The Manufactured Housing Forums

I am in the process of looking for some ways to cut down on my electric bill.I live near the coast of NC and am considering the following options;
New metal roof
add insulation in the ceiling(don't know how to )
New vinyl windows

Is the roof replacement a good idea?

I would discourage a roof over in a coastal area, they don't usually fare well in hurricanes. Window replacements can help if properly installed. Depeneding on the age of your home. you might want to think about replacing the a/c and furnace with newer, more efficient models. Also, for the summer cooling season, compact flourescent light bulbs can help. They use about 1/4 of the electricity and give off a lot less heat which helps to reduce the load on the a/c.

Some of the older style mobile home roofovers have proven problematic in hurricane conditions. The newer residential metal roofs can be fastened down so that they are structural sound, even in costal hurricane areas. Call your local building code department and ask for their guidelines. If the roof is done correctly it could help. Select a color like white or plain silver that will be reflective, not one of the dark ones that will hold the heat of the sun.

It is possible to add additional insulation under the new roof metal. There are a few different methods that this is being done today. If you have never done this before it would be best to find an experienced roofing contractor to handle the job.

Storm windows would also offer you an added savings.

Check your hot water heater, it can be producing ten percent of your electric bill. If the setting is very high bring it down. you can also add a switch or timer to shut the hot water heater off during the day when you are at work. You can also purchase an insulate blanket that fits over your water heater that will help cut down on electric use to keep it at a constant temperature.

Most electric companies offer a free home energy audit. Call your electric provider and request a home visit. I did this and found that my air conditioner was using a third more power than it should. A simple cleaning of the inner coils resolved this waste of power and money.

I own a 1972 Marlette mobile home in Ontario,Canada. I wish to build a new high pitched roof of steel to eliminate the build up of snow. I am looking for the specs. on the wall fabrication to determine the weight the walls can bear. My home is a single wide 12 x 60 feet.

Sounds like a big project for a 1972 single section home..You will not be able to find any engineering specs for a home this old..You will have to hire a local structureal engineeer to check out your home and design a safe structure for the roof..

we own a 1988 double wide. the side walls are only about 71/2 ft tall. were wanting to add on the top of the outside walls and put a higher pitch roof on, that way we can raise our ceilings. is this possible. stephanie

In any kind of home renovation, replacing roof is the hardest job because its big enough and its needed to have complete repair tools and equipment in order to replace it properly.

We purchased our home 2 years ago, Buying from owner. Disperate times! It's a 2003 mobile home. Now 2 years later we are noticing our home is pulling apart at the top like spliting intoat the roof, if that is possible. The foundation has no cracks we are baffled as to what is happing. When you walk in the house you can actually feel that the home is slanting. We don't have alot of money but we can't afford to loose our home is there any we can do to fix this. Or get help to fix this. I'm disable and my husband is supporting two household, ours and his parents. Any help would be deeply apriecated.

It sound like your home is settling and needs to be releveled. You should NOT try to level your home by yourself. The operations involved in jacking and raising the home can be very dangerous and should be attempted only by experienced individuals.

the Releveling Kit from Aberdeen Repair includes complete step-by-step instructions and a waterline level. Use these instructions and the enclosed waterline level to determine whether or not your home is out of level. You will also use this information to become a better-informed consumer and give yourself the upper hand when it comes to hiring a contractor to do the job, or requesting home warranty service.

The detailed instructions will show you how to do the following: learn the causes of why your home becomes unlevel learn how to set-up, calibrate and read a waterline level determine where your home is unlevel and by how much learn what to watch-out for before, during and after releveling your home learn proper jack placement learn how your contractor should safely jack-up your home

Get more details Here

Yeah its a good idea and I am sure it will effect your electricity bill as well.