" research on the Internet, but visit the new community before making a decision.
Portal Page for information that would be helpful to people getting started with a project to build a new home on the same site as their storm-damaged home.
This section of the web includes information that will help Road Home participants get started planning their start-fresh, home building project.
Portal page for information about the advantages and disadvantages of site-built vs factory built homes or home components.
Many homes and other structures that were severely damaged in the Katrina and Rita hurricanes had been built on concrete slabs. The question that is on many homeowners’ minds is “Can I reuse the slab?” This answer will require homeowners to ask other questions that are explained in this article.
A flood-damaged building requires special attention to avoid or correct a mold population explosion.
