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The roof is the most essential component of a mobile home's structure. Single and double wide home roofs endure snow, rain, heat, hail storms, ice, trees, windstorms, hurricanes. tornados, and lets not forget critters. Your roof doesn't only protect the structure below. It also provides a safe haven for your family, which is the roofs most important function. Mobile homes can be equipped with a few different kinds of roofing material. Most mobile home roofs will be constructed with asphalt shingles or metal. Asphalt shingles are the best type of roof material to use when the home has a high pitch. This is also known as a high slope roof. Most mobile home roofing installations in the past were made with flat roofs or low slope roofs. Today home owners are opting to go with roofs with a higher slope for a few good reasons. Flat roofs do not drain water away from the house like high slope roofs. Flat roofs also have a shorter life cycle for this reason. Water has the potential to pool up on a flat roof. This can lead to roof leaks and also accelerate the need for roof repair. There is also aesthetic reasons to go with a high slope roof. This style of roof will give your mobile home a more modern look while still providing superior protection for the rest of the home. Many times your roof is the culprit when it comes to your house not being energy efficient. A house that is not properly insulated will cost you a lot more in heating oil, electricity, and energy bills. This begins with the roof. Heat rises to the top. If your roof is not insulated, you will always find yourself raising the temperature in your home to keep it warm. Most mobile home roofs are insulated with fiberglass or spray foam. Here are some things to consider when it comes to making decisions about your mobile home roof.
Before you opt for a total roof replacement, you should check to see its possible to repair your mobile home roof. Usually membrane roofs such as TPO and EPDM can be repaired. Most mobile home roofs in North America are constructed with a metal or rubber roof. We will begin by discussing metal roofs first. When contractors refer to metal roofs, they usually are referring to using aluminum. Aluminum is a very popular building material because of its versatility. It can accomodate roofs of high and low slopes. Aluminum is lightweight and very durable. Most standing seam roofs are constructed out of aluminum. Aluminum roofs usually carry long warranties. They are easy for a contractor to install and require little maintenance. When you are re-roofing your mobile home, you can also install insulation at areas that need it. If you are installing a metal roof over your existing roof, it is common practice for roofing contractors to add insulation between your original and new roof. This saves money in the long run, because the new insulation will help prevent drafts and help you maintain the temperature in your home. Adding insulation to your metal or asphalt roof is also important to prevent ice damming. Ice damming is when layers of ice form in the gap between your gutter system and your roofing shingles. Ice damming results in water pooling on your roof; due to the waters inability to drain properly into your gutters.
With new technology advances, it is recommended to avoid using flat roofs on your mobile home. Flat mobile home roofs are synonomous with roof leaks. They are more prone to having problems. One of the problems with flat roofs is poor drainage. Water has the tendency to collect and pool on flat surfaces. On a roofing surface such as shingles or metal, this can lead to a roofs early deterioration. Flat roofs also have a larger surface area that is exposed to the sun's heat. That is why you should go with a material like TPO that has strong reflective properties. Rubber asphalt roofs also have a tendency to blister from the heat. This can result in roof leaks and tears in the roofs exterior lining requiring extensive repairs.
Most newer manufactured homes are built with pitched roof systems. The top roof materials of choice today are metal or asphalt shingles. Shingles have become the roof over material of choice for most residential applications. Shingles are relatively easy to install, they can last 25-30 years, and they add an aesthetic beauty to your home improvement project. A shingle roof can have more than one layer. Your home may not require a whole new roofing replacement. If you currently have asphalt shingles. It is possible to add another layer of shingles to your existing roof. This is commonly done to repair leaks when asphalt roofs near the end of their useful life. TPO is another option. TPO is a roofing membrane that is used on both high and low slope roofs. It is reflective, affordable, and easy for a contractor to install. It is commonly referred to as rubber roofing. Usually you will have two roofing options. Either repair your roof or replace your roof. The installation costs of the roof will vary depending on materials used, roofing contractor, and the style and size of the roof. Although roof cost is important, it is not advisible to cut costs here. A roof improperly installed can lead to a constant need for roof repair. That is why we do not recommend rolled rubber roofing for your mobile home.
Mobile home rubber roof coatings are an easy way to keep your mobile home cool. This process entails adding a elastomeric coating to your roof to reflect the suns heat. This will help you with air conditioning costs. It also helps keep your roof from having roof leaks because this material will bond to the existing roof surface to keep water out. When this liquid rubber is applied around protrusions like mobile home roof vents and chimneys, it will perform like flashing. It is usually applied with a brush. This is a necessity for mobile homes with flat roofs. Most roof coatings will be asphalt based. Another roof coating option is latex. Latex has shown to be a more reflective coating material than asphalt. Latex will require the use of a primer prior to applying the actual coating. It is recommended that you reapply a roof coating to your flat roof every couple of years to maintain its integrity. Any roofing material that you choose for your mobile home will require a regular maintenance plan. You should check with your contractor and learn about your roofing options. It is not advisable to do a roof replacement yourself. Whether you should use asphalt shingles, rubber roofing, or metal roofing on your mobile home will likely depend on your surrounding climate conditions, the quality and experience of your contractor, and how much you are looking to spend. This guide should be able to give you a helping hand.
