How To Repair A Mobile Home Roof

January 2, 2022

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Mobile Home Roof Over With Single

how to repair mobile home roof leaks.

White, single-ply TPO membranes are a popular choice for mobile homes with flat or low slope roofs.

TPO membranes are a polyester reinforced, reflective covering made of a blend of rubber and plastic that can protect your roof from rain and the wind. It can also lower your energy bills by about 30% in a hot climate by reflecting light and heat away from the home.

How To Deal With A Leak Emergency

Here are the 3 steps HomeTips.com suggest you do for a roof leak emergency:

Partially unroll or unfold enough heavy polyethylene sheeting to cover the leaking section of roof, from eaves to peak add about 4 feet extra, and cut it with a utility knife. Wrap one end around a 2 by 4 that is as long as the plastics width staple the plastic on to the 2 by 4. Sandwich the assembly with a second 2 by 4, and nail the boards together with three or four 3-inch or 3 1/4-inch common nails.

Place the sandwiched end of the plastic along the eaves. Stretch the sheeting from eaves to ridge, running it over the top of the ridge and down the other side a few feet.

Sandwich the top end of the sheeting with another pair of 2 by 4s so the wind will not carry it away. Do not nail any part of this assembly to the roof.

In some cases, you will be able to repair simple mobile home roofing leaks caused by issues such as missing shingle, caulking breakdown, and flashing damage. The rest is probably best left for a roofing professional.

Vent Roofing That Is Cracked

Vent booting refers to a gasket that we use to seal roof vents. You will know you have a cracked vent booting by identifying moldy odors and dark spots. Using a knife, gently cut away the old boot and replace it with a new one. Remember to secure the new boot with strong roofing nails. Then, add caulk to seal. This exercise should set you back $10-$20.

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What Do I Do With My Pitched Or Peaked Roof

Ok, weve covered the lions share of mobile home roof repair in talking about flat or bowed roofs, which are more prevalent on older homes.

So what if you have a pitched roof? This is where some different materials come in, and, in many cases, will be the point where a homeowner might call a contractor to perform the work.

Synthetic membranes can be applied to a pitched roof, and perform very well. But, the look is less than pleasing for most. On a flat or slightly bowed mobile home roof, most of the time theres no vantage point to see the rooftop or consider how good or bad it looks. With pitched and peaked roofs, theyre always looking back at you, so many homeowners prefer more traditional roof materials with added aesthetic appeal.

Replacing A Damaged Shingle Is A Relatively Easy Repair

What You’ll Need to Replace Shingles

Materials:

small piece of plywood.

Step 1: Cut through sealer strips

If installed properly, each shingle should have eight nails holding it in place: four in the middle, about Â½ inch above the tab cutouts , and four along the top . See the diagram that shows how shingles are installed.

To replace one shingle, you need to loosen at least three shingles: the one being replaced and the two shingles on the two rows above the damaged shingle. You will need to cut through the sealer strip on these shingles. The sealer strip is a dashed line of asphalt adhesive that runs across the middle of the shingle. To loosen, slide a long knife, putty knife or small crowbar under the damaged shingle. The tool must reach over halfway up the shingle. Slide it along the entire length of the shingle. Repeat this procedure for the shingles on the two rows above the damaged shingle.

Step 2: Remove nails along middle of damaged shingle

You do not want to crack or split the shingles above or below the damaged shingle. Carefully slide a pry bar under the damaged shingle. You might want to slide a piece of plywood under the pry bar to protect the shingle underneath. Gently pry up the damaged shingle, being careful not to damage the shingles above. You do not need to pry the damaged shingle up very far-just enough to loosen the four middle nails.

Step 3: Repeat procedure on next level

Step 4: Remove shingle

Step 5: Replace shingle

Step 6: Nail

Step 7: Cement

Finding And Repairing Leaks On Mobile Home Roofs With Shingles

Leaks follow the path of least resistance which can make it difficult to locate the problem. While a leak may reveal itself in one place the actual cause of the leak could be 4 foot above it.

Once water passes the roofing, it flows along the sheathing, roof rafters, or topside of ceilings until it finds a place to drip downinevitably onto your favorite piece of furniture.

HomeTips.com

Consider The License Numbers Of The Roofing Contractors

Roofing contractors are given license numbers to operate in any given county or city. A license number can tell you how long a contractor has been doing roofing repairs in the locality. The rule of thumb when looking at the licenses of roofing contractors is, the higher the license number the more recent the contractor has joined the industry.

Therefore, go for a contractor who has been in the business the longest. They must know their way around mobile home roof repair for their businesses to have survived as long as they have. Nonetheless, the license number will not tell you what to expect from the employees working for that contractor.

While a business might have been in operation for many years, they may be in the habit of hiring and firing employees so often that their many years in the business would make little sense when it comes down to the quality of work their inexperienced workforce can deliver.

How To Locate The Source Of Roof Problems

In some cases, the effects of a problematic roof can linger even after you make repairs, especially if you dont follow appropriate mobile home repair tips. When you look at it from the inside, the problem may not match the crack or leak on the exact position from the outside of the roof. Nonetheless, finding the source of the problem can be identified by doing a bit of investigation.

Tips to consider:

Regardless of your roof type, look for any problems both inside and outside. If your mobile home has more than one room, check all of them for any sign of damage. Afterward, use the damage to pinpoint the source. You may have to wait until winter or a rainy day to trace leaks and water patches. For cracks, you can use the moonlight.
Once you have identified the problem from the inside and outside, go inside the attic to measure the amount of damage.

Apart from the roof, look for other sources of pest infestation, plumbing leaks, and drips caused by air conditioning or heating units. Next, determine the damages extent. The size of the problem will help you determine whether to call a professional contractor or to repair the roof yourself.

Mobile Home Roofing Options: Materials Performance And Cost For Repair And Replacement

Mobile Home Roof Leak Repair

The topic of mobile home roofing raises many questions and considerations. Many times, one of the biggest dilemmas for a homeowner is deciding whether or not to repair the existing roof or to replace the roof altogether. To make the best possible decision, There are a variety of factors that should be evaluated.

We will cover some of the different roofing options for different roof systems across the various types of manufactured homes. The major distinction will be between mobile and manufactured homes, those built prior to June 1976 and after, respectively.

There is a very simple reason for this distinction.

Mobile homes, constructed prior to the 1976 implementation of HUD code, mostly have flat or bowed roofs. Manufactured homes, the coded homes built after 76, tend to have more pitched or peaked roofs.

Many homeowners who have a flat or bowed roof are in need of a roof repair or replacement. This is because the original roofing system is aged to the degree it has water leaks or wind damage. Flat roof systems hold water, which is detrimental to the home if not quickly repaired. A flat roof also takes more direct sun than a peaked or pitched roof.

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Dark Spots Or Water Spots On Your Mobile Homes Exterior Walls

These spots indicate loose, damaged or rusted flashing. You should plan an intervention if these spots get darker after it rains since missing or rusted flashing often lead to leaking roofs. When the flashing around vent pipes and skylights becomes rusted, it is only a matter of time before the rusted areas start sipping in water.

Sometimes, the metal can be blown away or loosened by strong winds, giving rain water a way into your home. Flashing can be difficult to replace given that the replacement must be a perfect fit if you are to avoid a leak in the future. Do not hesitate to call a roofing specialist if you are not confident in your ability to do a proper flashing replacement.

Mobile Home Roof Repair

One thing that most people who have ever lived in a mobile home can agree on is that their roofs just dont work. Trailer roofs are made out of long sheets of steel that are grooved to keep water out. While this building method works on the showroom floor, it doesnt work very well when the trailors start their trips to wherever they are being delivered. While traveling, these sheets of steel shift and move with the uneven roadways. This shifting creates leaks in what was once a well-sealed roof.

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Replacing A Bathtub Faucet

You can usually replace your bathtub faucet yourself, though be advised, you may take the fixture off and find damage which you didnt know existed. That said, here are the basics of replacing your mobile home bathtub faucet:

Shut off the water.

Take off the old faucet. Loosen nuts by hand or use pliers if theyre too tight.

Clean the area behind the old faucet if necessary.

Put plumbers putty around the inside edge of the new faucet.

Mount the new faucet on the wall. Check for alignment before tightening the nuts.

Hook up the water to the new faucet. Use fittings as necessary.

Turn the water on and run your new faucet for a while. Watch for leaks.

The Condition Of A Mobile Homes Roof

An important factor that plays into whether it is safe to walk on a mobile homes roof is the roofs condition. This is less likely to be an issue with a newer mobile home but can be a safety hazard with older ones.

If youre unsure, take a look at your roof and ceiling. Any indications that there may be rot underneath the roofing are a good indicator that you shouldnt walk on the roof. Inside, any sagging or leaking may indicate structural issues that can result in injury.

If you test your weight on a truss and it doesnt feel sturdy, dont put your full weight on it. There is always the possibility that a serious issue may not be visually apparent. Stepping onto a truss that is rotting or buckling can bring you crashing through the roof!

Also Check: How Often Should You Get Your Roof Replaced

More Mobile Home Roof Over Resources

Heres another Mobile Home Living article about roofing that may help: 8 Great Mobile Home Roofing Tips Find and Repair Leaks

This video may help, too:

If the roof on your mobile home is beginning to show its age, consider correcting the problem with a roof over. Less invasive and expensive than a complete re-roofing, mobile home roof overs can dramatically increase the curb appeal, function, and comfort of your home.

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Mobile Home Roof Advantages/disadvantages

In some respects, needed mobile home roof repairs are more readily apparent than traditional housing. Because there is usually very little attic space, a leak will present itself sooner and with less overall damage. That means mobile home repair to the roof can be addressed sooner rather than later.

With such small pitches , its much harder to find out where the leak is coming from. Many flat roofs hold water, spreading it out over a large area. After getting under the roof material, water can run in any direction before falling and pooling in a specific area.

This means you will need to investigate a much larger area of the roof. Of course, big issues like loose flashing or a large branch crashing through the roof are easy to spot. If there are no obvious points of entry, you may want to consider hiring a professional roofing contractor. Theyll investigate, estimate, and address the issue.

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Building A Self Supporting Mobile Home Roof Over

The following shows the building process of a self-supporting mobile home roof over.

This build was found in a forum for Chevrolet fans, the poster owns a single wide mobile home on Lake Eufaula in eastern Oklahoma with large decks on the front.

Summers were too hot to sit on the decks since there was no shade and if it rained there was nowhere to sit outside. He wanted to cover both decks but did not want to attach them to the mobile home in any way. He used Google SketchUp to develop the plan for the roof over:

Phase 1: Planning the Mobile Home Roof Over

Once the plan was created he ordered $3000 worth of 6x6s and 5Ã5 posts and began installing the posts around the home and the decks.

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When You Start Talking About Mobile Home Repair And Maintenance What Better Place To Start Than The Top

Mobile Home Roof Repair. How We Did It 1 of 1

This post was originally the first blog posted on the Basic Components blog when it first launched in 2003. Without any past posts, and with so many options, we werent sure where to start. As mobile home parts suppliers, our list of products and companies we represent from our main distribution center in Mansfield, Texas and our satellite representative warehouses all over the country is long and full of the most exceptional mobile home parts and supplies around. We could cover just about anything related to mobile home supply and service. So, we decided to just start at the top. Your mobile home roof.

Now in the mobile home industry, there are a wide variety of roofing styles, and as a result, a wide variety of mobile home replacement parts. Well try to keep our advice generic, so it applies to the broadest possible range of circumstances.

Signs That You Need To Repair Your Door

Its fairly easy to tell if your door needs some love. If it doesnt fit into the door jamb like it used to, then something has probably shifted. Often this means the hinges are not holding the door at the proper angle anymore. It may be a simple matter of tightening hinge screws that have started to pull away from the wall or the door itself. Alternately, you may need to replace your hinges.

If you adjust and/or replace your hinges, and the door still doesnt fit, you may have a more serious problem with your wall shifting. In that case, no amount of door repair is going to help.

If your knob is getting stuck, or if youre having trouble unlocking and locking your door, try lubricating it first. Usually, a squirt of WD-40 is enough to bring an old lock back to life. If you try that and still encounter problems, it may be time to replace the knob and lock assembly.

Take a look at your weather stripping, too. This gets so much wear, its often the first thing to go on a mobile home door. Luckily, its easy to replace.

Types Of Mobile Home Roof Materials

When it comes to mobile home roofing, there are several mobile home roofing options that have emerged as viable options.

Asphalt Shingles You may be surprised to learn that while asphalt shingles are arguably the most popular type of roofing material for single-family homes, theyre often not the best option for mobile homes. Thats because, in order to help form a quality roof, some two or three layers of shingles need to be laid. This can create a lot of excess weight, which isnt typically a problem for a traditional home with a basement or slab foundation. However, when it comes to mobile homes, the extra weight can be very damaging. Hence, its recommended that mobile homes with asphalt shingle roofs only consist of one layer of shingles. This, in turn, can become problematic as asphalt shingle mobile home roofs are more prone to leaking. The good news about asphalt shingles is that theyre among the most affordable of all roofing options and come in a wide range of colors and styles. A great video here on how the replacement process looks.

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Applying Roof Sealant To Mobile Homes

Your mobile home may develop leaks over time. Mainly, these leaks stem from eroding caulk around air conditioning units or vents on the roof. Seals in the roofing and even screw holes can become problematic. When you find a leak, youll need to apply some roof sealant in order to keep your home dry. The type of sealant you use very much depends upon what type of roofing you have. Most mobile homes will need to seal metal roofs, but some have plastic. Choose your materials to match your needs. Once you seal your roof properly using a roof sealant you should be able to maintain your roof for many years without risk of additional leakage.

Step 1 – Prepare the Roof

Before you can begin to add sealant to your roof, you will need to clean it and fix any problems which might already be on the roof. Use a brush or broom to wipe away small objects like twigs and dirt that have fallen onto your roof, and then inspect it for holes or cracks which might prevent the roof sealant from adhering properly. You should avoid walking on the roof while the adhesive is being applied, as this could cause more damage to the roof. Instead, use a ladder to access the parts of the roof as you work.