Fixing a Mobile Home Roof

[jasonf]

OK Guys:
Here is my problem. I have a 5 year old single wide Fleetwood Mobile home with a galvanized roof. Each panel is about 5 foot wide by 30 foot long. The panels are joined together by a flat cap that is shaped like a big staple and it is crimped onto where the 2 sheets join together. The roof has ripped at the base of the sheet just where it begins to crimp back over onto itself. So each sheet has a crimp, and when they are butted up against each other they resemble a profile of a staple that is upside down on its flat back except the curls are pointing to the left and right not into the center. The cap piece holds the 2 sheets together and waterproofs the seam, and that cap looks like a staple with its points facing down, and curled toward the center. What is the best way to fix this? Could it be MIG welded, or should I screw another piece onto the roof to cover this 15 foot long tear? As always any help is appreciated. Jason

 

[mikim]

I had a fire and the fire dept chopped holes in my roof - I patched 'em with aluminum flashing, pop rivets, and roofing cement - the stuff you recoat those roofs with. Worked just fine.
mike

 

[EdKing]

I would be very leary of any kind of welding on the roof of a mobile home. It could very easily start a fire. You could try to rivet it back together, with some added metal, than use a sealant to fill all the holes and seams.

 

[jasonf]

Yeah I guess your right, I am just trying to think of a sturdy repair, that I wont have problems with later. I have a guy who says he will screw on a new piece of sheet metal and then put rubberized coating over the whole repair to make it waterproof. All this for $175. What do you guys think ?????

 

[Egon]

roof repair:
one could also cover the rip with a goodly amount of silicon and then screw a piece of aluminum or galvanized steel over the rip making sure the screw line has plenty of silicone seal on the underside and use the screws with rubber gaskets as are used for the steel roofing panels.

Egon

 

[Bird]

Jason, it depends on what kind of "rubberized" coating he uses. I understand some are pretty good, but I know some are not. When my parents had an old mobile home down at the coast, and after having the roof "resealed" numerous times, my brother and I just installed a one piece rubber roof; same stuff a lot of RVs have used the last few years, and no more leaks.

I'm having a different problem; need a good sized section of floor replaced because of a water heater leak I didn't find in time, and I can't find anyone to get out here and do it. It seems that everyone in that kind business is snowed under. One said maybe next week, another said about the end of June, and one was going to call me with an estimate yesterday, but never called./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

The guy with the $175 fix sounds very reasonable, and knowledgeable on mobile home roofs.
I've been doing maint/repairs on mobile homes and apartments for 16 years and for MH roof repairs, have settled on Butyl rubber "like bubble gum in a caulking tube" under a layer of galvanized metal screwed in place.Overcoat the repair with elastomeric roof coating{Snow Roof, etc.}
The Butyl is probably sold for gutter repairs, and has proven very effective on mobile home roof repairs that seem to flex a lot.
The "rubberized roof coating" in my experience is 10 times better than any asphault based {like kool seal} roof coating.
It might be a good idea to also check the seal at the edge of the roof{should have a "J" type strip}that always seems to open up and funnel water in.
Good luck,
David

 

[bgott]

Particle board floor? If you were closer I would send my guy. We've replaced the floors in six or eight of my rent trailers. I'm getting a little tired of floor work. Keep an eye on whomever you get to do it. If they don't tie the sheets of plywood together at the edges the joint will flex and you won't be able to get vinyl to stay down. Stay away from an overlay. A lot of my floor repair is overlays where they used three- eighths plywood. They particle board beneath crumbles away and you have a trampoline. Most of my renters are used to that but it bugs the hell out of me!

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>Stay away from an overlay</font color=blue>

Yeah, Brad, I never even considered an overlay. There was a time I would have just done the job myself, but I really don't think I'm up to it right now, and I'll never understand people who don't do what they say they'll do. It seems everyone in the business is snowed under, but one guy told me last Thursday he'd call Monday and didn't. I called his answering service yesterday and the lady said he'd call for sure yesterday, but he didn't. Another guy told me Friday he'd be out here Monday to see what needed to be done, Monday morning he called to say he was just leaving to come out, 10 minutes later he called back to say that after he looked to see what needed to be done, it would be the end of June before he could get to it. When I said I really needed it done before then, he said he'd contact someone else he knew in the business to see if he could get to it, and that he'd call back either way, and he hasn't. Another company sent two kids out Monday afternoon to see what needed to be done and they said they'd go back and work up an estimate and call me, and they've never called back./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif It's weird, to say the least. My insurance adjuster was the only one who showed up promptly and wrote me a check on the spot. Of course, I expect it to cost considerably more than the insurance paid, and I'm willing to pay if I could just get someone out here to do the job./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

 

[heehaw]

this is a common problem, people not doing what they say they will..i guess when your that independent, you let your word slide..do you have a company that does restoration?? they are usually pretty prompt and are use to repairing water damage?
heehaw