Caring for your manufactured home roof and exterior

The single most important roof task on a manufactured home is keeping seams, vents, and flashing sealed: on most roofs these should be inspected and resealed about once a year, or whenever you spot cracked caulk. A reflective coating on a metal roof is typically refreshed every couple of years and pays you back twice, by stopping leaks and by bouncing off our brutal Valley sun.

Manufactured homes use a few roof styles. Older and many newer homes have low-slope metal roofs with ribbed or flat panels and a peaked center seam at the marriage line on double-wides. Others have shingled, higher-pitched roofs that look and behave much like a site-built roof. Knowing which you have tells you whether your routine is coating-and-sealing or shingle inspection.

Roof care, step by step

1. Inspect at least twice a year and after big storms: look for cracked sealant, lifted flashing, rust, and ponding.
2. Reseal seams, vent boots, and flashing yearly with a compatible roof sealant; do not lay it on too thick or it will not cure.
3. Recoat a metal roof with a reflective elastomeric or silicone coating roughly every two years, prepping with a wire brush first.
4. Coat only when it is above about 50 degrees and not humid, so the product cures properly.
5. Keep tree limbs trimmed back and clear leaves and debris from the roof and gutters.

Do not forget the exterior

Wash vinyl or metal siding once or twice a year to clear Valley dust and pollen, and touch up any chips before sun and moisture work into them. Re-caulk around windows, doors, and where utilities enter the wall, since these gaps are common leak and pest paths. Check that gutters and downspouts carry water well away from the skirting and piers.