Building a new roof over a MH

ColoradoGirl42 · Sat May 21, 2011 1:45 pm

I LOVE this website; thank you to those of you who maintain it!

We bought a 73 double-wide that was still structurally sound (saved it from demolition!), and we refurbished it.

Now we're ready to tackle the exterior: Replace the post/beam front porch's rotten plywood-&-shingle roof. Replace the very leaky corrugated fiberglass roof on the very large post/beam back porch. Plus, we're gonna need shade on the south side, because the wall is one big window and we'll cook during the summer if we don't have an overhang.

It occurred to me that maybe it would be better to consider putting an entire new roof over the whole thing instead of all these piecemeal projects. I saw a magazine article in which the MH owners installed a corrugated metal roof with a steeper peaked section over the MH and less-steep sections over the porches. It looked great; you couldn't tell it was a MH; looked like a low-slung house. The roof was built as a separate structure surrounding the MH.

We have no covenants, so we can do whatever the county bldg. dept. lets us. Before I talk with them: Is this a workable idea? Would it cost an arm and a leg? Does Mark's book's section on roof replacement cover such a technique?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

ColoradoGirl42 · Sat May 21, 2011 2:03 pm

P.S. I should have mentioned: we own the land the MH is on. And, we live in Colorado, where we can get NO snow one winter, and HEAPS the next.

Greg · Sat May 21, 2011 4:11 pm

Hi & welcome. Since it's a '73 it's a tough question to answer. You really need to know for sure what you are dealing with as far as the roof support. You may be able to drop a light down from the ceiling to get a look at it's size.

Some of the older pre HUD homes were built like tanks, others not so much. Before doing I job like that I would want to make sure the support is there. I'm sure it can be done, I would just want to make sure it's done right the first time.

Around here in the snow belt many people have built a free standing roof system almost like a pole barn over their home, so that may also be an option to think about.

Perhaps the "Roof guy" JD will offer some thoughts as well.

Greg

JD · Sun May 22, 2011 5:39 pm

The pole barn roof is the best way to go for what you want, but it will cost 2-3 times more than installing direct to the home. If you install the panels onto the home, look through Mark's Mobile/manufactured home repair manual for a good basic plan. Before you start, be sure to walk the entire roof. You want to step only on trusses. You should walk across the roof a couple of feet from the ridge and a couple of feet from the eave then right down the center. Be sure all your trusses are strong, with no mushy or nonexistent areas. These trusses must be intact because that is what you will be fastening the 1x4 runners to.

ColoradoGirl42 · Mon May 23, 2011 9:42 am

Thanks so much for your fast answers!

The pole barn idea is what I had in mind; I just didn't know what to call it. I'd be worried about trying to put any weight on the top of the MH, because it's so old and because we get very strong winds here that add to the stresses on buildings. JD, can you give me an order-of-magnitude GUESS as to what the cost of such a project would be? $5,000? $15,000? And has anyone ever seen a website or book on such projects?

We saved so much on the MH itself that I wouldn't mind spending more when/if we can afford it. I don't see any reason this place couldn't last another few decades if it's protected and maintained.

Have a marvelous Monday!