Mobile Home Roof Problem

[Russ DeWolfe]

I have recently purchased a fannie mae foreclosed mobile home to rent out. The roof is sagging in a spot that is about 10'X10'. The roof was replaced 2 years ago by a roofer that says he was only paid to fix about a 10' section of rafters. He says he advised the insurance company and the homeowner at the time that the gang nails were old and giving way, but they refused to fix any more rafters to completely stabalize the roof. He says that it is considered a manufactures defect and they would not cover it. The roofer that worked on it previously says the whole roof needs to come off and repairs need to be made to all rafters and the roof put back on. He says this could be 10K or so. Another roofer has suggested using the load bearing portions of the home to build a 2nd roof on top of this one and says it would not cause more stress to the existing roof/rafters and this is a good solution rather than tearing off the old roof. But I am not sure how this would be possible or if there might even be another alternative out there. The mobile home that is on a foundation now is only worth about 13K, but if I leveled it I would now have to go back with a regular home due to new local restrictions.

[Rod Lloyd]

How old is the home and what type of roof finish is it?

[Russ DeWolfe]

1984 20 squares pitch is 2/12 composition shingles

[Dan R.]

I've seen canopies built over MHs to address this issue. Typically 4"x4" posts are placed on 8' centers and connected with girts and trusses. Metal roofing is then placed over the entire structure. Imagine a barn being built over the entire MH...that's the basic idea. You could probably market this a solar canopy and make it sound real good.

[Russ DeWolfe]

who does that and how much is it?

[Rachel H.]

It's best to get a couple more opinions. I've found there are different ways and methods to do things when it comes to fix-up issues. Patch work jobs can be ok if they do not face a safety issue. Where safety is concerned, it's best to start new. Sooner or later a roof replacement will need to be addressed due to its age. Hope that helps!

[John Fedro]

Hi Russ,

Great advice from everyone here.

As I see it you are looking for the most cost effective method to fix the problem for years to come. Spending $10k is out of the question in my book.

If you have pictures online somewhere perhaps we could get a better sense of what is going on. If the ceiling is just sagging and not broken, is the home still livable or not? Is it slightly sagging or major?

Bring in many different handyman and professionals to offer more custom help and opinions.

Hope our comments help. I think we would all be interested to hear how you resolve this problem.

Best,
John Fedro

[Victor Belman]

Despite federal construction and safety standards, consumers have experienced a number of problems with the quality of mobile homes. Common problems include leaking or sagging roofs and ceilings; improperly installed windows and doors; defects in the heating, cooling etc.

[Sam Parkins]

I'm with the bunch here in that it would seem unrealistic to spend so much and it's hard to diagnose without pics or a better understanding.

My two cents to your issue would be to analyze the roof from the point that you know it is malfunctioning: the fasteners. Just like setting up a home and using jacks, it is "feasible" (may not be the best or possible - but feasible!) to stabilize the roof where it is sagging and refasten the trouble areas. You could easily apply more strength while you have it open by adding support as well. Obviously this would entail removing the drywall or paneling on the ceiling, but if your paneling work is $1500, your fasteners and labor $500 and some extra support and labor $500, you might be looking at a feasible short to mid-range fix.

My first step if this were my problem, like others have suggested would be to get some professionals out to look at it - lots of them. If you seem to get a consensus on what could be done say from a roofing company, you can go with them to make sure you keep in line with building/construction codes as well as safety.

If it's something that can be done without safety/building liability, you can see if you know someone or could get referred to someone that maybe works for a roofing company or a contractor to do it on the side for you. Thus paying $25/hour instead of the contractor rate of $75/hour (give or take).

For what it's worth: manufactured homes (as mentioned) are made with cheaper material and may only have 1"x2" or 2"x3" rafters. I'm not too familiar with nails malfunctioning, however it could be that the nails are malfunctioning in the regard that the wood was too thin for the nails to properly affix.

The problem could lie in the material, fasteners, or even the design. If the load is too much for a 10' span with cheaper material, your options would be to run wood/metal the length of it to add support (joining to another load bearing wall assuming there is one) or to add a support beam in the middle.

Hope this helps. Just trying to brainstorm ideas here for you. I'm not an engineer or experienced with roofs but have seen similar problems and just trying to help!

[Steven J.]

Very interesting dilemma you have on your hands here. As with the other investors I'd love to hear the follow up of what happens with this thing. From what I've gleaned from this and other articles so far your cheapest option may be get rid of the thing. Perhaps sell the land to a developer? Not sure. Good luck!