Since mobile homes are built differently from non-mobile residential homes, different aspects must be taken into account to prepare for the cold winter months. Not only are winterization efforts essential for keeping you and your family safe and warm when temperatures drop, but they’re necessary for energy and cost-saving measures. When heat leaks out through small passages or breaks, it can become costly very quickly to have to continually reheat your home. We’ve configured a list of the best tips for winterizing your mobile home to ensure your home is kept warm and toasty whilst saving money in the winter months.
Related: Mobile Home Insurance Costs and Rates: Everything You Need To Know
The Most Important Steps of Winterizing
The specific steps you’ll need to take to winterize your mobile home will depend on the quality of your mobile home, how old it is, and how harsh the winter weather can be where you live. While each person’s situation is different, this list goes over some of the most common and effective ways to winterize your mobile home, no matter your individual circumstance.
Caulking the Outside of Your Home
For individuals on a budget (and even individuals not on a budget), investing in caulk for the exterior of your mobile home may be one of the most worthwhile investments you can make in order to secure any cracks or leaks that could leak heat. There are many places you’ll want to check for seams and apply caulk, including gutter and downspout seams, plumbing and furnace vent pipes, siding joints, TV antenna wire entrance, and any other spot you can think of or see. Caulk is cheap to buy and will be effective in plugging the holes that hot air will readily slip out of.
Another area to pay particular attention to is your home’s marriage line. On double-wide mobile homes, this is the seal made out of rubber that creates an airtight membrane for the two halves of your home. If your home becomes unlevel, this membrane can’t work correctly. With shifting frozen grounds in the winter, you’ll want to be sure to seal and or add insulation around the membrane to protect from exposure to drafts and cold air.
Are you looking for help in your search for high quality, budget-friendly manufactured homes? Home Nation has created a specialized process to help our clients through the entire process.
Weather Stripping
Another economical option for sealing cracks such as those present on doors and windows is to use weather stripping. To detect potential cracks where airflow can come through, place your hand around doors and windows on a cold or windy day. You should be able to feel where the cold air is coming through and where the warm air is escaping. Place the weather stripping over these cracks, and the job is complete. An added benefit is the ability to easily take the stipping off when the warm air returns.
Related: Buyer’s Guide to a Used Mobile Home
Winterizing Your Roof
Maintaining your roof is essential for several reasons, including keeping energy costs down and preventing potentially costly water damage. The edges, seams, and or expansion joints of metal-roofed mobile homes should be sealed every single year. You should also use a roof coating that should be applied to your roof when it is clean and dry. Consider applying a reflective coating, which is helpful for capturing heat to melt snow and ice to keep the roof clear. You can also add a sloped roof to add extra space above your home for additional insulation to be added.
Additionally, it would be best if you were sure to properly seal around the vent caps for protrusions such as the furnace, exhaust fans, and water heater. Finally, make sure to repair any dents, cracks, or breaks in your roof that could lead to a wide variety of issues if left unattended down the road.
The Underside of Your Home
First, you should ensure that the blocks or jacks on the underside of your home are in good condition. This is essential considering that if they are broken, it could lead your house to sag, creating even more issues relating to doors, windows, walls, and joints. Next, depending on whether or not you live in an area where the ground freezes in the winter, you’ll want to loosen your mobile home’s tie-downs. When the ground freezes, it has the ability to shift several inches, which could bring a significant amount of stress to your tie-downs. Further, this could lead to structural damages that will be expensive to repair.
Related: How To Replace Flooring In a Mobile Home
Consider Reinsulating
Sadly, the insulation in many mobile homes tends to be lacking. It’s not uncommon for there to only be one inch of insulation protecting you from the elements. That means that a lot of the heat in your mobile home is simply leaking out and being wasted.
If you have the money, you might want to consider reinsulating the entire property. However, if that’s not practical or possible, you can at least try adding more insulation to areas of the house where you spend a lot of time, like the bedroom.
There are two main ways you can insulate. One involves cutting the wall at the bottom and sliding in an insulation sheet.
The other method requires cutting a small hole in the wall, which is then filled with fiberglass insulation. If you aren’t very handy, we recommend getting a professional to help you.
Inspect Your Furnace
The last thing you want when there are freezing temperatures outside is a busted furnace. Depending on where you live, this situation could be potentially deadly. So before the winter months, make sure you get it inspected to see if it’s working correctly.
Look for things like worn lines and parts that need tightening. If you have the know-how, you can usually fix these things yourself.
But, if you don’t feel comfortable, contact an HVAC professional to look over the furnace for you. Remember, it’s better to be safe when it comes to your mobile home’s one heat source during the winter.
Clear Your Gutters
Clearing your gutters mind sounds like a fall thing. But the reality is that it’s even more critical for mobile homes in the winter. If your gutters are all clogged up, the water that pours down on your house has to go somewhere. Usually, the only place for it to go is the roof.
What will happen is the water will pool on the roof until it overflows or leaks into your house. This can cause rot and a variety of other structural problems.
And that’s not even counting the mold potential. In the winter, the water can expand into ice which causes even more problems. So, make sure you find time for this simple task. It can save you a lot of financial pain down the line.
Consider Insulating Your Pipes
During the winter, the water in your pipes can expand. If it gets bad enough, it can result in a burst line. That means lots of plumbing expenses and water damage. Can you prevent this from happening?
One method is to install insulation around the pipes. Don’t worry; this isn’t an expensive or dramatic undertaking. All you need to do is go under the foundation of your mobile home and check for pipes.
Then, use foam insulation or heat tape to wrap around the pipes. This keeps any warmth insulated, which can prevent costly pipe bursts down the line.
Finding Quality Mobile Homes With Home Nation
At Home Nation, we believe that your search for the perfect manufactured home shouldn’t be a stressful or complicated process. Our team is devoted to helping our clients find the ideal home for them nationwide at just a fraction of the price that you’ll find elsewhere. Our inclusive services include a variety of offerings, including assistance with financing for your home, locating and selecting a perfect home within your budget with the features you’re looking for, and helping to guide you through the various costs and tasks associated with installing the house on your own lot. Contact one of our representatives by phone today to see how our team can be of help to you in your search for the perfect home!
Ready to start looking for a mobile home but don’t know where to start? Our team at Home Nation can help you to find the perfect home within your budget.
