When you have a mobile home you often can’t repair your roof in the same way that you would if you had a different type of house. While there are some mobile homes that have the more common shingle roofs, there are also a lot of older mobile homes where the roof is made of metal. If you own one of these and your roof is starting to leak, you can probably repair it yourself and save the money that you would have spent on a contractor. When you climb up onto your roof you’ll want to make sure that you’re stepping on the rafters and not between them. You could damage the roof or even fall through. Take a good look at your roof.
There is a silver coating on it and there is also liquid asphalt or roofing tar or some other type of similar compound around the pipes and vents that stick up from it. There might also be a type of metal flashing in some areas and metal around the edges to keep them sealed up tight against the elements. If the silver coating is cracked and looks bad, it’s likely time to do some roof repairs. The same can be said if there is water leaking into your home when it rains.
The good news is that what seems like a daunting job is actually a relatively easy fix. You’ll want to be careful not to fall off the roof or get too close to the power lines, and you might want someone else to help you. You can buy roofing tar or sealant in large tubs or in smaller tubes, and you can use a caulking gun with the tubes to re-seal areas around vents, pipes, and edges where the roof might be leaking. There are two options for coating larger sections of your roof.
You can re-do the silver coating or you can coat over it with a black substance that is more like rubber. This costs more, but it will last longer (around ten years as opposed to around five years for the silver coating). If you use the silver coating, follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to help it last as long as possible. If you use the rubber coating, you’ll need to put on one coat, and then go cross-wise with the second coat to get a good seal. Either way, be sure to take your time and do the job right, and seal carefully around any pipes, vents, or other leak-prone areas.