Mobile home roofs are simple.
Mobile homes are built as fast as possible. According to Automated Builder Magazine, it only takes about one to three weeks to build a complete home. This being the case, their roofs are quickly installed. Architects, realizing speed of building is all-important, designed these structures' roofing systems as simple as possible. Peeling the layers off a mobile home's roof reveals just three simple structures. Does this Spark an idea?
Shingles or Metal
Most mobile homes have shingles. These are made out of a fiberglass-tar composite, with granules of sand embedded. No special shingles are needed. Many mobile homes use common roofing shingles, which are readily available at any building supply store. Many homes also use metal sheet roofing. These are thin metal panels, measuring about 4 feet wide by 12 or 14 feet long. These panels are easily installed, and the average homeowner can replace his roof with ease.
Roof Sheathing
Below the shingles or metal is sheathing. This consists of wooden panels measuring 4 feet by 8 feet. These panels are either made out of plywood, or Oriented Strand Board (OSB). OSB is made of wood chips recycled from sawmill operations. The wood chips are mixed with glue, and pressed into boards. Studies done at North Carolina State University reveal OSB is decay-resistant, therefore recommended for exterior building applications. OSB is a common building material, available at any lumber yard. The sheathing is nailed to the rafters of the mobile home.
Rafters or Trusses
Peeling away the sheathing reveals the mobile home's rafters, or trusses. Rafters are the long beams used to support the sheathing. They are nailed to the tops of the walls, and to each other along the ridge line. If observed from the end, they form a very shallow "A." Rafters are usually made out of 2-inch-by-6-inch framing lumber.
Trusses are a kind of rafter, but have a very shallow triangle shape. They have internal bracing inside the triangle, to give them strength. Trusses are usually made out of 2-by-4-inch lumber. Both trusses and rafters are commonly available at many lumber yards. Trusses can also be custom made by the lumber yard following the Architect's prints.
Tags: mobile home, lumber yard, mobile homes, panels measuring, These panels, usually made
