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Modular home construction is much like traditional stick construction, except that most of the building process happens offsite. Boxes, or modules are constructed in a factory, then transported to the home site for assembly and finishing. Construction quality, methods and standards for modular homes generally meet or exceed those of stick construction. Modular homes should not be confused with mobile homes or trailers.
Finding insurance for manufactured homes is something you can do by starting with an Internet search. Find insurance for manufactured homes with help from an independent insurance agent in this free video clip.
Pinning a mobile home with underpinning -- or skirting -- gives a home a more finished look, protects the underside of the home from nesting animals and can provide insulation for the pipes under the home. In cold climates underpinning may not be enough to keep the pipes from freezing. In this case, add heat under the mobile home using heat tape.
An air conditioning unit in a mobile home window can rescue your family from summer heat. These units are most effective in rooms where you spend a lot of time, like a bedroom or living area. Replacing an old unit with a newer, more efficient unit can lower your energy costs while keeping you cool.
Adding decorative features such as a gabled roof, a patio, porch or landscaping can increase the value of your mobile home and provide a more attractive appeal to your property. Each step of the way, you’ll need to make an investment in the improvements, however, so you should ensure those funds increase the value of your home.
Skirting protects the underside and plumbing of mobile homes from the effects of sunlight, weather and animals. Properly ventilate the area closed in by the skirting to prevent moisture buildup from causing mildew and mold from forming under the house. Install non-closing, louvered vents near all four corners of the home to promote cross-ventilation. Install at least one vent for every 150 square feet of floor area in the trailer, with a minimum of eight vents.
Over years of wear and exposure to the elements, your mobile home’s existing tar or rubber roofing will suffer mild to severe damage, cracks and holes. If left untreated, these unavoidable cracks and holes can begin to spread and cause serious damage inside of your mobile home. Overlaying an existing tar or rubber roof with a rubber roofing membrane provides you the security and dependability of the product without the hassle and expense of a tear-down.
If you live in a trailer house, mobile home or drive a recreational vehicle, you might use a Duo Therm furnace to provide heat. But just like a traditional home furnace, it’s possible to have heat problems after your Duo Therm furnace ignites. Before you pick up the phone to call a professional HVAC technician, consider troubleshooting the problem yourself.
Mobile homes are relatively lightweight when compared to conventionally built homes. For this reason, a mobile home must be secured -- or tied down -- to the ground to avoid shifting or tipping over in high winds. Made from steel rods, helical anchors have a circular plate at the bottom that allows them to be screwed into the ground. The anchors can be used to tie your mobile home to the ground and keep it secure during storms.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development standards make today’s “mobile” homes as strong and safe as many small homes. There’s always room for improvement, though. By the time you consider re-siding your manufactured home, you may already have upgraded your home’s ceiling and floor insulation. Take the opportunity to improve the minimum standard insulation in your walls while they're open.
When installing mobile home skirting directly on the ground instead of a slab foundation, it's a good idea to install a frost cap. A frost cap provides an even surface for mounting the skirting's bottom rail and allows for shifts in the ground due to frost. A frost cap is basically a wood border on the ground around the perimeter of the mobile home. Installing a frost cap for mobile home skirting also helps prevent damage to the bottom rail when trimming with a weed trimmer.
Soffits protect the exposed rafter tails on your roof from exposure to the elements. If the wood on the soffits rots, it’s time to replace the soffit boards with new ones before the damage becomes too extensive. You don’t have to climb onto the roof to do soffit repair work, but you must use caution as you'll be using a ladder to reach the soffits. If you need to replace the soffits and the rafters underneath, you should know how to use a reciprocating saw safely.
Mobile homeowners may often be faced with roof maintenance problems, such as leaking and rusting of the metal components. To preserve the roofing materials and to conserve energy, many owners build a roof overlay structure to catch the rainwater and snow that can accumulate on metal materials and lead to corrosion. This type of roof-over system can be built with simple materials and a few tools to help extend the life of the roof for years beyond its normal life expectancy.
Mobile and manufactured homes built in the 1980s and 1990s often include interior vertical or horizontal siding storm windows. Made from aluminum or vinyl, vertical siding storm windows include a screen, a lower moveable sash and a fixed upper sash. The lower sash opens and closes on a double-track frame. A window counterbalance prevents the lower sash from sliding downward. You can remove the lower and upper sash if you need to clean, repair or replace the storm window.
A Nordyne Miller oil furnace can be used to heat small homes, including mobile homes. The furnace uses heating oil as the primary fuel instead of natural gas. The lines of an oil furnace may occasionally need to be bled to release excess air due to a refilled or low oil tank or other adjustments made to the unit. Bleeding the lines should only be done by an adult familiar with operating the furnace and capable of performing the task safely.
Like site-built homes, mobile homes use either window units or central air conditioners. A split-system air conditioner, or central A/C, requires a condenser unit that sits outside the mobile home. The condenser and the interior furnace pump freon in and out of the home while the furnace's A-coil removes the heat from the interior air. The furnace's blower then distributes the A-coil's cold air throughout the home. Central A/C installation in a mobile home is the same as a site-built home, but electricity and space needs require additional attention before installation.
Mobile homes, also called manufactured homes, generally have metal roofs that take a great deal of wear from harsh weather conditions. This abuse can cause holes and leaks from roofing connections, as well as poor energy efficiency. To solve these problems, homeowners must install a new mobile home roof or retrofit the roof to provide better protection from the elements. Do-it-yourself homeowners can add a new roof quickly over a few days with seamless rubber roofing.
Mobile homes, also called manufactured homes, provide inexpensive and comfortable housing for people on limited or fixed incomes. Today’s mobile homes contain the same utilities and amenities of traditional housing but in a more compact system. Newer models of manufactured homes are much stronger than older models and may have tie-down and bracing systems built into their structures. Local building codes can vary on the requirements for blocking, bracing and tying down mobile homes. Research your local building codes thoroughly before proceeding.
Manufactured homes -- previously known as mobile homes -- are an affordable alternative to what is called site built homes, or those constructed piece by piece in a traditional fashion on location. Many companies specialize in manufactured homes, and they build into them the same type of indoor and outdoor electrical capacity as any other home.
Modular homes often have lower-quality roofs than homes built on-site, and you may eventually find it necessary to replace the shingles with a tin roofing system. Installing a tin roof is a highly involved project requiring hours of work, but it is simple enough for any able-bodied home owner to do. Have an assistant or two help you and wear both protective rubber-palmed gloves and safety goggles to prevent injury.
Roofing the edge of a roof is the same process regardless if you are working with a modular home, mobile home, log cabin or any other type of structure. When you add a porch to the side of your mobile home, you need to flash the roof to keep any water from soaking into the eaves of the house under the edge of the roofing material, above the gutters. It is a simple process that requires only a few basic tools, allowing you to quickly and easily protect your new porch roof from rain damage.
Designing and framing a home requires structural elements that can hold the weight of all construction that is placed above them. Roof trusses are the topmost load-bearing elements in most homes, connecting the walls and providing a base for the roof itself. They support the weight of the roof.
Many mobile homes have a central furnace heating system, much like traditional homes. However, the duct work for the furnace system runs under the mobile home and attaches to the floor via metal straps. Although the underside of mobile homes often has skirting covering it, the space is basically exposed to outdoor temperatures. For this reason, mobile home owners must properly insulate the furnace ductwork so the furnace functions as efficiently as possible.
When a roof develops problems such as cracks or leaks, homeowners can choose to replace the roof completely or take measures to repair it. Mobile home roofs often have a protective sealant that, over time, can develop cracks that allow moisture to invade the roof. Roof sealants not only seal out moisture, but some products protect the roof from mildew and algae. Others reflect sunlight, keeping the home cooler in summer.
Mobile home manufacturers sometimes use particle board as subfloor material in order to cut construction costs. This product does not last long, especially when the floor that has water exposure, such as a bathroom or laundry room. If you find you need to replace the particle board in your mobile home floor, the process is not difficult. When you do the floor repair, use 3/4-inch plywood as the particle board replacement. This is the same material used in regular home construction for subflooring.
Every forced-air furnace has a blower system designed to circulate the air it heats. The blower system is made from several parts, including the fan, the fan setting and the motor that operates the fan. If you have noticed reduced air flow from your furnace, the problem may lie in fan maintenance, or may even be the size of the furnace itself.
Attaching a wooden door overhang is an attractive way to provide shelter for the doorway of your mobile home. Depending on the size and design, the overhang can protect you and your visitors from sun and rain when opening the door to enter or exit the home. A wood overhang adds permanence and elegance to the doorway, increasing curb appeal and bringing a natural component to the mobile home's generally man-made materials. These overhangs can be interwoven with vines or other plants for a truly natural look.
Exterior wooden louvered shutters served utilitarian and aesthetic purposes on homes throughout the United States during the 1700s and 1800s. A louvered shutter, now as then, features a series of parallel slats. Some louvered shutters' slats are fixed and others' are adjustable. Adjustable slats allow homeowners to determine how much sunlight enters through the windows and serve as a measure of extra security. With the exception of faux shutters, which are just for show, modern exterior wooden louvered shutters use the same open-and-close mechanics found in historic models.
Insulation makes any home more energy efficient, providing a barrier that prevents heat from transferring into and out of the interior. Mobile homes, also called manufactured homes, are made primarily of metal, which is not a good insulator. Often the insulating material in a mobile home's roof is minimal and may be inadequate for the climate. In addition, the space in the roof area may be narrow, limiting the insulation material choices. Although insulating the roof of your mobile home may be challenging, the project will pay off in reduced energy costs.
An unpleasant odor wafting out from under your mobile home can be caused by a number of factors. Moisture that results in mold, a dead animal or garbage create smells due to odor-causing bacteria. While most smells dissipate over time, a heavy odor that's causing your yard or the inside of your mobile home to smell requires a solution. You can get rid of the smell under your mobile home with a few simple techniques and supplies.
Like traditional homes, mobile homes often have wooden window frames for aesthetic touches. Although wooden window frames are durable, they occasionally acquire dry rot and require repairing. Wooden window frames exposed to high moisture content, such as from leaking gutters, are especially likely to decay. The longer decaying window frames are neglected, the more rotted and weaker they become. Promptly repair a decaying wooden window frame on a mobile home to prevent the frame from deteriorating and becoming completely irreparable.
Refacing the front panels of mobile home cabinets can dramatically improve the appearance of a kitchen. The simple act of cleaning, sanding and resurfacing the cabinets will change the first impression of those who walk into the home and can subsequently improve the impressions of the rest of the home and the comfort of those living in it. Refacing the cabinets requires lots of space and manual labor to see it through to completion.
When it comes to buying an air conditioning unit for your mobile home, bigger is not always better. If you buy a unit that is larger than you need you will end up overpaying in two ways. You will pay more for the air conditioning unit and you will pay more in energy costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
A patio awning provides shade for you as you enjoy your outdoor space. It faces the hot rays of the sun plus the effects of wind, snow and rain. Over time, these elements cause the fabric to deteriorate and begin to tear. Awning repair is easiest if the tear is small. In most cases you can fix an awning with supplies available at a recreational vehicle dealership or a store that sells camping equipment. Any tear longer than 3 feet or the equivalent of one-fourth the length of the awning may require the services of an awning-repair professional.
Fake walls -- commonly referred to as false walls -- were known, historically, to conceal runaway slaves, fugitives, alcohol or hidden rooms and secret compartments. Well placed walls today can conceal ugly pipes and ductwork or frame a home theater system. In a mobile home, where space is so often at a premium, a fake wall sectioning off a room into two expands your room options. The biggest difference between a fake wall and regular walls is the fake wall doesn't carry any weight from the roof.
Mobile homes have insulation built into them. Depending on the age and manufacturer of the home, you may not need to do any additional insulation to the floor to protect your pipes from freezing. Even if your home is well insulated, you do want to enclose the exposed underside of the home with mobile home skirting for appearance sake. Wood panel skirting is available in a variety of styles to dress up the base of the house and to protect your pipes. You can add foam sheets to the back of the wood skirting to provide additional insulation.
A deck or porch space for a mobile home can function as outdoor living space. The wooden decking will provide room to store items on rainy days before entering the home. It can also give the front of the mobile home more visual appeal, especially if the roof space is well crafted. The roof lines of the entrance structure and any railings will help define its architectural look. You can create the entrance as a stand-alone structure, or you can attach it permanently to the mobile home.
Mobile homes provide an affordable alternative to traditional homes that are permanently set into the ground, but they can be more susceptible to maintenance issues, such as sagging floors. Sagging floors that are located near a doorway can be indicative of a number of problems, including water damage, pests or support issues.
The mobile home is a type of inexpensive housing found across the United States. These manufactured homes offer features similar to traditionally built homes and are available in a variety of price ranges. Because of their design, mobile homes can be difficult for children and seniors to enter, so steps are often recommended. Prefab wood steps are available in a variety of sizes and prices.
Choosing the best insulation for the ceiling of your mobile or manufactured home requires an understanding of the kinds of insulation materials available, the regulations that apply to mobile homes and evaluation of the energy savings you can achieve. The efficiency of insulation materials is measured in terms of resistance to heat flow (R-value); insulation with a high R-value is better than insulation with a lower R-value. Multiple layers of insulation can provide an accumulated R-value or effect.
Also known as manufactured homes, mobile homes are required to comply with the rules laid down by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. One of these rules is the requirement to install only HUD-approved water heaters to avoid potential fire risks. Water heaters not approved by HUD may create a problem if you sell the home and an inspector notices, or if you have a fire and your insurance company investigates.
One of the final steps when installing your mobile home skirting is installing the top front rail. The top front rail helps secure the skirting panels in place, preventing them from blowing away during high winds. The back rail is flat except for a C-channel at the top of the rail. The top front panel locks into the back rail C-channel, locking the top of the skirting panels in between. Installing the top front rail on a mobile home is a straightforward process.
Most trailer house cabinets are made of pressed board, which consists of thin layers of wood pressed and bonded together with glue or resin. Some cabinets are made of particleboard, which is similar and may contain paper fibers or chipped wood. Usually, the cabinets are covered with wood veneer to make them appear more like real wood. Pressed board or particleboard cabinets are more porous than regular wood and require special care to prevent warping or peeling.
Mobile homes offer the convenience of transit but they also sacrifice durability. As a result, mobile homes are often more susceptible to exterior damage than traditional houses as a result of severe weather conditions or impact damage. If your mobile home suffers a hole in its exterior from impact, puncture or corrosion, it needs repair as soon as possible to prevent leaking and loss of internal temperature. Repairing a hole in the side of a mobile home requires some basic materials to patch the damage.
Mobile homes present certain challenges for the home repairer, yet they also allow for a certain amount of freedom regarding customized installations. Adding a temporary wall to a mobile home is useful when creating additional bedroom space due to an unforeseen change in housing requirements. Additional walls can add a studio or workspace or give additional privacy to an open floor plan. Temporary walls can be rustic with simply bare plywood, or can be finished using drywall and paint.
Mobile homes are snug and comfortable so long as they are sealed. If you have gaps in the walls of your mobile home, cold air gets into your home while warm air escapes. Some places where gaps often occur is close to windows and around the pipes close to the ceiling. If you are looking to reduce the airflow through your mobile home, use caulk to close the gap and increase your home’s insulating properties.
Renovating an older mobile home's kitchen is a fairly inexpensive upgrade. If the appliances and cabinets are in good condition, simply removing and replacing old, worn-out countertops will improve the kitchen's appearance and functionality. While many remodeling projects incorporate flashy granite countertops, a renovation with well-made Corian or Formica countertops will dress up a mobile home's interior without blowing your budget.
Strip footings are required to provide solid support to mobile homes. The exact width and construction of such footings differs slightly by state. Determine the building codes for your area by contacting your building department before starting construction to ensure your footings are up to code.
Building steps for the front porch on a mobile home requires basic skills using woodworking tools. When you build steps, they must follow building codes that are intended to keep people safe when using the stairs. The average do-it-yourselfer can complete the project in a couple of hours, depending on the number of steps the stringer must accommodate.
Mobile homes, also called “manufactured” homes, often have insufficient insulation, especially if they were built before 1976. In that year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development introduced the HUD Code to regulate the quality of manufactured homes, which included the installation of energy-efficient doors and windows and wall insulation. You can use blown-in insulation in your mobile home to improve its energy efficiency and for other purposes that require a sealant, whether the home is a pre- or post-1976 model.
