Q&A – Mobile home roof leak

This homeowner asked the AskARoofer experts about what they should do to address a leak in their mobile home's roof. 

Lowe from South Dakota came to our experts with a bit of a unique question:

I built an addition on my 1970s mobile home and the roof is leaking. What do I do?

One of the AskARoofer experts, Henry Staggs of The Arizona Roofer, shared his advice with Lowe, saying: 

"Well, I assume the roof leak is probably somewhere in the transition from the old structure to the new addition. That's typically where I found them on those types of properties.

What I would suggest doing is going to a supply store that sells parts for manufactured homes like doors and windows and things like that, because manufactured homes or mobile homes are built differently, obviously, than a stick home, because they have to be lighter so they can be travel, travel on the road, so they use smaller boards and smaller or lighter, lower and less width. Forgive my lack of vernacular right now, a more narrow window, doors, etc, and the grip framing is typically a two by two, and it might have some cut OSB or CDX in there to help support it up.

But you got to kind of know what you're doing. And I would venture that you would find, or ask around in those areas, in those manufactured home supply stores, ask around for a roofer there, get some recommendations and have a couple guys come out and take a look. Those guys will be more familiar with the manufactured home, you know? As opposed to a roofer who's used to working only on stick built properties, you could probably still get the job done, but you have a very special home, so you'll need somebody who understands how it's made."

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