Maintaining Your Mobile Home: Important Tips You Need to Know

Homeowners everywhere must stay on top of maintenance. Whether you own a single-wide mobile home or a stick-built house, every year, you will have a checklist to address to keep your property in tiptop shape. 

Manufactured homes have different maintenance concerns compared to site-built homes. Here are some considerations to make when it comes to maintaining the quality of your home. 

Mobile Home Maintenance Tips

In truth, maintaining a manufactured home is quite easy once you know what you’re doing.  

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Keep Your Mobile Home Leveled

It’s essential that your mobile home is properly leveled. When we install your manufactured home on your land, we will level your home for you. However, over time, your home will need adjustments. 

To assess how level your home is, keep an eye on windows and doors. If they don’t fit tightly or close properly, that’s a sign that your home isn’t properly leveled. Additionally, you might notice cracks in the ceilings, walls, or floors. 

You can check if your home is well-leveled with a carpenter’s level. If you discover that your house needs to be levelled, you will need to contact a professional to ensure quality work. 

Maintain the Manufactured Home Skirting

The skirting around your home increases energy-efficiency, adds curb appeal, and insulates your residence. If you notice any holes in your skirting, it’s vital to address those repairs ASAP.  

Apart from addressing any holes, the skirting also requires proper ventilation to prevent mold and humidity from damaging your home. Proper skirting ventilation requires adequate planning to achieve. There is even a formula for determining whether or not your mobile home has adequate skirting ventilation!

The formula, which is represented by the ratio 1:150, depends on the square footage of your mobile home. This means that you’ll require one square foot of venting for every 150 square feet of space.

Understand Your Mobile Home’s Plumbing

Mobile home plumbing systems work differently than that of site-built homes. However, the overall concept is the same, so if you have some knowledge of plumbing, your mobile home’s system should not be too confusing for you.

Plumbing pipes run through the walls in a traditional house, but they are run through the floor and are located under manufactured homes.

In most cases, the plumbing systems in mobile homes are equipped with cross-linked polyethylene or plastic water lines and PVC piping. The systems in a conventional house, on the other hand, are made of copper water lines and galvanized pipes.

In many places, the stick-built home codes have slightly changed and are quite strict. In contrast, mobile homes are at the forefront of testing and applying new technology.

It would be advantageous to familiarize yourself with the manufactured home system’s ventilation pipes and know where the shutoff valve is to turn off the water in case of an emergency.

Care for Your Mobile Home’s Roof

The roof is the most important part of your home because it’s the first line of defense against any elements. Therefore, prioritize your roof when writing your to-do list. You will need to familiarize yourself with mobile home roofs, which are different than traditional homes. 

Many mobile homes are designed with flat roofs. This means that debris can accumulate on them faster, which can cause structural issues. According to the NRCA (National Roofing Contractors Association), homeowners need to inspect their roofs at least twice per year, ideally in the spring and fall. 

A Guide to Your Routine Mobile Home Inspection 

All homeowners must regularly perform inspections to care for the interior and exterior of their homes. By doing the regular inspections, you’ll be able to notice and address potential challenges early on to prevent most expensive repairs down the road. 

Below are the key areas that a routine inspection should focus on:

Mobile Home Water Damage

Water damage is a problem, whether you find it in a manufactured or site-built home. While inspecting your mobile home, ensure you check under the exterior window and the entire interior perimeter. A leaking roof, holes in the siding, and overflowing gutters can cause moisture to get into your manufactured home.

Many mobile homes use metal roofs that can rust and crack over time. Nowadays, mobile homeowners are implementing steel or shingle roofs to offer a good visual appeal and prevent water damage. However, none of these scenarios guarantee a 100% leak-free environment.

Mobile Home Foundation and Floors

The foundation of a mobile home varies from home to home. That said, mobile homes aren’t typically placed on traditional foundations, like site-built units, so the home’s bottom side isn’t shielded from harsh elements.

During routine inspections, look at the foundation and the floors. If you suspect a leak or notice pooling water, there is a high chance that the interior of your mobile home is damaged. If you think the issue with the foundation and floor is beyond repair, contact a professional to help you out.

Mobile Home HVAC System

Any homeowner knows that the HVAC system can be the cause of some expensive repairs. You can make sure to stay on top of maintenance by changing the filters every 6 months. Additionally, having an HVAC professional come perform yearly maintenance will help keep your costs down. 

Mobile Homes in San Antonio and Odessa

If you are shopping for the mobile home of your dreams, we would love to help. We are the world’s first online mobile home dealership, so you can buy your dream house without even leaving your living room! However, if you would prefer an in-person homebuying journey, we are happy to oblige!

Come visit us at our dealership locations in San Antonio or Odessa. More coming soon!