Chapter 2 of 17
Roof care
The most consequential surface on the home, and the maintenance cycle that keeps it working.
1 min read
Manufactured-home roofs come in a few types and they behave differently. Metal roofs, common on older homes, are durable but rely on sealed seams and fasteners that loosen over time. Membrane roofs, rubber or TPO, are seamless across most of the surface but vulnerable at penetrations. Shingled roofs, common on newer multi-section homes, behave much like a house roof.
On metal and membrane roofs, coating is the routine maintenance that defines the roof's life. A coating in good condition reflects heat, sheds water, and protects the material beneath. One that has cracked, chalked, or lifted is no longer doing any of that, and water is finding the seams.
The failures concentrate at penetrations, not in the middle of the roof: vent stacks, the furnace flue, roof vents, the air-conditioner curb, skylights, and, on multi-section homes, the ridge where the sections meet. Inspect the seal around each of those twice a year. Sealant is inexpensive; the framing it protects is not.
Trim back anything overhanging. Branches abrade a coating, drop debris that holds moisture against the surface, and give rodents a route onto the roof.
Do not walk on the roof unless you know it will take your weight. Manufactured-home roof structures are lighter than a house's and some will not, and a foot through the ceiling is a worse day than the one you were trying to prevent.
Key points
- Coating is the routine maintenance on metal and membrane roofs.
- Failures concentrate at penetrations and at the multi-section ridge.
- Inspect seals twice a year; sealant is far cheaper than framing.
- Do not walk on a roof you are not certain will hold you.
Watch out
A stain on a ceiling is rarely below the actual leak. Water travels along framing before it drops, so trace it back rather than patching directly above the stain.