# Anyone tried to make a mobile home more energy efficient?



## rebar (Jul 8, 2015)

Hey everyone. Hope y'all doing well.. 

I cant decide if I want to spend 10K for adding more insulation, eaves and new shingles to my mobile home roof, or hope parts of it don't blow off again before I can build my Shome. It might take 10 years to build the Shome since I don't live there yet and only get out there on weekends. And I have to demo my small barn for the space, or move the MH but the utilities are a issue then.

I would love a nice new Shome, but I'm torn because my taxes would probably jump up 5X.. 

Dumping money into my 1988 16x80 with 3:12 roof and 2x4 walls probably wouldn't raise my taxes which are $600, or maybe a little. But I'm a bit concerned with the MH completely blowing away one day with how natural disasters are increasing yearly now. And if the effort and money would be worth it. 

Thanks!

[/url] [url=https://servimg.com/view/14972252/19][/url]


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

I've lived in mobile homes most of my life. There's a delicate balancing act when it comes to spending money on something that depreciates if you are planning on selling it. The final decision is up to you, but personally I've always done the "bare minimum" to keep a home safe and comfortable. I have insurance, I keep up on maintenance, and if a storm comes it comes.

Personally, if you can get by with the insulation as is now, I'd only replace "as needed" when you work on other parts of the house. I'd also personally go with metal roofing as it will overall be lighter and more durable.

As I said before, in the end it's up to you. I'm satisfied with my 16x80 single wide. I'd love to build a house, but the cost and time involved can be much better spent (at least in my case) in other things (equipment, fertilizer, trees, etc.).


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

So, if I understand correctly, moving the mobile home onto the land you will be someday constructing the shome would involve substantial expense for utility hookup? How much land is this other property?
Not knowing more than your op I would, if it were me, lean towards moving the mobile home using some of the remodel money if need be, and putting it under a carport. Fix it up and live in it on the land you plan on building until you have the money saved.


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## rebar (Jul 8, 2015)

GTX63 said:


> So, if I understand correctly, moving the mobile home onto the land you will be someday constructing the shome would involve substantial expense for utility hookup? How much land is this other property?
> Not knowing more than your op I would, if it were me, lean towards moving the mobile home using some of the remodel money if need be, and putting it under a carport. Fix it up and live in it on the land you plan on building until you have the money saved.


I must not have my notifications set up correctly.

No GTX63.. I have a house in town, and also the mobile home which is 45 minutes away (in the picture) and has been there since 1989.

The problem with the property is its on a hill top so there's no room, in my opinion, to build unless I demo the barn, or move the mobile home. What I'm thinking is demo the barn and move the mobile home to where the barn was, giving me the best spot and view for a new Shome. I have the money to do it, but it would require 1/2 of my savings to build the Shome but my retirement moneys don't look that good. My GF even worse.. And then here comes the tax man..


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## wannabfarmer (Jun 30, 2015)

I agree with an earlier post of weighing your options on cost for a depreciating home that you don't want to live in. Given the age I wouldn't put any money into it that I didn't have to and focus on saving for the home you want. say you spend the 10k to upgrade your current home and live there another 5 years. to put that back in in 2 years would be roughly 400 a month. then you can start saving again for the house you want vs spending the little bit extra in utilities and just continue saving from where you are now. I personally wouldn't put any money into a MH built in 1989. you won't get any money back from it and hoping to break even would be a long shot.


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## rebar (Jul 8, 2015)

wannabfarmer said:


> I agree with an earlier post of weighing your options on cost for a depreciating home that you don't want to live in. I personally wouldn't put any money into a MH built in 1989. you won't get any money back from it and hoping to break even would be a long shot.


Thanks wannabfarmer, but I don't mind living in a mobile home. Ive owned three, and if I built the new Shouse, the living quarters wouldn't be any bigger.
I just don't like crawling around under it, leveling it, repairing the water line and patching big holes in the belly wrap. I also wouldn't like paying over $200 a month for propane, but my GF is covers that for now.



crehberg said:


> There's a delicate balancing act when it comes to spending money on something that depreciates if you are planning on selling it.


That's the thing. I'll never sell this place because I bought it to retire on.

But if I sold my place in town, that money would almost pay of the new Shouse but I'm also considering renting it out for 2k a month.

If I decided to live in and fix up (it would be more than 10k) the mobile home, the barn will be removed anyway to build a 2000 sq ' garage, so might as well enlarge that to 3000 sq' and build living quarters in a third of it. Decisions decisions..


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

What the heck is a shome....or a shouse ? (got an idea on that last one, involves a door with a half moon cut in it ? )


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

TnAndy said:


> What the heck is a shome....or a shouse ? (got an idea on that last one, involves a door with a half moon cut in it ? )


Think pole barn with a living area.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

I sold a tractor grapple to a guy down the road from us that built one.
You almost could not tell it was a house as the two over head doors covered most of the front. The living area was in the rear.
They bought about 30 acres, cleared an acre for the house and had another 20 logged, using the money to help with the build.
The rough construction (as a pole barn) was about 25k.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Barndominium.


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## wannabfarmer (Jun 30, 2015)

I guess i'm not understanding then. I posted a reply then deleted it to go back and read the entire post again. at first you were asking if it would be worth in to fix your current 1989 MH. You stated your options but when I said about not putting the money into it and just saving it for the place you wanted to move into you started defending the MH ( wasn't saying anything wrong against living in a MH) If you are worried about finances or spending too much why not sell your house in town to fund the project you want to do and invest in a hybrid to drive back and forth.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

https://www.kauffmangas.com/blog/how-to-make-your-mobile-home-more-energy-efficient/


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Shrug, probably more work/expense than its worth to do more than basic caulking, plastic on windows in winter, etc. Course depends on how it was constructed. I know some in last 20-30 years were actually ok with 2x6 walls, etc. I still remember that thing I lived in going to college. 2x2 studs, no sheathing, you had tin on outside and cheap thin paneling on inside. Cheapest leakiest aluminum windows you can imagine. Oh the roof trusses were actually even thinner wood with that indoor paneling used as gussets. Seriously you wondered how the thing survived just going down road new out of the factory. I suspect that was main intent, build it just strong enough to make it to its original destination and get as many easy monthly payments as possible.

I actually thought about what if I were living in that thing long term. I think I would just tear sections of it off and rebuild with normal good quality construction. This of course only be worth it if somehow there were crazy building code hoops to jump through for regular construction but mobile homes were exempted. Otherwise it was basically modern version of tar paper shack.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

You might not want to be derogatory about something you don't understand. 

I found this for you. Hope it's not too long a read.

"I’ve heard several contractors state that they can stick build “just as good as SIP’s”. Baloney. OK, lets do a couple of quick comparisons. A 6-1/2 inch SIP wall has an average whole wall R-value of 24. A 6 inch stick built wall has an average R-value of about 14 because of the studs, with an R-value of about 4 and R-19 batt insulation makes an average of R-14. To match the R value of a SIP wall, you would need to frame with 2 X 12’s with R-30 fiberglass insulation. The other part of the equation is having an air tight envelope to stop cold air coming in and your expensively warmed air from escaping your home. To get close, you would have to caulk all the seams of the sheathing where they come together and at the top and bottom plate. Have you ever noticed how on a cold and windy day how cold air comes out of the wall outlets? That’s because the cold air is inside your walls. A SIP wall, if installed properly, has very few thermal breaks and is sealed side to side and top and bottom, usually with a triple redundancy. In other words, it’s sealed on the outside and the inside. About now you’re thinking, hey, what about the spray-in foam? Spray-in foam is a much better insulation material than fiberglass and does a better job of sealing up leaks. That’s why it works so well around doors and windows and in SIP’s. Drawback of spray-in foam? It’ll run you around $3.00 a square foot to have it installed. It’s always difficult to accurately ballpark guess the square foot price of SIP’s because of so many variables. Like local tax rates, local wind loads, local snow loads, local codes (minimum R-values), shipping charges, how thick will the wall and roof panels be, how many trucks, would you like an on-sight trainer? I understand the frustration of trying to get a handle on prices, and that’s why many suppliers offer free estimates. Bottom line, if you want a very energy efficient, strong, fast to assemble home, go with a good brand name, reputable SIP."


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

This is an all electric house. My monthly electric bill has not hit $90. Everyone else around here with conventional homes is paying $250 to $350.

https://www.epsbuildings.com/sips-vs-conventional-framing.php


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> This is an all electric house. My monthly electric bill has not hit $90. Everyone else around here with conventional homes is paying $250 to $350.
> 
> https://www.epsbuildings.com/sips-vs-conventional-framing.php


Go look at how they design stick build super insulated houses. Its doable, but not like regular builders do it. Takes lot attention to design and building details.

The house that really got my attention was a reinforced concrete house. Its not most thrifty energy wise. But that sucker could stand up to full on tornados and hurricanes. Cost like 20% more than conventional stick house. They probably dont, but insurance companies should really encourage this type construction with much lower premiums. But like super insulated houses, builders want to cut corners and buyers just want to buy and flip in few years as their job moves elsewhere. Nobody cares about longevity, just quick profit. Nobody builds for the centuries. Even the Chinese are tearing down centuries old housing to put up new crappier housing. Hey the old stuff isnt profitable, lasts too long and cant garner the crazy high rents.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Mine is super insulated without an additional 20%. SIPs have proven themselves hurricane proof, too. Don't know of ANYTHING that is tornado proof.

For me, and my family who will inherit this house, the slight increase in cost of construction is COMPLETELY justified.

It's a different mind set. I am friends with several folks in the SIPs industry, and they are challenged with trying to sell to a customer base who has the attitude of "build it cheap and move on." Only people who have a longer term outlook are interested in a SIPs home.

My house is awesome.


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## weaselfire (Feb 7, 2018)

Mobile home efficiency improves with better windows and doors, not as much with roof insulation. But if you have to replace the roof anyway, it's a good time to upgrade.

I'm in Florida and mobile homes for our codes don't blow away any easier than standard block or stick built homes. Shomes do tend to get destroyed where standard homes survive, mostly because codes don't work as well on those designs in hurricane force winds.

Jeff


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Shome is irritating. Sorry. It just IS.

https://greinerbuildings.com/shome/


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## Meinecke (Jun 30, 2017)

As with any building and efficiency, it boils down to air infiltration or the lack of it (which you want)
Vapor barrier, no or little thermal bridges and outsulation...
If you want to get crazy you can also look into heat recovery systems
Get a blower door test done and see where you at...fix accordingly and you will already see a good improvement.
When you have it hot, get a detached roof, so that any sun heat can be vented away from your original roof


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

YUP Roof-over would do a LOT to keep it comfortable in the summer.


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## rebar (Jul 8, 2015)

Wow, thanks everyone..

And sorry to be all over the place as I'm a indecisive person. As soon as I think I made a decision, I start considering alternatives or find information which disproves it. I cant make up my mind if I want the trailer mainly to escape property taxes, or a ugly new shome because I'm a function over form type, and I'm ugly anyway. No pole barn, but a poured foundation and stick built. I could have the shome shell built and assessed as a garage, then build my home inside under cover. There are no codes or inspections in that county so no telling how long before they figured it out.

Iv read that many sips owners had problems at the seams. It would leak a little air at the seam and condense causing water damage. Then sips builders _claimed_ they sealed the seams better, but then there's the insects in the foam issue. Spray foam? Double No thanks! I would rather install foam board made in a controlled factory, because if the kid who shows up to to spray the foam ratio is off a little, because of his equipment or lack of knowledge, this can happen. Rare, but it could be slowly poisoning families because Ive heard complaints about the smell long after installation.

My choice would be Roxul rockwool mineral wool. But I imagine I'll find something bad about it to. lol

Why not sell my town house? Because its on the bus route to my work.. Im not going to drive 1 1/2 hours everyday to travel to work. But I will retire in 7 years or get fired soon because of a sell out at my work. What luck, having to look for a new job at the age of 55!

I re insulated my attic in my 1800 sq' town house years ago. I first removed the 6" of cellulose and sealed all the wire holes and cracks. Then blew in 24" of fiberglass so now my gas and electric utility bill is $105 a month. This is the reasoning for re insulating the mobile home roof, if I do that.. lol But I don't have as much space. More like 4" at the eaves and 24" at the center.


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## rebar (Jul 8, 2015)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> https://www.kauffmangas.com/blog/how-to-make-your-mobile-home-more-energy-efficient/


Thanks Alice In TX/MO. That's the first write up about making a mobile home more energy efficient Ive seen.

This is a interesting read I started about solar in Iowa.

*Imagine if you had just bought a solar system in Iowa..*

Post #15 is interesting..


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## wannabfarmer (Jun 30, 2015)

Just want to point out i'm not against a MH. i'm actually looking at the cost comparison of purchasing one to put on a plot of land vs buying an older house with land. My concern as stated by another is the construction of an older MH. The MH I looked at had a thermal upgrade that made them more energy efficient. I talked to a few people I know at a park that have newer MH that have the energy package and they state their utility bills are severely less than any conventional house I've heard of with similar size. (3 bed 2 bath) I personally am leaning toward purchasing a MH for a piece of land. My point was with yours to do the same efficiency would cost more than the value it would bring vs just purchasing a new/newer one. Now that I know what a Shome thing is i'm actually a fan of that also. If anyone has seen any of my posts I don't agree to just agree but I look at things in a logical and realistic way. I apologize if it seemed I was attacking, that wasn't my intent at all. I was actually giving realistic advice from what I feel is a practical view point. I understand not wanting to do a commute for work. With that new piece of evidence then why not try to sell the MH off cheap and have them pay to haul it away and just stay in town and save save save until you can build exactly what you want the way you want? then you can save the barn and turn that into storage or an aquaponics farmhouse?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I toured the SIPs factory myself and researched pretty carefully before construction. 

Also, I was at the job site almost every day. I am pretty confident about my building.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

That ant article is about using foam on the outside of the foundation. We don’t do that here.


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## The Paw (May 19, 2006)

A number of years ago, I bought a used mobile home of early '80s vintage to move onto acreage. The previous owner had added a pitched roof assembly on top of the original flat roof. They also added 2 inch rigid insulation boards on top of all the exterior sheathing and then covered that with new vinyl siding. Once I got it, I replaced all the old windows (except the main picture window) with new, energy efficient doublehung vinyl windows. 

The original wall thickness was 2x4 construction, so the rigid insulation did help quite a bit, especially given the windchill on the Canadian prairie. The roof assembly was a godsend in keeping the unit cooler in the summer. 

So, it can be done. But there is no way I would go to that trouble or expense unless I was planning to live in the mobile home for 10 years, full-time. Anything less, and you might as well direct the resources to the new build.


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## rebar (Jul 8, 2015)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> That ant article is about using foam on the outside of the foundation. We don’t do that here.


The foam full of ants in the picture was in a roof.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Couldn’t that happen in any house? We used to get occasional invasions of fire ants in South Texas until we organized regular perimeter treatments.


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## rebar (Jul 8, 2015)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Couldn’t that happen in any house? We used to get occasional invasions of fire ants in South Texas until we organized regular perimeter treatments.


Oh yeah I'm sure.. Main thing is to keep plants vines and tree's from touching the house. But I read about a ant nest that the owner thought he had killed and isolated, but the ants then climbed a power poll and wire to get back, 

Ants love to east termites.


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## ridgerunner1965 (Apr 13, 2013)

I havnt read all the posts here but I have froze my ass off in a 12x50 mobile home for several years when I was a kid.

I went to my dad and told him I was tired of freezing my ass off all winter. he took me out in the woods and said if you cut down these big syacamore trees we can take them and sell them for tie logs and yu can have the money to buy lumber and tin and concrete.

my dad and I built a 16x20 addition on the back of my trailer and we put a wood stove in it. I was never so proud of my dad as I was that first winter. I was so warm and cozy. all my friends would come for miles around to feel the warmth of the wood stove. 

the trailer was so delapitated that air con was not even in the realm. but come winter it was very cozy


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

rebar said:


> Wow, thanks everyone..
> 
> And sorry to be all over the place as I'm a indecisive person. As soon as I think I made a decision, I start considering alternatives or find information which disproves it. I cant make up my mind if I want the trailer mainly to escape property taxes, or a ugly new shome because I'm a function over form type, and I'm ugly anyway. No pole barn, but a poured foundation and stick built. I could have the shome shell built and assessed as a garage, then build my home inside under cover. There are no codes or inspections in that county so no telling how long before they figured it out.
> 
> ...


You have a decision ahead of you. Having two properties isn't a bad thing, especially if you can rent the townhouse when you retire and move to country lot. 

I was looking at pics you posted, and I see the MH has external rafters (2x4?), then in another pic, nothing? Different MHs? Is there some issue with your current MH roof? 
In the aerial pic, I see the mobile has vents, which suggests you have an attic in need of venting (and it might imply you have space to beef up attic insulation). While I do like the idea of putting up a roof with overhangs, the venting should be preserved. Then there is the issue of securing new roof on top of MH roof. 

No idea what type of roofing you have on MH, but around here, everybody covers their RV with a carport roof, except me of course. Although, I didn't want to waste resources on building a carport for RV because I figured it'd be a short term thing...was I wrong. But, an RV roof is a different beast than a MH home roof. Folks do it here, because RV roofs are thin skin disasters, and our rainforest winters are evil (a pin hole is all mother nature needs).

Really depends on your tolerance for space and comfort requirements. There are some hardy folks on this site who see a MH as utopia. I am not one of those folks. My vision of a MH is akin to Kill Bill v2, when Beatrix and Elle demolish Budd's MH rather handily. Yes, I am aware MHs are better built nowadays. Perhaps, I am a snob, but my 4yrs and 23 days in a RV drove home the desire to live in a stout home. I cannot handle listening to a windstorm wreck havoc on the forest out my door, where I mull over whether a tree can truly cut my RV in half, nor make the house shudder/shimmy. My reinforced (5/8 rebar) concrete house with 5" of foam and stuffed with Roxul with triple pane fenestration covers my concerns/paranoia/vivid imagination. Rather ironic, but now I need some kind of laser device to alert me when someone drives up my driveway, because I can't hear anything anymore, including my car alarm (well, I can just make it out, if I'm paying attention). 

I suppose the question is, can you see yourself living in MH in your retirement years? BTW - I am sort of attached to your barn you have there...no idea if it is salvageable. 
Building a shome is going to cost you. If you can do it yourself, you can save some serious money. I do have concerns as you noted about having a large structure atop a hill. In my youth, we had a large Quonset and house, on top of a hill, weather some pretty bad weather on the prairies. Albeit, the house swayed during blizzards (I was too young to appreciate the gravity of the situation). 

One thing I would strongly recommend, is that you keep a livable premise on property, if you decide to build. You don't want to be roughing it, while you build. Building can be a grind, and having a home to retire to at end of day, is most helpful. It takes the angst of time out of the equation.


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## rebar (Jul 8, 2015)

melli said:


> You have a decision ahead of you. Having two properties isn't a bad thing, especially if you can rent the townhouse when you retire and move to country lot.
> 
> One thing I would strongly recommend, is that you keep a livable premise on property, if you decide to build. You don't want to be roughing it, while you build. Building can be a grind, and having a home to retire to at end of day, is most helpful. It takes the angst of time out of the equation.


Thanks Melli.

The picture of the sleeper rafters on the mobile home isn't mine. I found it and used it to illustrate what Id like to do. The shingles on my MH are curling bad, and I had to have it repaired when straightline winds came through last year for $100. I think it was so cheap because the contractor was sure Id call him to replace the roof for $6500.

The sleepers will create a second roof above the first which would be vented, but I would still need to vent the original truss space somehow after I added insulation. But I feel I'm wasting time even talking about it, let alone actually doing it at the moment.

I agree the car port over the MH brings along a whole new set of problems.

Your house sounds neat.. Have a picture or build thread? Luckily my MH isn't close to any trees and theres a old well next to it we could jump into if we heard a tornado coming.

Yeah my barn is cute, and tries to tell me stories when I'm in it. But its designed to do something I was never really interested in. Or maybe it was that I never had time to farm. Even though the roof seems to be keeping most of the rain out, there are rotted posts at the ground (why I would never build a pole barn for anything more than agricultural use) and I can see daylight through many nail holes in the reclaimed roof tin. Id love to reclaim the lumber but don't have the time or manpower. Sounds dangerous to.

It does help having a livable premise on property. But I'm all alone and 45 minutes away. My GF isn't strong enough to help me. She says that's "mans work" so now I throw "That's women's work" in her face occasionally. But with her living so far from me and working second shift, we rarely see each other. She's not the support I need at this time, doesn't cook but I love her, and my kids don't help since they adults and live with their mom in a home I bought them and have never set foot in.

Even if I bit off a chunk to big to swallow, it keeps me busy dreaming and thinking. But I wonder if by the time I could finish my shome, I might be to old to use it. My dream is to RV travel 8 months of the year snowbirding. Slowly driving blindly on two lane highways to follow nice weather in my 97 cummins. But I need a home base to come back to to repair what ever I broke.

Maybe I should have sold my town house long ago and bought a condo close to my work. I think many people are slaves to their possessions including myself. My house is full of stuff I "think" I need. But I wonder sometimes how it would feel to be homeless with no possessions. A homeless guy with a credit card. haha. But the world has gone crazy. And maybe I should be satisfied just living on my bug out property and gardening etc.


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

What about building a room or two in the barn to live in until you build what you want later? Sell the trailer for a few thousand and use that money to do that with?

I use to be an energy contractor. Did hundreds of mobile homes. They are easy to make tight if they are built right. Impossible if not. I don't really recommend insulation because the cost/reward factor is not worth it on these older houses.


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## rebar (Jul 8, 2015)

mreynolds said:


> What about building a room or two in the barn to live in until you build what you want later? Sell the trailer for a few thousand and use that money to do that with?
> 
> I use to be an energy contractor. Did hundreds of mobile homes. They are easy to make tight if they are built right. Impossible if not. I don't really recommend insulation because the cost/reward factor is not worth it on these older houses.


Turning the barn into a living space would cost allot more than then insulating and reroofing the MH. Poles rotted off at the base, foundation blown out nail holes on the reclaimed roof etc. Plus, the barns in the way of my shouse.


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## rebar (Jul 8, 2015)

mreynolds said:


> I use to be an energy contractor. Did hundreds of mobile homes. They are easy to make tight if they are built right. Impossible if not. I don't really recommend insulation because the cost/reward factor is not worth it on these older houses.


That's interesting.. I'm still taping all the holes in the belly rodent barrier. What other things should I do other than weatherizing all the windows and sealing the electrical boxes? Funny I'm on this, because I don't pay the bill, yet.

Thanks


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

rebar said:


> That's interesting.. I'm still taping all the holes in the belly rodent barrier. What other things should I do other than weatherizing all the windows and sealing the electrical boxes? Funny I'm on this, because I don't pay the bill, yet.
> 
> Thanks


We had to take a class on insulating a mobile home to keep our contract. They came down from North Dakota to teach it. 

Basically you can apply Tyvek under the belly and blow it full of insulation. Fiberglass or cellulose will do. 

Your biggest problem with air loss is probably your AC ducts if they are under the bottom. Seal these up with mastic you can buy at Lowe's. Watch a video for the proper way. Then seal your unit. If you know someone who has a blower door use that. A duct blaster will check your ducts fire leakage.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Do not use cellulose. Mouse habitat.


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## rebar (Jul 8, 2015)

So again I'm all over the place with ideas, but at least I feel I should break ground. My latest brain child is a shome that looks like a house since I want stick built anyway. The left side is all garage with a 17' ceiling in the back half for the car lift Ive been wanting for years. Super insulated getting as close to net zero as I can afford, and it needs to be ascetically pleasing for resale. If I need more garage space, I'll build a regular pole barn on permacolumns where the old barn was.


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## bobp (Mar 4, 2014)

A roof over with UV barrier 2xs for purlings for an air gap can help a bunch, the same concept for the walls.....a UV barrier, with new siding...
Tie it all to a vented soffits and vented crown......new argon filled, UV barrier glass, windows of course, cut out the cheap door frame install a good solid frame, box the jams, use a good double insulated door.
Pull the fiberglass batting off the floor and do a double layer of spray foam.

Lots of things that can be done


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## crehberg (Mar 16, 2008)

rebar said:


> So again I'm all over the place with ideas, but at least I feel I should break ground. My latest brain child is a shome that looks like a house since I want stick built anyway. The left side is all garage with a 17' ceiling in the back half for the car lift Ive been wanting for years. Super insulated getting as close to net zero as I can afford, and it needs to be ascetically pleasing for resale. If I need more garage space, I'll build a regular pole barn on permacolumns where the old barn was.


Hey Rebar, you're talking about resale...now that's a whole nother animal....here at least anything besides "traditional" stick built is a hard sell...


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