1970's MH total demo & overhaul help?

Repair help for the do-it-yourselfer.
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memorymomma
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:27 am
Location: WA State

I just purchased a 1970's double wide MH home that is in terrible condition. Leaky roof, rotten floors, so on and so forth. I plan to install a membrane roof in the near future as our local code makes it difficult to do much more. I do need advice on a couple of issues. Several of my questions have been answered by the wonderful post of people who have walked in my shoes...and those posts are much appreciated. To begin most of the trusses are broke from people walking the roof. I currently have pulled all ceilings and insulation along with the interior paneling off of the walls. I'm running big fans to dry out the wood so I can assess the mold and rot and repair where needed. The metal roof where it meets the trusses has the black vapor barrier that has all but denigrated in most places due to water. I plan to Sheetrock the entire trailer when I'm finished repairing all the wood damage. The ceiling has me concerned ...mostly about condensation. I'm struggling to decide on how to insulate the ceiling without causing future condensation problems. This is a very low sloping roof. My question is do I replace the vapor barrier with some type of foam insulation above the trusses? After reading a post here that mentioned I could push up on the metal roof to slide stuff behind it. What is the best choice to insulate the metal roof against the wood trusses? Spray in foam...sheets of foam? Also, do I need to make sure the seems are perfect and caulk or tape the seems? Along with this I also have to ask about air circulation in such a small ceiling area. Do I plan to leave the cavity open and add some type of vent system to keep moisture from accumulating, or with this area being so small just insulate everything? I would have sworn the roof must of had leaks everywhere after the gross disgusting insulation I pulled down. After several rains and realizing the roof did not leak as bad as I had feared that all the rot and mold may have came from condensation. The vast majority of the damage to insulation which caused mold appears to be around the perimeter of the eaves where there is very little space for the air to flow. I had planned to replace the insulation in the ceiling with rolled in insulation. I don't want to take a chance and have my sheet rock ruined by having the roof sweat. So my question to you amazing folks is this: 1) SHOULD I INSTALL A VAPOR BARRIER OR INSULATE BETWEEN THE METAL ROOF AND TRUSSES? 2) SHOULD I PUT IN ROLLED INSULATION IN THE CEILING WITH A PLASTIC SHEETING BEFORE SHEET-ROCKING AND IF SO, HOW SHOULD I HANDLE THE SWEATING IN THE LOWEST SLOPE OF THE ROOF IN THE EAVES? Due to the limited space and no overhand of the eave I'm not sure how to get air flow to that area. Any and all ideas and advice would be appreciated!!!! I will work on adding photos. Thanks again!!!
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jadedcusan
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Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:55 am
Location: Central NY

I hope your questions are answered soon because I am asking the same. I'm in a 1973 and have attempted to "seal" the leak as seller stated but WHO KNEW it leaks all over. Used Silver seal-nope---elastomeric twice- better not done yet. I'm going up a this time if I fall & break my neck ~ pain over!!! Locals all use Karnac 19 I can't imagine all that tar over my head. It really needs a whole new roof but I don't have the money right now. Advise from RV forums is that it is probably original metal from 1973 and galvanization is wearing off so pin holes are probably in the thousands.
"But he that dares not gasp the thorn ~ Should never crave the rose."
'Anne Bronte'
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Greg
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M.M., In addition to roof leaks, don't forget to look DOWN. If there is insufficient ventilation under your home the moisture will travel into the home and create all kinds of issues such as rot & mold.

Jaded, Check with the manufacturer of whatever roof coating you are using. There could be compatibility problems with what ever is under it. You may want to think about a roof over. See the Articles section of the site for an article Mark did on it.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
memorymomma
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:27 am
Location: WA State

Good point Greg! I've been waiting on opening the bottom...I feel like it could be Pandora's box ~ lol. Any advice on roof ventilation? Insulate or not to insulate eaves?
Brenda
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Greg
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Traditional ventilation is tough in a mobile one step from impossible in most. Some used small roof vents, but they really did not make for a good positive flow of air.

I am sure some people here will have some ideas for you.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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JD
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momma - When money and time is not an issue, all things can be fixed well. Sometimes though we have to limit the price we pay due to funding or just comparing investment to return. On these older homes, we have to get innovative sometimes. Pictures would help a lot, but from what I am imagining, I would use 30# roof felt between the roof metal and truss wood. Foams won't work here, spray or solid. Also, you will only be insulating between the wood and roof metal. I would cut 6" wide strips which will slide in pretty much to the ends, The middles are easy. Then fold the felt down along both sides of the truss 90* so you can paint contact cement on the felt and metal at the same time. Spray is easier, brush cement is cheaper. Let that cure until tacky and fairly dry, then just push the two glued surfaces together. Now the felt won't fall out of place and you are redy for stage two, the vapor barrier. There are paintable vapor barriers that you could now spray on all of the exposed roof metal, top areas of the trusses as well as those strips of roof felt sticking out I would check out Ame's Research Roof Coatings for a paintable vapor barrier. You could brush and roll it it on, but that would a PITA.

There should be many posts on repairing broken trusses. I have put up several myself, complete with circles and arrows and a paragraph on each phase. You can get anything you want at Mobile Home Repair dot com. ('ceptin' Alice)
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All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
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JD
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Jaded - The old mobile home roofs get to be very hard to work on successfully when there is a build up of many layers of sealants. When the stuff gets thick, cracking, peeling and whatnot, it is bet to remove it where you will be applying sealants to the roof edges, ridge cap and vents caps. I use a 9" grinder with a braided steel brush. Only thing I have found that will get it done quickly. Can be a back breaker though. Once I see the metal again (sans rust) I wash the area down with a good solvent. I use lacquer thinner. (no smoking). Now if this is a problem roof, I may use a roof sealant primer. Ames, Kool Seal and National all sell this primer designed to work with their coatings. Then you layer on your new seal. A lot of people will just put down 2 coats of white stuff, elastomeric. I will usually use a coating made for undercoat and embed polyester roof tape into the sealant. I let that dry, then another coat or two of the undercoat. Let that dry fully, then 2 to 3 top coats of your favorite white stuff. I like Ame's Research Roof Coatings.

The silver coatings, usually called Alum-a-seal are almost all petroleum/asphalt based products. The coating will eat through the white elastomerics. If the silver stuff or worse yet, black asphalt mastic is totally old and dried out, you can sometimes get away with coating it with a good primer before applying elastomeric. With sealants being sold today, compatibility issues are mostly trying to coat asphalt based products with elastomeric or vice versa. I am not crazy about any of the asphalt based products and will not use them. Still check with the manufacturers instructions. Some products like EPDM Rubber Roof and be pretty fussy. Excellent product though. Then there is silicone.... nothing sticks to silicone. Not even silicone.

JMHO
☯JD♫
Today is PERFECT!

All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
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jadedcusan
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Location: Central NY

Thanks JD that was helpful ~~~~ "Problem roof" is an understatement. If I had a dollar for every time I told my kids to "do it right the first time" this would be easy. I'm living on Disability now :|
I will start a new thread soon with pics (when snow clears on deck). My main objective right now is to buy 1 or 2 leak free seasons and then reroof. What I'm paying to store my things will do that! I have no idea what is under the silver then elasto that was put on besides the tar type sealer one could see. There is only me (with occasional help) and 5' 110lbs of "Old as Dirt" doesn't go to far. Would Kilz water base primer work (brands you state are not familiar to me)?
A local program will replace windows as soon as I can shore up this leak. I am going to try fiberglass screen between the leftover elasto for a temp fix right now. I have 3 tubes of Plastic Roof cement....is that of any use?
"But he that dares not gasp the thorn ~ Should never crave the rose."
'Anne Bronte'
memorymomma
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:27 am
Location: WA State

Thanks so much for the advice on the interior roof and truss material. The felt idea is splendid. I have photos, however they are on my phone...not my laptop. I'm still pretty convinced I'm going with a membrane roof that is heat welded. Right now the focus is truss repair (THANKS FOR THE TRUSS PHOTOS AND ADVICE) I plan to follow the truss repair with ventilation holes as posted on the board. If time permits between my day job and home repair I will post photos. Again ~ thank you for all the advice!!!!
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Greg S
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If you are living in a area that has cold winters, your statements indicate you are, then your vapour barrier must be placed on the heated side of your insulation. If it is not moisture from your home will enter the attic insulation and both destroy it's insulation value and potentially cause mold problems. Putting a vapour barrier against the metal roofing will trap moisture in the attic.
An individual must enforce his own meaning in life and rise above the perceived conformity of the masses. (Anton LaVey)
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JD
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Greg S is totally correct on vapor barrier replacement. "It is to be on the warm side" is something I have been posting here for a dozen years. I was answering your question directly on replacing the factory installed. The strips of roof felt may still be a good addition though, to protect the wood from moisture and metal from the edges of the wood. Repairing the trusses and going with a new single-ply roof would be the way to go. The new roof could last you 20-30 years without maintenance to speak of. Continuing to doctor an old galvanized rolled roof is a never ending project that ends in replacement, installation of a new roof or just scrapping out the home entirely.
☯JD♫
Today is PERFECT!

All information and advice given is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The person doing the work is solely responsible to insure that their work complies with their local building code and OSHA safety regulations.
memorymomma
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:27 am
Location: WA State

I'm uploading photos that show how the trusses and metal roof look from the inside. I'm still unsure how to insulate the ceiling ( I do plan to use the felt idea), but I'm wanting to insulate with roll in insulation and add a plastic barrier I think before sheet rocking. Re-roof is not an option as our local county will only allow a engineered system and I cannot afford that.
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memorymomma
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Location: WA State

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memorymomma
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memorymomma
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