Mobile Home Living

Tag: Doors and Windows

Guide to Mobile Home Windows
Replacing mobile home windows will save on energy costs and give your home a whole new look. If you want to spend your remodeling dollars wisely you cannot go wrong with new windows. You get better heating and cooling control and update the appearance of both your interior and exterior. That’s a decent bang for your buck.

Replacing mobile home windows isn’t difficult if you don’t have to retrofit a different sized window. Unfortunately, because mobile home windows have a “non-standard” size. If you are a seasoned DIYer with moderate construction knowledge and experience replacing a window of the same size should be no problem. If you are installing a smaller or larger window the difficulty factor increases quite a bit.

In this article, we share the types of windows found in mobile homes, how to choose the right replacement windows for your mobile home, and share a step by step guide on how to replace mobile home windows.

6 Most Popular Types of Mobile Home Windows

An Awning Window

Mobile and manufactured homes typically have 6 different types of windows: Jalousie, awning, casement, slider, double and single hung, and custom.

Awning Windows

Awning windows are like Jalousie windows but with 2 or 4 larger panes of glass.

The panes open and close via a crank mechanism and torsion rod. Awning windows were popular between 1976 and 1985. Think of them as the ‘new and improved’ Jalousie window.

Casement Windows

Replacement casement windows come with hinges on the side, operating outward to the left or right, providing optimal ventilation from top to bottom. These units are easy to operate due to their turn crank mechanism and superior hardware.

A Casement Window

Moreover, you homeowners can select fixed casement windows that don’t open but guarantee lots of natural light and improved energy efficiency. Generally, casement windows with triple glazing and LoE coating may be up to 55% more energy efficient than standard windows.

Why choose new casement windows?
- highest energy efficiency among operable windows
- exceptional ventilation
- little-to-no maintenance
- durability
- warranty up to 25 years when buying from reliable contractors
Double Hung Window

Double Hung and Single Hung: Double hung windows are now the most popular window type. Single hung are a bit cheaper.

Jalousie Window

Jalousie windows were installed in mobile homes built before 1976. Several panes of glass are installed horizontally and the panes are opened and closed with a torsion rod and crank. Jalousie and awning windows are not very good at stopping drafts so they should really only be used in the south.

Slider Window

Slider windows (horizontal and vertical): Slider windows were popular in mobile homes between 1986 and the late 1990s. One example of a horizontal slider window is in most mobile home bathrooms. Horizontal sliding windows are affordable and often used as replacements to the original mobile home window.

Custom Shape Window

Custom windows can be any unique shape such as the half or full circular.

Why Replace Mobile Home Windows?

If your home is more than 30 years old and still has the original windows you will probably want to replace them soon. While it is a large upfront investment the long-term savings on your energy costs and the updated appearance will make it worth every dime.

Replacing windows is a smart mobile home remodeling project that will affect both the interior and exterior of your home and give you better control over your temperature and energy consumption. It’s a win, win, win!

Mobile Homes Windows Come in Odd Sizes

In most older mobile and manufactured homes, you cannot buy a standard window at Lowe’s and expect it to fit the opening in a mobile home unless you plan on retrofitting it.

Unless retrofitting sounds like your idea of a good time, you will want to order the exact size you need from a mobile home supply store.

Keep in mind that if you order the windows online the shipping increases the price per window significantly so try to find a local mobile home supplier first.

Slider Window In A Mobile Home.

Related: Three Popular Mobile Home Roof Over Materials

Team effort to install the picture window on The Whim. See it here.

Single Hung Vs Double-Hung Windows

A single-hung window is fairly self-explaining: In a single-hung window the bottom panel, or sash, moves vertically, while the upper sash remains stationary. When opened, the bottom sash partially obstructs the upper sash. While single-hung is cheaper than double-hung, you get the same appearance. However, you are losing R-value and insulating properties compared to double-hung windows.

A double-hung window offers the homeowner the ability to open each sash, rather than just the bottom sash. This allows for better airflow and ventilation. The ability to open and tilt each sash makes cleaning easier, too.

Single Hung Window And Double Hung Window (Source: Greatlakeswindow.com)

Vinyl or Aluminum?

The two most common window frame materials for mobile and manufactured homes are vinyl and aluminum. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

Vinyl is the most popular window frame material because it is cheap, has good energy efficiency abilities, and a long lifespan. It’s available in several colors but white is the top pick.

An average vinyl framed window for mobile homes, measuring 14″ x 27″ with double-hung glass, was found online for around $85 without shipping costs added.

Aluminum Windows

Aluminum windows have been used on mobile and manufactured homes for decades. It is strong and cheap to produce and does very well at creating an airtight seal. Most will agree that aluminum windows aren’t the prettiest but they get the job done and that’s all that matters.

Aluminum windows are cheaper than vinyl. What you lose in appearance you gain in value. A 14″ x 27″ aluminum window can be found online for around $45 without shipping. Aluminum window repair is possible but research shows the cost of repair is comparable to buying a whole new window.

Related: 6 Mobile Home Maintenance Tips Every Owner Should Know

Guide to Replacing Mobile Home Windows

Step 1: Remove the Window

The type of window and siding on your home will determine how easy it will be to remove the old window. If the window’s frame is over the siding just unscrew the numerous screws.

If you cannot see the frame and screws around your window you’ll need to find them. For vinyl or metal siding, you will need to remove the siding sections that surround the window.

Step 2: Measure the Opening

Your measurements will make or break your entire project. You need to get it right!

Most importantly, when replacing mobile home windows, you don’t measure the window, you measure the opening after the old window has been removed.

Next, you’ll need to check to see if the opening is square. If it’s a bit off you can use shims to adjust the difference. If it’s off by a lot you may want to use a smaller window so you can create a square opening yourself.

One expert recommends that the rough opening of the window sill should be square to the sill within 1/8″ across the full width.

Step 3: Prepare for the New Window

Old putty or caulk will need to be removed around the opening of the window so that new sealant can be used.

When you install the new window you’ll want to use new screws. Assuming the opening is square, you’ll create a line of caulk and install the new window into the opening and then screw it in.

Mobile homes are not uniform when it comes to exterior wall thickness. Some homes are built with 2 x 4’s and some with 2 x 3’s. The width of your home and of the old window will need to be given to your window supplier. They can give you the best advice about the sashes for your thickness. Sometimes it’s best to order windows without a sash.

Step 4: Seal the Frame and Replace the Siding

Finally, run a line of silicone sealant around the entire outside of the window frame. Then simply return the siding over the edges of the frame.

I hope these steps will help to work as a guide to replace mobile home windows and giving your manufactured home a fresh look!

As always, thank you so much for reading Mobile Home Living!
April 22, 2024
Mobile Home Security

Living in a manufactured home has many great benefits. Yet, like any home, we need to take the steps to secure our home and its belongings. When most people think of security systems they think of a fairly expensive system with monitoring but you don’t have to go through a lot of money to secure your home. Mobile home security can be affordable and easy.

Related: Smart Home Security Options for Your Mobile Home.

The typical house burglar is a male teen in your neighborhood—not a professional. 60 seconds is the most burglars are willing to spend breaking into your home and an average of 8 to 12 minutes is all burglars spend in your home. Hindering them any way you can is your best bet. There’s plenty of affordable steps you can take to protect your home. Here’s just a few:

Deadbolts

As the name implies, deadbolts reinforce your doors. The harder you make it for a burglar to get the better off you’ll be.

Door and Window Jammers

Door and window jammers are much like deadbolts, they prohibit the window or door from opening.

Fake Home Security System

You can purchase the fake cameras for less than $10.00 and you can buy the signs for half that. If you make it look like your home is monitored, the burglars will pass right by and go to a target that doesn’t look protected. Homes without security systems are about 3 times more likely to be broken into so make it look like you have one.

Get an Affordable Safe

Making use of a home safe for a mobile or manufactured home is a smart investment. For a small cost, you have complete protection from burglary, fire, and flooding. They don’t have to be huge but the larger they are the more you can put in there!

Make It Look Like You’re Home

It’s a simple technique that works. Use timers on your lights, have a neighbor park their car in your driveway and if you are going out of town, have a friend pick up your mail and newspapers.

Neighborhood Watches Work

If you live in a mobile home community this should be your first move. Get as many neighbors as you can to join a neighborhood watch. The more eyes, the better for the whole community.

These suggestions will get you started. Of course, you can pay for a high-security system but if you use several different lower cost security techniques, your wallet won’t suffer as much.

As always, thank you for reading Mobile Home Living!

September 26, 2019
Mobile Home Door Repairs and Makeover Ideas

One of our previous featured homeowners changed the look of her interior doors and I was inspired to find more mobile home door repairs and makeover ideas.

In this article, we cover a few different mobile home door repairs to fix noisy hinges, broken doorknobs, and sticking doors. We also show you how to repair dents in metal doors along with some smart mobile home door makeover ideas.

Mobile Home Door Repairs

In all the mobile homes that we lived in over the years all the interior mobile home doors were made of a smooth laminate with that fake wood design and no dimension at all. The doorknobs were either plastic with a push-button lock or metal with a twist lock.

Sticky Doors

If your mobile home doors stick excessively if could be a sign that your home needs to be releveled. Learn more about mobile home leveling issues here. Sticking

It could also just mean that your hinges could use a little love and are sticking due to swelling or rust.

Hinges can be adjusted or replaced on old doors.

Hinges wear and may need to be changed after years of use.

This article on This Old House covers sticky doors.

This article from Family Handyman shows you how to replace hinges and has many photos to guide you through the process.

Changing your knob/lock can be an easy fix.

Door Knob Won’t Turn or Lock

If your doorknob doesn’t seem to turn or doesn’t want to lock or unlock, something as simple as lubricating it with some W-D 40 could do the trick. Of course, you can replace your doorknob fairly quickly and easily. You can buy a stainless steel exterior mobile home door knob with lock for less than $15 here.

Changing your knob/lock can be an easy fix.
This video is a good resource to learn how to quickly replace your mobile home doorknob:

Fixing Dents in Metal Doors

Metal exterior doors tend to get dents easily. Fortunately, you can use Bondo to make them disappear. You can use a scrap block with 120 to 150 grit sandpaper to sand the dried Bondo smooth and then paint it with metal paint.

Mobile Home Door Makeover Ideas

Buying new mobile home doors is an investment and sometimes we just don’t have the money to get a new one. This budget-friendly project can help you. We found this affordable exterior mobile home door makeover on Home Talk (link unknown).

If a new door isn’t in the budget yet you can still give them an update on a budget. This homeowner had a piece of vinyl laminated paneling that’sd popular for bathrooms and added it to the old exterior mobile home door he had.

The Old Mobile Home Door Is Rough But Nothing An Afternoon And $20 Can’T Fix.

The homeowner cut the paneling to size and pre-drilled the necessary holes for the locks. attached the new exterior skin using small white paneling nails that matched the paneling.

Viola! The old mobile home door has a fresh new look that only cost a few dollars. The door looks great to have only cost a few dollars!

The Final Product.

This is a good project only if your mobile home door is not warped. If you have a warped door it will probably need to be replaced.

Mobile Home Door Makeover Ideas

You can makeover interior mobile home doors, too. Mobile home interior doors are also shorter and more narrow than the doors you can find at Lowe’s so you’ll want to buy them from a mobile home supply store whenever possible. Otherwise, you will have to retrofit them to work by cutting the bottom of the door.

But, if there’s nothing wrong with your interior doors and you just want to give them a new look these two projects are perfect.

My dad’s new double wide, the interior doors are much different than our 1978 mobile home. They are wider and taller and most importantly they have 6-dimensional panels and a 6 inch tall vent in the bottom of every interior door. They are all beautiful doors and the vents seem to be a smart addition to help circulate air.

Adding Dimension with Trim

We featured Shannon’s great double-wide manufactured home makeover a couple of years ago. Her interior door makeover is one of our favorite projects of all time. It’s so simple yet so significant! It completely changes the look of the door.

Shannon nailed trim to make the door appear to be the more expensive panel door. The trim, nails, and paint will cost you less than a good pizza!

Adding Depth with Beadboard

This next homeowner is on her way to a similar mobile home door makeover. She glued thin beadboard panels to the door and then trimmed it out.

This image shows her in the process of painting the door. It makes a huge difference!

Doors are much more important than homeowners realize. Cheap plain doors can make a home appear cheap. These mobile home door repairs and makeover ideas should help you make your doors function and look better.

Have you changed the look of your mobile home doors? Have a cool tip we can add to help homeowners with their doors? Please add it in the comments below.

As always, thank you for reading Mobile Home Living!

July 6, 2019
10 Great Home Exterior Design Ideas for Double Wides
When it comes to home remodeling most of us don’t have a professional designer helping us through every step. We have to decide on the right materials and colors ourselves.

An exterior home makeover or remodel is the most intimidating for me. I can tell you exactly what I want to be changed inside my home, down to the secondary trim color, but if you ask me about the exterior I get overwhelmed – I don’t know what siding or skirting I want, and I certainly don’t know which combination of the 2 will look best on my home.

So how do we figure out the right home exterior design for a manufactured home? Look at other manufactured homes, of course!

10 Great Double Wide Home Exterior Designs

The homes below are wonderful examples of the various home exterior designs we can use on our manufactured homes. They use color, texture, lines, and angles to make their home unique and beautiful.

Simple Neutral Colors

The first home uses color and texture perfectly. The block used around the foundation is brought up to trim a faux chimney. This lets texture, and not color, make the statement. The only additional color used is copper above the windows and the window frames. DaVinci had it right, simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication!

Happy Cottage

Above, a bright color is used to give the home a happy cottage look. This home exterior design is affordable and easily changeable when the mood strike. The natural stone foundation will match any color. The vertical board siding gives the home some vertical height, something every manufactured home can use. The shutter design is the wow factor for the home, it’s simple but eye-catching.

Terrifically Trimmed

Below, is a double wide trimmed in a bold lavender color. Trim is just as important as the siding material. One of the most lacking features of a standard manufactured home is the eave design. Site built homes usually have eaves that are 8-12″ long, or wide but manufactured homes rarely have any kind of overhang.

Eaves protect the home and add style. Some of the best-manufactured home exterior remodels I’ve ever seen involved extending the eaves, but if you can’t extend you can pretend! By trimming the eave in a bold color you are tricking the eye and making the home look like it has a wider eave.

Adding additional trim around the home itself and the windows give the home a fresh style that is affordable and can be easily updated with a new color.

Hello Yellow!

Above, we have a happy yellow home with several simple details working together to make a picture perfect home. Architectural stone panels for the foundation, lapped horizontal siding, and old-fashioned shutter designs are a perfect combination if you’re going for a cottage look.

Boxed and Beautiful

Below, the owners built out the window boxes and added brick around the foundation for a custom look. The window boxes add balance and depth to the home. The architectural brick is perfect for the foundation, it tends to make a manufactured home look more grounded and connected to the land.

When your home is in a community the end of the home is the most important. It’s the perfect place to add curb appeal and your own unique style. Use it wisely!

Delightfully Designed

The home above has had a complete remodel of the exterior (and interior). A few really smart home exterior designs were used here so if I had to guess, an architect was involved in this redesign but we can still get some great ideas. Angles and pitches are used perfectly on this home. Additional lines give the eye more to look at, but it needs to be balanced in order to look right. This home has even roof pitches on both sides and above the bay window. The angles are derived from one side of the double wide extending further than the other – that’s where the magic lies. Muted colors with a darker brick foundation ground the home wonderfully.

Twin Arches

The home below is cute and different. They switched the material design that we are used to seeing on a home – brick is used on the home and boarding is used as the foundation. The wider eaves, roof trim, and arched windows are the statement makers here.

Understated Beauty

Above is another perfect example of angles and depth. Everything about this home appeals to me; the simple horizontal siding, the natural brick, and the custom columns are perfect. The only thing I would change is the owner!

Showcase Home

The home below is beautiful. Natural colors and materials are showcased and that always makes for a eye-pleasing home design. The wider eaves and the thicker trim are the winners here, together the home has an inviting, friendly look.

The Royal Treatment

Last, but certainly not least, is the home above. Architectural shingles, wide eaves, and vertical windows work together to give this home an unforgettable style. The windows make the home look taller and also makes it easy to change the secondary color by simply replacing the curtains – that’s pretty smart!

3 Important Factors to Consider When Updating Your Home’s Exterior Design

Our homes are unique because they have lower ceiling height and other construction features that are typically found only on a factory built home. These differences do not make our homes inferior to a site built home, but they do have an effect on the overall design so it’s best to look at homes similar to your own.
- If you want your manufactured home to look more like a site built home, the eaves should be extended. Eaves, or the overhang of the roof, are very narrow on a manufactured home but not on a site built home. If the factories built eaves onto their homes they would have to reduce the interior width – they simply aren’t worth losing living space. However, eaves can really help a manufactured home look more like a site built home. If you are having your home re-roofed, spend the additional money to have the eaves extended. Not only will it help protect your home from rain and snow, but the entire look of the home will be changed instantly.
- Think about vertical and horizontal lines as well as angles. Adding depth to a manufactured home will help get rid of the plain rectangle box. You could add a window box or a porch roof that extends to the middle of the home. You can also fake it, adding trim in places that trim doesn’t normally go can give you just enough depth to make a huge impact.
- If you are using two or more materials on the exterior of the home, you’ll need to decide on the break line, where one material ends and the next begins. Lots of people do this with brick or stone, and it looks wonderful when it’s done right. This is an important decision. If you go to high with the skirting or foundation, you can make the home look smaller or shorter than it is. If you go to low, you’ll have an unbalanced design. Balance is the name of the game when it comes to home design (or so I’ve been told).
Exterior home remodels are complicated. There are so many materials and colors available that it can get overwhelming pretty fast. Keep a binder, or Pinterest board, for your favorite home designs. Notice the colors and materials, shapes and angles that appeal to you most. Stay with the same type of home you have – while looking at site-built homes can give you great ideas, you never know what it will look like until you see it on a manufactured home. There are design apps and software’s that will help you visualize what new siding or skirting will look like on your home. They can help you a lot!

Calculating Cost and Life Span of the Materials

Home exterior designs have endless options and combinations. If you can narrow your choices down to a handful for the siding, foundation, and trim material, you may be able to let the total price make the final decision for you.

Material Costs vs Labor Costs

While that real river stone would make for a gorgeous entryway, the cost to have it installed is usually triple the cost of the material. You may have to settle on the faux rock panels that cost more per square foot but has a much cheaper labor cost. That’s one decision out of the way!

Warranty and Life Span

Other important factors to consider is the maintenance and lifespan of the material. Vinyl siding comes in different price ranges, the lower priced vinyl isn’t as good as the higher priced because it has a shorter lifespan and is more prone to color loss. It may be worth paying an extra few cents per foot to get the better product. You want your new exterior home design to last at least a decade. Could you imagine having to pick all this stuff again in only 5 or 7 short years? No, thank you!

Tim Milideo is the photographer of these homes. He has many great sets on various topics, including manufactured homes, and most are available in small booklets or zines. I happened to buy the last one on manufactured homes, but he may have more in stock soon!

As always, thank you for reading Mobile Home Living!
April 6, 2019
Mobile Home Skylights
Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of mobile home skylights. While they are nice to have, the disadvantages have far outweighed the advantages in my experience. However, I understand that skylights are getting better with modern technology so I’m not ready to write them off completely.

In this article, we’ll cover mobile home skylights. We’ll cover the various types of skylights, share tips on choosing the right kind of skylight and where they should be placed. There’s also advice for finding and repairing leaks and replacing a skylight.

Advantages of Skylights

Skylights have many advantages. Adding natural light to a room without losing privacy is by far the best advantage. It’s no secret that sunlight can help elevate your mood but it can also help warm a room. And, since home buyers absolutely love skylights, having one makes a home more appealing.

In a home with low ceilings, such as a mobile home, a skylight can make the room feel more open. One company described this as visually expanding a space which seems fitting.

Disadvantages of Skylights

Leaks are the most common complaint and therefore the biggest disadvantage of mobile home skylights. However, cleaning skylights comes in a close second to the biggest disadvantage of skylights. No one wants to have to climb upon their roof to clean something.

Loss of heat in the winter and added radiant heat during the summer are also common issues if the skylight doesn’t open or have a shade.

Fixed Vs Operable Skylights

There are many different types of skylights available on the market today and they all fall into two categories: fixed and operable.

Fixed skylights have no moveable parts. They can be any shape or size but they do not open or close and there are no fancy blinds or mechanical mechanisms.

Operable skylights have some sort of mechanism to them such as a middle pivoting hinge or a top hinge that allows the skylight to open. They may have built-in shades or remotes that can open and close the hatches. Solar powered skylights may have rain sensors so they know when to close.

Operable skylights are sometimes called roof windows because they can be opened and closed and can have integrated shades that can be shut. These roof windows can have motors controlled by remotes or in-wall switches or have a pole and latch system.

A skylight that opens can create a natural cooling effect. This occurs when the windows and doors are opened so cool air comes in and pushes the warm air, which naturally rises, out through the skylight.

There are several types of skylights on the market today. It’s easy for a buyer to get overwhelmed. We’ll go over the common types below.

Cutaway closeup of a deck-mounted skylight.
Source: Velux

Curb Vs Deck Mounted Skylights

Fixed and operable skylights are just the first classification of skylights. The next classification involves how the skylights are designed and installed, referred to as deck mounted and curb mounted.

Curb and deck mounted skylights have a couple things in common. It’s recommended that the roof have a minimum 3:12 pitch before either a curb or deck mounted skylight be installed.

Both curb and deck mounted skylights require flashing and underlayment to help create a water-tight seal.

Curb Mounted Skylight Diagram
Source Sun Tek

Curb Mounted Skylight

A curb mounted skylight can be fixed or operable and has a boxed framed that it sits on lip usually made of 2×4’s.

AIA Industries explains curb mounted skylights best: “Think of a curb as a shoebox, the skylight is the lid. The boxes can be made of wood, metal or concrete.”

Curb mounted skylights are the most popular in residential housing. Their biggest advantage is that owners can replace the window without needing to replace the whole thing.

Deck Mounted Skylights

Surface or deck mounted skylights do not have a frame or lip that they sit upon like the curb mounted skylights. They just attach directly to the roofing deck, typically using their own frame, hence the name.

Deck mounted polycarbonate mobile home skylights are a bit more prone to leaks due to improper installation or poor flashing and sealing maintenance. However, they are more affordable so if a homeowner is willing to do the proper maintenance, a deck mounted skylight would be a great choice.

Polycarbonate Skylights

Polycarbonate skylights are by far the most popular skylights in the RV, camper, and manufactured housing industry. Before polycarbonate. acrylic was the most popular skylight material besides glass.

Polycarbonate is made with a petrochemical called G.E Lexan® Resin. It’s so strong that it’s used as airplane windows and automobile bumpers. It is 30 times more impact resistant than acrylic skylights and 250 times more resistant than standard glass. Polycarbonate skylights are available in bronze, clear, and white outer shells with frosted or clear interior domes. They are all usually coated with a tint that filters 97% of ultra-violet light which reduces heat and glare.

Polycarbonate Skylights are Most Common for Mobile Homes

$58.95 at MHPS

Polycarbonate skylights come in many shapes: flat, round, pyramid, ridge-shaped, bubble, and dormer. They will typically be self-flashing or one solid piece that is sealed to the roof’s deck with the shingles or metal laid over it.

Glass and Acrylic Skylights

Weight is a big factor for mobile home roofs so glass skylights will likely need additional support. For instance, a 4-by-4-foot polycarbonate skylight will weigh less than 65 pounds while a glass skylight of the same size will weight in at around 120 pounds.

Acrylic skylights, most common in the 1980s, are prone to be damaged by hail. They also fade or discolor over time so they aren’t used as much anymore.

10″ Tubular Skylight

$159.70 at Amazon

Tubular Skylights

Tubular lights are becoming popular in residential housing because they can be installed just about anywhere. Unlike glass and acrylic, they can work well in a mobile or manufactured home.

Tubular skylights are extremely flexible because their shafts can be straight, tilted, or even curved. A direct access to the roof isn’t needed. Prisms help bounce the light through the tunnel.

Tubular lights, also called sun pipes or light tunnels, are best installed after a manufactured home has been permanently set up on location so they can be placed in the best position. This eliminates possible damage to the shaft of the tube during a home’s transport.

Tube skylights with shallow shafts work well with manufactured homes since there isn’t an attic.

Needing help choosing the right skylight? Click here to read Sun Tek’s chart.

Sun-Tek® SFMH 22″ x 46″ Clear Polycarbonate Surface Mount Skylight

Popular Brands of Mobile Home Skylights

Fox Lite and SunTek are the most popular brands that appear when you Google ‘mobile home skylights.’ These are typically deck mounted polycarbonate domes with integrated flashing and are reasonably priced.

Velux brand is the nation’s leading curb mounted skylight manufacturer and available in your big box home improvement stores. They come in a variety of sizes and can be used to replace the original mobile home skylights fairly easily.

Location of Mobile Home Skylights

There are a ton of things buyers must consider when choosing a manufactured home. The location of the skylights isn’t usually high on the list. However, making sure the skylights are pointing in the right direction is a bit more important than most buyers realize.

For cold climates, skylights do best if they face south to capture the heat, but have a deciduous tree shading them in the summer. The leaves reduce the heat during the summer but allow the sunlight in once the leaves have fallen off.

If you live in the Sunbelt you’ll want skylights to face north since you don’t need any help capturing heat. Adding shade over the skylight during the hottest months isn’t a terrible idea.

Other things to consider when installing a mobile home skylight is glare on TVs, computer monitors, or thermostats.

Slope

The slope, or pitch, of your roof plays a huge part in choosing the right mobile home skylight. This is especially important to reduce leaks so that water and snow will not pool or sit around the skylight.

Most skylight manufacturers require a roof slope (also commonly referred to as pitch) of at least 3:12.

Elkenhout, a Michigan construction company, says the optimal slope for a skylight is based on the geographical latitude plus 5-15 degrees.

Why are Leaks so Common with Mobile Home Skylights

Skylights are well known for leaking, even in site-built homes. Water will always follow the path of least resistance so any additional holes, crevices, or valleys on a roof can lead to problems.

A leaky skylight can create havoc on a mobile home. Rotted roof decking and trusses are just the beginning. Once the insulation in your attic gets wet it loses its insulating capabilities. From there, the leak hits the ceiling, walls, and can even reach the flooring. All without anyone knowing.

Leaks can occur due to material expansion and contraction. Outside temperature fluctuations can make the sheathing, tapes, and caulks shrink and create small gaps in the skylight’s seal.

Debris, snow, and heavy rains can also create leaks around mobile home skylights. Ice that slowly builds up will create an ice dam above the skylight that traps water and eventually damages the roof’s decking.

Identifying Skylight Leaks

Water usually finds a way through the flashing and sealant around the skylight. This is often caused by improper maintenance, dried-out tape or caulking, or failure to repair damaged flashing.

Water that doesn’t have an easy path off the roof can damage the decking which eventually leads to leaks in the interior. A roof’s decking can be significantly damaged before the water reaches the ceiling. This is why inspections are so important.

Locating the source of a skylight leak can be quite difficult especially if the leak has been previously ‘repaired.’ Knowing the signs of a skylight leak can help save a lot of headaches.

Damaged skylights.
Source: Wasco

Signs of a Skylight Leak

Here are some common signs of a mobile home skylight leak:
- Squishy Roof Decking When walking on your mobile home’s roof you should always put your weight on the trusses but you will want to do a spot test between the trusses. If you feel loose decking or see warping you may have a leak. dried out caulk
- Loose caulk
- Small cracks, holes, and discolorations in the skylight itself
- Damaged wood or shingles around the skylight
- Pitted frame or flashing
- Discoloration on or around the skylight
Repair or Replace a Skylight?

If your original mobile home skylight is leaking even the tiniest bit it’s usually best to go ahead and replace it with a new skylight.

Repairing a leaking skylight correctly will usually require the skylight to be removed or at least pulled up from the deck enough to replace the flashing. This means shingles (or metal roofing panels) will need to be pulled up. If you are doing all that you may as well take advantage of the situation and get a new, more modern skylight that likely has a better UV and rain coating and a clearer view.

How to Measure for a New Skylight

If you are buying a new skylight you’ll need to take measurements based on the type of skylight you are getting. For self-flashing or deck mounted skylights you’ll measure the finished opening of the width and the length. With curb mounted skylights you will measure the outside of the curb.

How to Replace a Skylight

The following images and descriptions quickly explain how to replace an old skylight with a new one.

Tools and Materials

The following tools and supplies are recommended:
- Hammer
- Snips
- Nailer
- Roof Safety Harness
- Butyl Tape
- Caulk
- Grace Ice and Water Shield
Grace Ice and Water Shield is a popular product for roofers. It’s a membrane made of two waterproofing materials that are layered together. The first layer is a rubber-asphalt adhesive and the second layer is a high-density cross-laminated polyethylene. The rubberized asphalt bonds tightly to the roof deck.

Grace Ice and Water Shield

Butyl Tape

You can watch the complete how-to video of the skylight being replaced here (all images are from the Velux video).

Most skylight manufacturers will include their own step-by-step instruction sheets with their products. For example, this mobile home skylight sold at MHPS includes this installation manual.
How to Replace a Mobile Home Skylight
1. Position New Skylight Over Opening in Roof
  A new skylight is put into the place where the old skylight once was.
2. Nail pre-installed deck seal into the roof’s decking.
  Nail the deck seal into the trusses of the roof.
3. Adhesive Underlayment
  Cut the adhesive underlayment to length and place around the skylight.
4. Nail Engineered Step Flashing
  Nail engineered step flashing under the shingles.
Hiring a Pro to Install a Skylight is Smart

While we are big advocates of DIY there are some cases where hiring a professional just makes sense if you don’t have experience. Repairing a skylight leak is one of those cases. It’s a project that is best left to professionals, especially if you don’t have moderate experience with construction. Water can cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time. Plus, climbing onto a roof can be dangerous even with low slopes.

Also, during my research, I found several Youtube videos labeled “repairing a mobile home skylight’ where the homeowners simply added silicone or goop to old silicone or goop and that’s not going to work well. This kind of repair does nothing but make the real repair more difficult in the future. In fact, this method can actually create more damage. Be careful where you get your information.

Regular Maintenance is Key to Preventing Skylight Leaks

To keep your skylight leak-free it’s important to perform regular maintenance. Ideally, regular maintenance means a thorough inspection every quarter, or when the seasons change.

Homeowners should do seasonal maintenance checks and visual inspections to their mobile home every 3-4 months.

Conclusion: Mobile Home Skylights

Skylights can be a nice addition to any mobile home but it’s not a set it and forget it type of product. Regular maintenance is absolutely necessary to keep skylights healthy and leak-free.

If you are a homeowner that enjoys doing things around the house and have a moderate amount of construction knowledge sunlight can be a true advantage to your home.

Simply put, if you own a mobile home with a skylight you have to be proactive and do regular maintenance checks every few months (ideally, when the season change). Otherwise, you will likely encounter issues.

What’s your experience with skylights? Love or hate them? Looks like I’m not the only one that dislikes skylights.

As always thanks for reading Mobile Home Living!
February 3, 2019
Complete Guide to Mobile Home Doors
Because of the ROI and the beauty that new mobile home doors add to a home, it is easily one of our favorite DIY home improvement projects. We’re going to cover everything you need to know to chose the right door for your mobile home, how to install it, and how to keep it looking great for years.

We also have a great DIY mobile home door makeover project if you don’t quite need to replace your door but would like a fresh new look. It really is amazing how drastic a ‘new’ door changes the look of a home!

Why New Mobile Home Doors is the Smartest Home Improvement Project

As with any mobile home improvement, homeowners need to understand the return on investment or ROI. One article defines ROI as “a percentage point that identifies a projects validity. In other words, ROI is used to determine which investments are worth your while.”

Believe it or not, installing new doors is always the highest ranked home improvement project when considering the return on investment.

Zillow lists a few common home improvement projects and their ROI:
- New siding and deck builds pull in about 70-80% ROI
- Minor kitchen remodels bring in 70-80%
- Major kitchen remodels get about 65%
- Window replacement comes in at 68-78%
- Roof replacement is a top mobile home repair project and it pulls in 60-70%
- A bathroom remodel can bring in around 60-70%
Replacing your front door, a very affordable project compared to those above delivers an amazing 85-100% ROI!

Because of their high functionality and drastic upgrade to a home’s curb appeal replacing mobile home doors will be the smartest and most affordable home improvement project you can do.

Installing a new steel front door has an ROI of around 100%! In a Fortune Builders article, they’ve calculated the ROI at 101.8%.

You can recoup every penny you spend on a new door, including installation costs, and still get to enjoy the safety, insulating qualities, and added style for years.

You Can Replace Mobile Home Doors for Less than $500!

Another great reason we think replacing mobile home doors is the smartest mobile home improvement project is their affordability. You can replace mobile home doors for less than $1,000! Even if you get a fancy special-order door that has to be retrofitted you can still do it for less than $1500.

Read more about Manufactured Home Renovations that Pay You Back here.

New exterior doors add several advantages to a home. In addition to the fresh new look, you will have added security and additional insulating qualities.

Benefits of New Doors

A new door does much more than look pretty. They can help you save a ton of money on heating and cooling costs.

Mobile Home Door Terminology

Rough Opening

The diagram below shows a door opening from above. Imagine you’re sitting on the roof looking down. Your rough opening is the length and width of the hole you’d have if you removed the door and frame.

What’s Your Jamb?

Your jamb is the width of the exterior wall after you remove all the trim. The most common jamb width for manufactured housing is 4″ but there 6″ is getting more popular.

INSWING, OUTSWING, Left-Hand, and Right-Hand

The images below from Doors 4 Home shows an outswing and an inswing door in both a left-handed opening and a right-handed opening. To determine which kind of door you need just stand outside and look toward the home. Are the hinges on the left or the right? Does the door need to swing into the home or out?

Which Material is Best for Mobile Home Doors?

Mobile home doors are available in many materials. To choose the right one for your home you’ll need to choose which quality is most important to you: security, energy efficiency, and cost.

The most popular materials for mobile home doors are vinyl and fiberglass. Of course, wood is still a popular material, too.

Sill to Sash describes popular materials for mobile home doors well:

Fiberglass Doors

Fiberglass exterior doors are constructed in the same fashion as steel exterior doors with wood stiles and rails and an inner core of injected foam. The outer skin is fiberglass. Fiberglass is very strong and durable. In addition to a flat painted surface, fiberglass can also be embossed to give it the texture and appearance of wood.

Steel Doors

Steel exterior doors are actually made from a combination of materials. The interior structural components (rails and stiles) are often wood, the inner core is filled with insulating foam and the outer skin is made of galvanized steel. The inner wood structure gives it stability and strength. The foam core provides good insulation and the steel skins are durable, resistant to warping or rotting and require little maintenance. Steel exterior doors can be painted any number of colors. They are also available with pre-finished PVC coatings that simulate a wood-grain finish.

Vinyl Doors

Vinyl exterior doors are a mix of steel, aluminum or wood re-enforcement that adds strength and prevents distortion. Vinyl doors are good thermal insulators because of their multi-chambered designs and offer good thermal performance ratings. Vinyl is a very durable material and is resistant to extreme weather conditions. It is also very resistant to breakage and provides good protection against forced entry through the door. Vinyl doors will not rust, dent, or scratch, and require no special maintenance.

Aluminum

Aluminum doors are the most popular material for mobile home doors. They are affordable but still offers a ton of advantages. While aluminum is a weaker material than steel, it holds up remarkably well in extreme temperatures. There’s a reason Airstreams are made from aluminum, it doesn’t rust and it’s lightweight.

Today’s aluminum mobile home doors are designed with other materials to create a longlasting and more durable product.

Related: 14 Great Mobile Home Exterior Makeover Ideas for Every Budget

What’s the Difference Between Mobile Home Doors and Doors You Can Buy at Lowe’s?

Lowe’s or Home Depot have dozen’s of doors all stacked perfectly in aisle 7 but if you own an older mobile home or a smaller manufactured home you probably can’t use them because they are too wide and/or tall. This isn’t as much of an issue in newer manufactured homes, thankfully.

Mobile home doors should be purchased from a mobile home supply center. Yes, you can use the doors at Lowe’s but they will require some retrofitting.

Geneva and her husband, both experienced DIY mobile home owners, cut down a storm door to fit. You can read more about their gorgeous home here.

cutting a regular sized exterior door down for a mobile home

Watch a video about resizing an exterior door here.

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/XP3Q5hs1QKM”]If cutting the bottom of your new door or enlarging the rough opening of your home to accommodate a wide door is not your idea of fun you should buy the right door size for your home.

Yes, you can retrofit it and make doors work in all kinds of situations but if you want a simple installation just buy the right door size.

Measure Your Opening

Now that you’ve picked the right door material for your home and understand the swings and the common terms associated with mobile home doors it’s time to measure so you can find the perfect door for your home.

Here you’ll see a standard mobile home door on a frame.

Here’s a video about measuring mobile home doors from Mobile Home Parts Store:

Measure the width of the door using the outer jamb, not the door itself. Also, measure the height of the door from the inside of the top jamb to the floor. Select the door that is closest to those measurements.

Installing Mobile Home Doors

Once you have decided you need to replace your mobile home door, the next step is to find a replacement.

There are a few mobile home door styles that are most common:

Image Source

The solid style is just that, solid, with no windows.
The diamond window is especially popular in my neck of the woods.
The slider and the cottage are popular backdoors for mobile homes.
The 6-panel steel is perfect for the front of your home and is especially smart if you are in a very hot or very cold climate.

We are partnering with our friends at Mobile Home Parts Store to create this DIY guide to mobile home doors. They have tons of exterior doors and parts to help make your mobile home door replacements easier. Here are a few of their doors you can buy between $225-$279. Just click the images to learn more about each door.

Most Older Mobile Homes Have This Door Style.

This door combination is perfect if you want to let the light in. Basic mobile home door with a storm door.

No Room For A Screen Door? This Basic Mobile Home Door Is What You Are Looking For.

No room for a screen door? This basic mobile home door is what you are looking for.

Want Complete Privacy? This Door Gives That.

Buying mobile home doors can cost upwards of $500 but with that, you will get a storm door and a door with:
- White vinyl laminated galvanized steel attached to a high quality painted finger jointed solid pine jamb (standard 4″ sidewall jamb, optional 6″ sidewall jamb)
- Weather stripping to protect against air, light and water penetration
- 1 3/8″ thick with energy efficient polyurethane foam insulation
- Four leaf sill sweep and pre-drilled for entrance and deadbolt lock
- Six panels with chrome knocker and viewer
- Pre-hung, pre-squared and pre-punched for fast and easy installation
- Made in the USA and manufactured to comply with HUD Std 3280-405
- White aluminum self-storing storm door with the following features:
- Heavy gauge all aluminum construction
- 1″ thick hollow aluminum door frame reinforced with 14 gauge corner gussets
- Pre-drilled for latch handle
- Built-in drip cap
- Aluminum kick plate
- 1/8″ thick tempered safety glass
- Vertical sliding bottom glass with screen
  Source
We’ve written about the best tools for mobile home owners. Replacing a mobile home door is a good reason to stock your toolbox.

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Installing Your New Door

The Mobile Home Parts Store has put together an awesome step by step guide to installing your new door:

1. Make certain all mounting surfaces (siding seams included) are securely fastened and flat around the perimeter of the door opening.

2. Apply a suitable non-hardening sealant tape (Putty Tape or Butyl Tape) to the backside of the door’s mounting flange.

3. Do not remove any shipping clips or fasteners and keep the door closed and locked during the installation. Opening the door prior to the installation will destroy the pre-squaring by the manufacturer.

4. Insert the door assembly carefully into the rough opening. Make certain the door sill is secure on the floor. Move door to the hinge side until it is firmly against the stud.

5. Proceed to fasten door with Hex Head Screws. Drive the first 3 screws into the outer pre-punched flange in the middle at the hinge side. Then, drive the next 3 screws in the middle on the lock side. Then, secure the balance of the hinge side, across the sill, up the lock side and the header.

6. Remove the shipping clips and open the door. Install the Locks, Threshold Plate and Safety Chain.

7. Some doors will have an adjustable stop. Adjust the stop to the exterior of the inner door to ensure a good seal.

Here’s Mobile Home Parts Store video on installing a new mobile home door:

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/7qD3Jgf3pD0″]

Repairing Mobile Home Doors

In many cases, you won’t need a whole new door. You can simply replace or repair the hardware and make your mobile home door last many more years.

Common Mobile Home Door Issues

This is too funny! But, really, sticky doors are no joke!

Sticky Doors

If your mobile home doors stick excessively if could be a sign that your home needs to be releveled. Learn more about mobile home leveling issues here.

It could also just mean that your hinges could use a little love and are sticking due to swelling or rust.

Hinges can be adjusted or replaced on old doors.

Hinges Wear And May Need To Be Changed After Years Of Use.

This article on This Old House covers sticky doors.

This article from Family Handyman shows you how to replace hinges and has many photos to guide you through the process.

Changing Your Knob/Lock Can Be An Easy Fix.

Door Knobs

If your doorknob doesn’t seem to turn or doesn’t want to lock or unlock, something as simple as lubricating it with some W-D 40 could do the trick. Of course, you can replace your doorknob fairly quickly and easily. You can buy a stainless steel exterior mobile home door knob with lock for less than $15 here.

Changing your knob/lock can be an easy fix.
This video is a good resource to learn how to quickly replace your mobile home doorknob:

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/7E58iL-AdgM”]

How to Give your Exterior Mobile Home Door a Budget-Friendly Makeover

Buying new mobile home doors is an investment and sometimes we just don’t have the money to get a new one. This budget-friendly project can help you. We found this affordable exterior mobile home door makeover on Home Talk (link unknown).

If a new door isn’t in the budget yet you can still give them an update on a budget. This homeowner had a piece of vinyl laminated paneling that’sd popular for bathrooms and added it to the old exterior mobile home door he had.

The Old Mobile Home Door Is Rough But Nothing An Afternoon And $20 Can’T Fix.

The homeowner cut the paneling to size and pre-drilled the necessary holes for the locks. attached the new exterior skin using small white paneling nails that matched the paneling.

Replacing The Outer Shell Gives The Door A Whole New Look.

Small White Paneling Nails Are Perfect For This Job.

Viola! The old mobile home door has a fresh new look that only cost a few dollars. The door looks great to have only cost a few dollars!

The Final Product.

This is a good project only if your mobile home door is not warped. If you have a warped door it will need to be replaced.

Interior Mobile Home Door Projects

You can makeover interior mobile home doors, too. Mobile home interior doors are also shorter and more narrow than the doors you can find at Lowe’s so you’ll want to buy them from a mobile home supply store whenever possible, too.

But, if there’s nothing wrong with your interior doors and you just want to give them a new look these two projects are perfect.

Terrific Trim

We featured Shannon’s great double-wide manufactured home makeover a couple of years ago. Her interior door makeover is one of our favorite projects of all time. It’s so simple yet so significant!

She simply nailed trim to make the door appear to be the more expensive panel door. The trim, nails, and paint will cost you less than a good pizza!

Shannon Nailed Trim In Rectangle Shapes Down The Door And Painted It To Make The Door Look Custom!

Wainscotting Adds Depth

This next homeowner is on her way to a similar mobile home door makeover. She glued thin wainscotting panels to the door and then trimmed it out. This image shows her in the process of painting the door.

Conclusion

Not only will new mobile home doors improve the look of your mobile home, they can also help reduce heating and cooling costs, make your home safer, and add to the equity of your mobile home. New doors are a great investment and you should make it one of the top projects on your mobile home remodeling to-do list.

Stay tuned, we will be continuing our partnership with Mobile Home Parts Store and discussing other DIY projects in the future.

Thanks for reading Mobile Home Living!

We are an affiliate of Mobile Home Parts Store. That means if you buy something from them using links found on this site we get a small cut that helps pay our server costs and keep the family fed. Here’s a 10% off coupon link, thank you for your support.
August 5, 2018