Loosing Heat

[L Milgate]

I have a 20 year old manufactured home on a cement perimeter. The heater is 3 years old and the roof was just been put on. However, the house does not seem to be holding in the heat. It has some old double pane windows and a few new double pane windows. What should I look at next-- insulation? Is is done from outside or inside. Is new paneling required for outside or new sheetrock for inside. Do I need a manufactured home specialist?

[Mac]

My guess is that your utility company provides free energy audits. For a small fee, they will likely use an infrared camera to find heat loss as well. If this is a HUD home (post -1976) then it should have at least 2x4 construction with some insulation. More insulation can be added from either side, though I'd bet most goes out the ceiling.

[Winin]

One of the first things you can do to stop heat loss in a manufactured home is to increse your ceiling insulation R-factor. Blow in insulation is the way to go. Compair cost, R-value and ease of instillation with other types of insulation and you will see the advantages. Next thing to check is, do you have recessed lighting in the home? If you do, replace the lights. In manufactured homes recessed lights allows the heat to go straight up into your roof area causing ice build up and heat loss! Many manufactured homes have little to no insulation above recessed lights. After making those two changes to my home our heat loss has dropped and we no longer get ice build up. The house is much warmer and the furnace cycles less often, saving me huge dollars in heating cost.

[Cheryl Freeman]

Can you tell me how to find someone that does that type of service in my area
l

[TC]

Depending where you live, If I would you , I will definitely build a new home and you won't have any more of heat lost, now days the mortgage companies are willing to work with new borrowers such as owner/builder and/or a contractor over see all projects and the program is to have your home build up, no payment during construction, they also finance the closing costs if you prefer. I do have the information to these company, if you or anyone you know would like to know more, feel free to contact me.