So many questions

[DoubleWideDrama]

Hi all!

Sorry if this is in the wrong topic section, I'm hitting a couple topics in one post. We just purchased our doublewide in July and have had many many problems with it. It's a 1993 and I'm not even sure of the brand. It's a 28x70 with an addition, making it 2440 sq. ft. We live in NY and temps here range from 0 to 90 and in the winter I'd say average temp is 20... I could be wrong.

Problem #1... we went through 285 gallons of propane in 26 days!!! Ran out overnight while we slept. I keep the programmable thermostat on 66 during the day and while we sleep and 68 from 4pm until we go to bed (usually 9pmish). Cost us $815 to fill the tank... $715 for the actual propane and $100 emergency delivery charge. CRAZINESS!!! I put plastic on the windows, weatherstripping on the exterior doors, play the curtain game and we close off the addition in the winter. Ideas???

Problem #2... Ice dams on the roof. We shoveled the roof on Wednesday after seeing 4' of snow and ice hanging over the eaves in some spots. (Yes, 4 feet!) We DID have the heat wire in the back of the house but ruined it when shoveling. I did the "ice melt in pantyhose trick" but it didn't seem to work well. I then bought some Roof Melt and that seemed to help in MOST areas, but some of the ice is probably 4" thick on the edges... HELP!!!

Problem #3... Skylight leaked in September. We removed it and patched the roof, put new shingles on and insulated the ceiling. So far, so good, right? We put drywall over it and now we have a 1/4" gap where the drywall is recessed... not sure how to fix that. We have those stupid popcorn ceilings and bought the stuff to put it up but now we have a gap to fix first...

Problem #4... which I've read extensively already on this website... I removed a few batton strips in the bathroom and mudded... now I have the smooth spots at the seams... guess I'll go to Lowe's and either buy textured paint or skim the walls.

Any help you can offer will be muchly appreciated!!!
Thank you in advance guys!!!

[Greg]

Hi & welcome. Most people that I know around here really hate to heat with propane. First it IS expensive and I personally don't think that it is as efficient as Oil or Kero. With out knowing the home's condition I can't say anything about heat loss or lack of insulation or weatherstripping. Lots of small leaks add up.

Ice on the roof, very common problem. I usually grab the roof rake and clear the snow once a week just to avoid problems, you can spend a half hour now or a lot more later as you know to clear 4'.

1/4" gap, or recess? if you have a recess from the thickness difference, you might be able to add some 1/4" luan plywood, and repaint. If you are going to re popcorn that stuff hides about anything, that's why they use it in the first place!

The strips. As you have found textured paper can be a major pain. Most here use the skim coat method. A word of caution before you go too far. If your home is at all subject to frost heave in the winter, the joints may crack. this can be a source of constant frustration just trying to keep the cracks filled. Some people here use paintable caulk if the joints crack. Greg

[Rod]

Re: Problem #1

First thing I would do is check underneath the home. Being you have a doublewide there will be a crossover duct connecting the 2 halfs together. You need to make sure this is in good repair, connected properly etc. If you find it needs to be replaced do a search on Roberts posts as he has a good method for not only replacing it but improving it.

Second. I would get a Reputable & Qualified HVAC company to come service the furnace. Have them do an effeciency test to make sure everything is running as designed. Also make sure its properly sized for your home.

I would guess that one of these 2 items has a problem.

Thats way to much gas 10+ gallons a day.

Good Luck

Rod

[DoubleWideDrama]

Thanks guys!

Our doublewide has the typical pitch, not sure what it is but it's 7ft on the exterior walls and 9 in the center... would it be beneficial to tear all the ceiling out, replace insulation and make the peak INSIDE lower? (creating a mini attick for insulation too) The cubic feet that we would be insulating and not heating, would it be worth it? We HATE the ceilings and thought about making a true attick but don't (and can't) lower the ceilings flat with the outside walls cuz let's face it, 7' ceilings are just too low.

That idea above would fix 3 of our problems, the ice dams (we'd have the cold air on the roof), the popcorn ceilings (and recessed area in the kitchen), AND reduce our heating/cooling costs.

Ideas?