Roof Coat
Roof coating on mobile homes is often overlooked or put off too long until serious mobile home roof repair problems develop. The roof should be checked at least once a year for rust or peeling of the roof coat. Most suppliers and repair persons recommend the roof be recoated every two years. Roof coat should be applied to a clean and rust free surface. Preparation is a very important part of roof repair. Be sure to make any gutter repairs and check for any gaps between gutter and roof edge, this is where water can seep in to stain ceilings and run down inside walls. There are different types of roof coat. The fibered type works well and is relatively inexpensive, there is also an elastomeric type that cost more but last a lot longer. Elastomeric can even be used to coat shingles.The seams on metal mobile home roofs should be coated. I will generally coat the entire roof if it has never been done. Some people use a 1" thick paint roller nap. I use a cheap string mop. Simply mop the coating on in an even coat over the entire roof. Be sure to get the seams well. Five gallons will easily cover average single wide mobile homes. Small holes and cracks should be filled in with roof cement before you start. You can get roof cement in can containers or tubes to use in caulk guns. If you have large holes from damage or want to do an entire re-roofing there are patch strips that can be purchased to repair them. These are called peel and seal strips available at mobile home parts store. When working on the roof be careful to not step between the roof beams, this will cause stress on the seams as the these are weak spots and is unsafe.The hardest part of the job is stirring up the roof coat, using an electric drill with a paint stirring paddle is the best way. The roof coat must be completely mixed to coat properly. If you have any damage from roof leaks look at the ceiling repair or wall repair page for help with those problems.
CAUTION:The roof coat is very slippery when wet!
Tools required
Ladder for climbing up the roof
Glass fiber or melted plastic to seal the leaks
Broom to clean the surface from the roofs
Patching cement for sealing the leaks
Cement sealer for laying a base for the sealing material
Paint brushes and rollers to apply the cement and the sealers
Paint tray to preserve the paintbrush
Elastomeric roof coating for overall protection in the roof.
Paint to repair the surface on the roof.
11 Steps for mobile residence roof repair
Use a ladder to climb up the roof and make sure that the roof is powerful enough to bear your weight, or else you need to use wooden beams as an additional support.
Use a broom to clean the surface for any dirt or old paintwork.
Begin of the coating, according to the type in the roof.
Use the roof coating to fill up little leaks, which glimpse from your rust within the roof.
Apply the patching cement over a surface to fill within the smaller leaks.
Apply the cement sealer liberally; around two coats.
Allow the sealer dry for around 12 hours, prior to applying the roof coating.
Use a paintbrush or a paint roller to apply the roof coating.
Coating the whole surface will make the roof last longer.
For larger leaks, use glass fiber or melted plastic to overlap the surface and apply silicone caulking more than it.
Finally, paint the whole roof to cover the patching.
Roof Over Kits
If the roof is not repairable you may want to consider a roof over, which are available in kit form. There are basically two types of roof over kits available. There are metal panel kits or rubber roll kits. I currently have no vendors that provide these kits. You can search the internet for roof over kit supply providers that sell these. These can be purchased as do it yourself and some suppliers offer installation services. Once installed they will provide years of roof protection without requiring any maintenance. They also give your roof a better insulation and reflective factor.
Roof Vent
Venting out the hot attic air is just as important in mobile homes, single wide or double wide, as it is in site built homes. Generally one square foot of vent for every 300 square feet of ceiling is adequate ie. 1800 square foot homes would require 6 square foot of roof vent. If you have any less you could have heat and possibly moisture buildup. If you already have vents make sure you have enough and that they are not obstructed. Double wide mobile homes manufactured homes will usually have gable end vents. They may also have eave and roof vents. Vents for mobile homes can be purchased on the parts page.
Closing off a turbine roof vent for winter
Instead of using an unsightly garbage bag that looks bad and can cause mechanical damage to the turbine vent, try this tip. I took some old sofa cushions and cut out some plugs to insert inside the vent. Usually there is a lip inside the vent housing from where the roof was cut to install the vent that will support the plug. The best way to cut these cushion plugs is with an electric carving knife. Simply remove the three screws that hold the turbine blades on and put the plug in that has been cut for a snug fit and re-install the turbine. This is also a great time to lubricate the turbine shaft. I recommend a white lithium grease spray because it is moisture and run resistant.
