Do it Yourself for the Mobile Home: Annual Exterior Maintenance

As the seasons change, it's important to provide your mobile home with a little exterior maintenance. In order to assure that your home is adequately weatherproofed for the upcoming weather changes, it's much easier to perform an annual or bi-annual checklist of chores rather than waiting for troubles to crop up - often saddling you with costly repair bills. Additionally, by running through this checklist, you'll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you're saving money on things like your annual heating and cooling bills.

When to Make Your Home Maintenance Checklist

You can make your home maintenance checklist any time you want, but I usually suggest doing one up as you near the end of winter, before the spring thaw hits, and then doing another for the fall, so you can make sure your home is properly winterized. Be sure to keep the list somewhere handy, so you can add to it if you think up other projects that need doing and, if you're anything like me, make sure you put it in a place where you won't lose it (I think most of my good intentions fail to come to fruition because I lose my to-do lists).

Also, don't be afraid to share your mobile home checklist with your partner or spouse - getting another opinion or having someone help you brainstorm is usually a pretty good idea. Just be sure not to overdo it or allow anyone to nitpick - be sure to keep it simple and direct. If you want to go back and tweak later, you always can.

Important Items for Your Exterior Maintenance Checklist

There are several things that should be checked when you perform your mobile home exterior maintenance, whether you choose to make this an annual or bi-annual occurrence. By following your checklist faithfully, you should be able to make the necessary repairs needed before your mobile home becomes vulnerable, thereby saving you money on costly weather-related damage. Here are some suggested problem areas that you should pay particularly close attention to, as you create your own exterior maintenance to-do list:

Roof: Whether you have a shingled roof, a metal roof or one that's treated with a special weatherproofing seal, it's important to inspect the roof of your mobile home at least once a year. At this time, you can repair or replace any damaged areas, replace missing shingles or panels, and reapply tar or weatherproof seal.

Gutters: Be sure to go around and remove any accumulated debris that you may have in the gutters. This is also a good opportunity to check the pitch of your gutters and adjust them as necessary. Additionally, when you run some water down the gutters to finish washing out debris, it's also a good opportunity to ensure there are no leaks in your gutters and to make sure all of the seams fit together well.

Downspouts: Some homes have a leaf catcher over the downspouts but, if not, it's a good idea to put one in - even a little wire mesh will work. This will help to prevent troublesome (and smelly) clogs in your downspouts. Also, you may want to ensure that your downspout is aimed into a dry well or rain catch to prevent water from going where you don't want it.

Roof Line: It's always a good idea to do a check along the roof line of your mobile home, caulking any areas that might be experiencing separation or weathering. You'll also want to check these areas for bee hives or wasp nests as well, as this is a favorite spot for them to make a home that can quickly grow out of control if left unattended.

Siding: Checking your mobile home siding is probably one of the easiest parts of your mobile home maintenance checklist. You will want to walk around your trailer, making a visual check of all the siding. Some pieces may be bent or damaged, requiring replacement. Where I live, we frequently get pieces pulled loose by neighborhood cats or rabbits. You will also want to make note whether or not there are any areas of mildew that will require cleaning or repainting.

Skirting: Much like the Siding of your mobile home, you will want to make an annual check of your mobile home skirting to ensure there are no gaps or damaged areas. I also like to spray the grooves of my mobile home skirting with spider spray as we suffer quite a problem with brown widows where I live.

Foundation and Ties: Performing a yearly check on your foundation and ties will help prevent problems from occurring due to your home becoming unlevel. Check to ensure that ties are still secure, supports are in place and that your foundation has come unbalanced (this is more commonly seen in areas where the ground freezes and thaws, causing it to heave up).

Windows: You will need to check the seals around your windows and, if needed, apply new caulking to any exposed areas. Fix or replace any damaged screens and lubricate the tracks if needed, to prevent them from sticking.

Doors: Doors are commonly a trouble area in many mobile homes, especially due to homes becoming unlevel. Fortunately, aside from releveling your mobile home, there are also great products like caulk, felt and weather stripping that will help to fill in any energy leaks or drafty areas.

Trees and Shrubs: One commonly overlooked part of home maintenance is maintaining the trees and plants around your home. Left to grow freely, trees can scrape and damage roofs or siding, debris can pile up on the roof and in the gutters and they can draw moisture and cause rot. Always be sure to trim your plants and trees so that they aren't going to lay on or scrape against your home - not only is it a disturbing sound, but it can also result in costly repairs.

Putting the Plan Into Action

Performing an annual exterior maintenance check on your mobile home isn't a difficult job, particularly if you break it up into short, easy jobs and keep at it. The main trick is not to try and do everything at once. Take your time and turn it into an exciting home improvement adventure. You're sure to learn tricks for making the task easier and your job more efficient. Before you know it, a home maintenance check will be a snap. So what are you waiting for? Start adding to that list now!

Sources:

Personal experience as a mobile home owner