Wednesday, March 20, 2024
HomeBuildHow To Build A Roof On A Mobile Home

How To Build A Roof On A Mobile Home

Moving Walls In A Mobile Home

Putting A New Roof On A Mobile Home : E031 / BC Renovation Magazine

When you remodel a mobile home, youll learn it can be different from a traditional home. Things are sized differently, and you face little odds and ends you may not have expected.

However, this tutorial will show you how to move mobile home walls to change the layout in your existing home and potentially open it up.

Examples Of Mobile Home Additions

Below you can see a mobile home addition that passed inspection and can be found on The Inspector Blues blog.

It is independently supported, has wired smoke detectors, an exit, sits on an 18 grade, and is built with pressure-treated wood. It may not be great looking but it had what it needed to pass its inspections and current codes are not lax at all.

Heres a park model manufactured home getting an addition built onto it. Notice how theyve done the roof:

Another park model manufactured home addition and carport built by HorseFly Construction:

The next photo shows a huge addition built onto a double wide manufactured home by Addon Rooms:

Weve featured a few homes with additions:

Questions and Answers about Mobile Home Additions

Its not hard to grow out of a home. We had two adults, a child, and 3 fur babies living in a 1978 single wide with 696 square feet of living space. I often dreamed of building an addition onto the home!

The following questions about mobile home additions cover topics such as adding a garage, living in a home while the addition is being built, and the cost of an addition.

How Much Does A Mobile Home Addition Cost

Im looking to add a bedroom to my mobile home. Can it be done at $2000 or under? Im thinking of either a nursery or the master. Thinking if Im going to add might as well get a bigger bedroom. Im assuming I have footings because I dont have blocks.

Im thinking of either a nursery or a master bedroom. Thinking if Im going to add might as well get a bigger bedroom. Im assuming I have footings because I dont have blocks.

The simple answer to your question is no. There is little chance that you can legally build a complete bedroom addition for less than $2000. Materials alone will cost at least $2000 and then you have labor and inspections to pay for.

The foundation of your manufactured home will not matter because the addition must be built as a completely separate structure. New footers or slab foundation will be required for the addition.

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Tpo Roofs Vs Competitors Roofs

Our roof over system is specifically designed and engineered for manufactured homes and low sloped roofs. There are no exposed screws anywhere on top of the roof. Even our vents have no exposed screws they are hot air welded to the roof. Our Roof Over is a true 1 piece blanket of Protection that is hot air welded to ensure no areas for water to leak into your home. We use double foil faced insulation to provide maximum energy efficiency and reflect the radiant heat so our roofs NEVER get hot under any temperature. Our roofs also reduce noise up to 75%.

Aluminum/metal Roof Overs DO NOT COME IN 1 PIECE, they are crimped either every 4 feet or every foot. Aluminum roof over systems are not recommended for manufactured homes or low slope roofs. Theyre recommended for 3/12 pitch or steeper due to the fact that they have screws and adhesives on top of the roof exposed to the harsh Florida environment that will crack, rust and fail which creates leaks. Aluminum/metal roofs also tend to get extremely hot in Florida due to the environment. Aluminum/metal roofs are significantly louder.

When TPO is not installed properly it will ripple therefore causing problems with your roof in the future. TPO roof installation is very important and needs to be done properly.

TPO Flashing is a 1 piece flashing with no seams, caulks, or adhesives. Metal flashing is caulked and seamed ever 10 feet which is bound to fail in Florida’s harsh environment.

Our Roofs

What Is A Mobile Home Roof Over

Advantages of a Roof Over for Mobile Homes

A mobile home roof over involves placing a new roof or roofing material over your existing roof. Theres little to no material removed which can keep costs down. Less labor is needed and there are much smaller refuse fees.

A mobile home roof over creates a unique opportunity to completely change the look of the home. Color, material, and even the shape of the roof can be changed when a new roof is installed on an older mobile home. Flat roofs can become pitched and pitched roofs can go higher.

The image below shows a pitched roof being built over a single wide mobile home that originally had a flat roof.

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Porches Are An American Tradition

Porches are an American tradition. Many of us were practically raised on a front porch. I know I sure was! Aside from being a great gathering place for family and neighbors, porches have many other advantages extended living space and energy savings are two of the best.

I think every home needs a porch, especially manufactured homes. Add a covered porch to a factory-built home and you can make it look just like a traditional site-built home . Its a great way to add depth and dimension to a house which is the most important element in curb appeal.

If your home is high enough off the ground your options for roofing are broadened. You can design the roof to simply continue down from the homes roof pitch which is what they did.

This photo of the building process and was found on a great little blog called Butterfly Musings.

The single wide below was one of the first featured homes on Mobile Home Living. Its special to me because we bought our single wide without knowing the manufacturer so I began researching online and came across this home its an almost exact replica of our home! You can read more about this home here.

This single wide has a combination porch and deck that circles around the home. Its perfect because this home happens to be right beside a beautiful river and the view is awesome!

This next double wide manufactured home has a beautiful porch! Faux rock panels are used on the columns and it really makes a statement. This home was found on FauxPanels.com.

Shingled Mobile Home Roof Overs

A real shingle roof for mobile homes is absolutely possible for most models. They can have a higher pitch or gables too. Shingle roof overs are also installed right over your existing roof, as long as you have not already had a roof over previously.

The subject of whether its a good idea to add a second layer of shingles is much debated in the roofing industry. Be sure to get an experts opinion on your home before you make a decision. There seems to be a split in opinion on layering the new shingles over the old. Some roofing experts say you can do on manufactured homes that have 2×4 studs 12-16 OC and roof trusses that are 16 OC or less. Others roofing experts have told me they wont do it on any manufactured home.

If youre set on a shingle roof you come in a few different options and styles for roof overs, as well as several different colors and textures.

The main benefit of a shingle roof is the appearance. Shingles can dramatically improve the curb appeal of your property. Installing shingles is typically more costly than a TPO or metal roof but can improve the value a little more so you may recoup the costs.

Its not unusual to see asphalt shingles on a mobile home, particularly on homes with pitched roofs. Because asphalt is frequently used on site-built homes, many people are drawn to their appearance. Asphalt has a class A fire-rating and its available in a wide array of styles and colors.

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Video Tours And Construction Videos

We have added several of the top manufactured home builders construction videos below. This should make it easy for you to see how each company differs. Remember, though, a few of the brands below are owned by the same corporation so there really isnt much of a difference. Also, keep in mind that these brands are showing their best models in these videos and therefore their best construction. Most models that builders offer will not have the materials mentioned.

How Walls Are Built In Manufactured Homes

Adding a Roof to a Mobile Home Porch

Walls are built using wood boards called studs. Studs are the vertical boards and are normally 2 x 4 and spaced every 16 in a manufactured home. Thats what the term 16 OC, or on center means in construction lingo. Better quality manufactured homes will have 2×6 studs and more affordable homes will have 2x3s. State laws and wind zones will determine how your manufactured home is constructed.

Interior walls, sometimes called partition walls because they separate space and have no load bearing qualities, can be 2x2s and spaced 24 apart.

The vertical studs are held together with horizontal boards called bottom plates and top plates. Home Tips shares a helpful illustration of the parts of a wall:

Walls around doors and windows are built differently to distribute weight down the sides of the rough opening. Structural headers are used above the doors and windows to reinforce the area. Oftentimes trimmer or king studs will be used .

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Large Porch On A Single Wide

If youre under the impression you must have a small porch because you live in a single wide, take a look at this design idea. Its gorgeous!

Basically, they included a large wrap around porch on a single wide. It leaves room for relaxing and entertaining. Plus, it gives the home a nice outdoor look too.

Can You Live In The Home While Building A Mobile Home Addition

Is it possible to live in the main home while the addition is being built and sealed or is there a certain point when you have to move out for a bit? Even if hiring contractors and builders.

Yes, you should be able to live in your home while building a mobile home addition. Since the addition is a completely separate structure you can absolutely live in the home during construction. Only when you are cutting through to attach the two together will there be any activity done to the home itself.

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How To Build A Roof Over A Mobile Home

Building a roof over a mobile home will not only improve the aesthetic quality of a mobile home, but it will also cut down on heating and cooling costs.

A roof over a mobile home can also help prevent damage from falling tree limbs as well as cut down on the annoying noise of hearing heavy raindrops falling on the roof. Anyone with basic carpentry skills can build a roof over a mobile home. However, building the roof will be easier if there are two people working on the roof together.

Mobile Home Porches & Decks Guide

Mobile Home Patio Roof Keep Doorways Out Of The Weather ...

Whether youre looking to add functional living space, curb appeal or a place to just lounge and relax, a mobile home porch can make for a great additional feature. These types of porches are typically built at the front of a mobile home, covered and are usually built using wood boards and a cinder block base. When it comes to mobile home porches, the design potential is truly endless. Porches can be built to incorporate ramps for elderly or handicapped residents. Perhaps you want one built with pillars, railings, and ceilings for a more elegant look? Or porches can be built to be screened in so that they can double as functional living space in addition to the mobile home itself. This post will take a closer look at mobile home porches, how they differ from mobile home decks, porch design ideas and how to build one yourself.

Mobile Home Porch vs. Mobile Home Deck

The main difference between a porch and deck in a conventional setting also rings true when it comes to a mobile home application porches are covered , where decks are not. Decks, or patios, may also be installed at either the front or the back of a mobile home, where porches are almost always built at the front of the home. Despite these key differences, there are many similarities between porches and decks when it comes to how they are constructed, which you can learn more about later in this piece. Essentially, you first have to build a deck when youre building a porch more on this later.

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What Is Considered A Permanent Foundation For A Mobile Home

The permanent foundation for a mobile or manufactured home is made of durable construction materials such as the following:

  • Clay concrete
  • Mortared masonry
  • Treated wood

The foundation has attachment points to anchor to assure stability against the movement of underground soil or rock. All new foundations must be approved by a local certified inspector.

Footings For Mobile Home Additions

An addition needs a completely separate foundation from the home. And, like any structure, the footers must be placed below the frost line to keep them from shifting when the moisture around the cracks in the ground freeze causing the footers to heave and bow.

There are poured footers, cinder blocks, slabs, and piles. Footings for a mobile home addition should be determined by the depth of the frost line of your area, even if your home does not have the frost line footers so that shifting is minimal.

Heres a map showing the frost line depths for the US:

Footers are installed below the frost line so that the addition doesnt sink or shift.

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Can Mobile Home Construction Be Customized

If you are a homebuyer who is interested in new, upscale manufactured homes, you likely will begin to notice youre in a very favorable position. Manufactured home buyers already get more home for the dollar, and there are a great variety of floor plans to choose from. Add to that, a buyer looking at a new manufactured home can modify or customize the floor plan. If you ask that a wall is moved or counter heights are changed, there is a high likelihood the builder can accommodate the request at a reasonable cost. Do you want a small office in the third bedroom? Or a dog bath in the rear mudroom? Consider it done.

Planning A New Porch For Your Manufactured Home

Adding a Structured Roof to a Mobile Home

Once youve chosen the perfect deck or porch design for your manufactured home youll need to start planning the build.

Simple deck designs can be built by experienced DIY enthusiasts. If youre knowledgeable of basic construction methods and comfortable with tools it should be a fairly straight-forward process. More complex builds are probably best left to the professionals.

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Assess Your Needs Before You Start

Before beginning any construction on your mobile home, its essential to evaluate your needs and desires. At this stage, you should consider the aesthetic appeal you want, structural challenges to overcome and the budget youve set aside for the project. To save money, consider undertaking some of the building tasks yourself, to cut down on labor costs.

Starting with the cosmetics, you should make sure that quality window designs are integrated. You can also incorporate special lighting fixtures to create the desired mood. As you build your own double wide home, its important to pay attention to the regularly used features, like sinks, faucets, and cabinets. Given the constant use of these areas, they should be well-designed and fitted with the right equipment to enhance your enjoyment of the overall atmosphere.

Additions Arent Actually Attached To The Home At All

First and foremost, additions should never be attached to a manufactured home at all. The addition must be a completely separate unit that is simply butted up to the home and sealed. You want the addition and the home to shift independently and only have a minimal connection that doesnt impede the separate movement.

A mobile home addition must move freely from the home.

To put it simply, you arent attaching the addition to the home at all, you are building extremely close to the home and then sealing the crack between the home and the addition to prevent air and moisture leaks.

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Tpo And Pvc Membranes For Mobile Home Roof Repair

The TPO membrane has been used for roof repair of all kinds for about 25 years. It is highly regarded because it costs less than EPDM and PVC membranes and is still relatively easy to install.

TPO is flexible for a variety of dimensions and home types, partly because it comes 5-foot wide rolls that can easily be adapted for small sections of roof. However, because TPO comes in widths lesser than a single-section home, it will have seams that need to be properly prepped, managed and maintained.

Any seam that is created in TPO requires a metal brush or grinder cleaning of the metal roof below for proper adhesion. When tacked down, the next section of TPO is overlaid and heat melded to the underlying section.

With proper preparation and attention, TPO seams can remain secure for many years. However, absent the proper prep, application, and maintenance, the seals can become damage and provide an increased likelihood of allowing water and or/ice to get in the roof.

Much of the same can be said for PVC. However, PVC for commercial and residential roofing has been in use for twice as long as TPO. This means its longevity and performance record is much more understood. Additionally, PVC is available in multi-ply fabrication that creates a substantial barrier to moisture and heat even if used in black, beige and colors other than white.

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