Modular Home And Mobile Home Remodeling
In many ways fixing and repairing a mobile home is the same as a standard “stick built” home but some of the materials may be of lesser quality or streamlined for faster manufacturing. There will be a lot less real wood and more pressboard, plastic, and other materials that are less expensive to use during manufacturing.
Whenever possible, it’s always best to replace with newer, higher quality parts and materials to eliminate the need to re-do the job again in the future. There are also some basic problems that only a manufactured home will have, let’s take a look at the differences.
The Older Mobile Homes Are Mostly A Thing Of The Past
When you mention mobile homes what most people think of are the older, metal clad, trailers that really were very cheaply made.
They had huge problems with water leaks on their flat metal roofs and also around all of the windows as well. Once the water soaked into the pressboard flooring it would decompose into sawdust and have to be completely replaced. The roofs on these older homes were fairly flat and water tended to accumulate, eventually leaking inside. Yearly roof coatings, caulking, sealing, and other maintenance would have to be done or your home could deteriorate into a rotten mess.
Manufactured Homes
The manufactured homes that are built now will have regular composition roofs with an overhand and gutters that keep the water from leaking inside. These roofs are more standard and should last at least 15 years or more.
The flooring materials are still cheap pressboard but since it isn’t getting wet it shouldn’t deteriorate at all in mobile home renovations.
The water pipes have changed several times, but the newest models have the same PVC pipes that come in regular homes and can be easily repaired and changed when needed. If you have some of the older, gray tubing, you should try and replace all of that if you can, it leaks at the connections and has some chemical compounds that can be unhealthy to consume.
A lot of the wood paneling will be the least expensive hardboard covered with vinyl that you could buy, but it paints real nice and looks great in lighter colors than the original dark wood tones. You’ll also find that all of the trim around the ceiling, edges of walls, kitchen cabinets, and floor moldings are all made from polystyrene foam with a vinyl, wood tone, covering. You can replace it all, but it does look good painted as well.
Keep In Mind
If you’re planning on mobile home remodeling or manufactured home remodeling, just be aware of the fact that you’ll always have to replace more material than just the part you’re working on. This is because once you tear out one section, you’ll never find matching replacement boards, moldings, or trim, and for just a little bit more you can have real wood instead.
So here are some ideas to help you get started:
Make Your Plans
Some contractors will certainly not do mobile home plumbing so be prepared to take your time finding these specialists. You want your home to be redesigned up to code so it is best to save the large jobs for those who do it well.
There are little tasks that you can probably tackle on your own. Some individuals have redesigned their kitchen cupboards and counters or installed new ones, put in new front doors, and built decks or steps and porches without professional help. Know what your ability level is, but do not be afraid to attempt something new.
When Feasible, Buy Second Hand
For your mobile home or modular home, buy fixtures, lights, and cupboards pre-owned or for sale to conserve money. Habitat For Humanity has a re-sale store here in town that has a lot of construction materials, lighting, kitchen cabinets and much more, that can be bought at reasonable prices, as it is donated to them.
When your renovation is complete, you will certainly be surprised at the suggestions you will certainly find online for decorating. Often times you can create your own decorative items from things you have around you or buy second hand.
Time To Get Started
Choose what style you want your remodel to be and you want to upgrade. With a plan, stay on budget and you can actually go all out on mobile home remodeling or manufactured home remodeling.