The roofing system is one of the most essential component of a mobile home's structure. Single and double-wide home roofs endure snow, rainfall, hot weather, hailstorms, ice, tree branches, windstorms, hurricanes. twisters, and lets not over look critters. Your roof doesn't only guard the structure below. It also provides a safe haven for your family members, which is the roofs most important function. Mobile homes may be equipped with a few different kinds of roofing material. Most mobile home roofs will be built with asphalt shingles or metal. Asphalt shingles are the most effective 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 systems in the past were made with flat roofs or low slope roofs. Today homeowners are opting to go with roofs with a steeper slope for numerous reasons. Flat roofs do not drain water away from the house like high slope roofs. Flat roofs also have a much shorter life cycle for this reason. Rainwater 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 cosmetic reasons to go with a high slope roof. This type of roof will give your mobile home a more modern look while still providing exceptional protection for the rest of the house. Often times your roof is the culprit when it comes to your house not being energy efficient. A house that is not thoroughly 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 level in your home to keep it warm. Most mobile home roofing is insulated with fiberglass or spray foam. Here are some things to think about when it comes to making decisions about your mobile home roofing.
Before you decide on a total roof over, you should check to see its possible to repair your mobile home roof. Usually membrane roofs like TPO and EPDM may be repaired. Most mobile home roofs in The U.S. are designed with a metal or rubber roof. We will begin by discussing metal roofs first. When roofers refer to metal roofs, they usually are referring to using aluminum. Aluminum is a very popular building material due to its versatility. It can accommodate roofs of high and low slopes. Aluminum is light-weight and very strong. Most standing seam roof coverings are constructed out of aluminum. Aluminum roofs usually carry long manufacturer's warranties. They are easy for a contractor to install and require little servicing. 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 roofers to add insulation in between your original and new roof. This saves money down the road, 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 stop ice damming. Ice damming is when layers of ice form in the gap between your gutter system and your roofing shingles. Ice damming leads to water accumulating on your roof; due to the waters inability to drain efficiently in to your gutters.
With new modern technology advances, it is encouraged to avoid using flat roofs on your manufactured home. Flat mobile home roof coverings are synonomous with roof leaks. They are more vulnerable to having issues. Among the problems with flat roofs is poor water drainage. Rainwater has the propensity to collect and pool on flat surface areas. On a roofing surface such as shingles or metal, this can result in a roofs early deterioration. Flat roofs also have a larger surface area that is exposed to the sun's heat energy. That is why you should opt for a component like TPO that has strong reflective qualities. Rubber asphalt roofs also have a tendency to bubble from the heat. This can cause roof leaks and ripples in the roofs exterior lining requiring repair.
Most newer mobile homes are manufactured with pitched roof systems. The leading roof building 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 just one layer. Your manufactured home may not need a whole new roof over. If you currently have asphalt shingles. It is feasible to add an additional layer of shingles to your existing roof. This is typically done to repair leaks when asphalt roofs near the end of their functional life. TPO is one more option. TPO is a roofing membrane that is used on both high and low slope roofs. It is reflective, cost effective, 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 differ depending on materials used, the roofing contractor, and the design and size of the roof. Although roof cost is important, it is not advisable to cut costs here. A roof improperly installed can lead to a constant demand for roof repair. This is why we do not suggest rolled rubber roofing for your mobile home.
Mobile home rubber roof coatings are an easy means to keep your mobile home cool. This process requires applying a elastomeric coating to your roof to reflect the suns heat. This will help you with air conditioning costs. It also helps keep your roofing system from having roof leaks because this material will adhere to the existing roof surface to keep water out. Whenever this liquid rubber is applied around protrusions like double wide roof vents and chimneys, it will function like flashing. It is customarily spread with a brush. Doing this is a necessity for mobile homes with flat roofs. Most roof coatings will be asphalt based. An additional roof coating solution is latex. Latex has shown to become a more reflective coating material than asphalt. Latex will require using a primer prior to putting on the actual coating. It is strongly recommended that you reapply a roof coating to your flat roof every couple of years to sustain its integrity.
Any kind of roofing system that you pick for your manufactured home will require a regular maintenance plan. You need to consult with your roofing company and learn more about your roofing alternatives. It isn't a good option to do a roof replacement yourself. Whether you should use asphalt shingles, rubber roofing, or metal roofing on your manufactured home will very likely be dependent on your surrounding weather conditions, the quality and expertise of your contractor, and how much money you are planning to spend. This guide should be able to give you a helping hand.