In the past years, living in a mobile home meant that you had to incur higher electric and gas costs than normal houses. At that time, mobile home manufacturers seemed to have a hard time making their houses energy efficient.
Energy-Efficient Options for Mobile Homes
As a mobile homeowner, you have many options to choose from to make your home energy efficient. This part of the article talks about these options.
- Energy Efficient Roof Covering
You might not know this but a cool roof coating can help lower mobile home temperature and reflect sunlight, reducing the need to use the AC to cool your house. This can go a long way in saving you a lot on energy bills. You should consider installing a cool roof or white roof coating on your house to reflect the heat from the sun.
Apart from the roof covering, you can make your roof more energy efficient by installing good insulation. In fact, you can save about 15% of heating and insulation costs by just insulating your mobile home. A simple trick like installing a sloped roof provides extra insulation to your home’s ceiling.
- Air Sealing
Apart from installing roof coverings, it is a good idea to check for those areas that might need air sealing. These regions may be like windows, doorways, plumbing, or ductwork. You can use foam weather stripping to seal doorway and window gaps, and cracks. A little caulk can also do a good job, especially with windows. Ducts can be sealed using heat-resistant aluminum duct tape. Window kitting, which entails adding extra plastic sheets to windows is another great way to add extra layers of insulation during cold days like in the winter.
- Energy Efficiency in the Kitchen
Energy efficiency can also take place in the kitchen. You can save a lot on energy costs by just doing simple actions such as using lids, pans, or pressure cookers to speed up cooking time. Other things you can do include defrosting in the refrigerator in advance instead of using the microwave, buying Energy Star appliances, and not using full ovens for small meals.
- Install Energy Efficient Windows
Going with things like simple plastic window coverings can go a long way in saving you a lot in terms of energy costs. You may also consider installing extra glass panes to the interior of the windows to ensure more energy saving. When the installation is being done, you have to make sure that the frame is properly sealed.
- Mobile Home Cooling
AC works by cooling the air inside the house and taking out moisture to make the interiors comfortable to live in. You can reduce AC costs by minimizing the moisture inside the house to ensure your AC runs efficiently.
- Fix Water Leakage and Seepage
Energy efficiency can be affected when your house is experiencing water leakage and seepage. This is because these issues can lead to structural damage to your property, leading to problems with efficiency. Water damage from rainwater can affect the roof as well as the foundation. It is good to handle such cases as soon as they appear to prevent negative experiences in terms of energy efficiency. You also have to plan the site prior and make sure the drainage is properly planned to reduce any issues in the future.
- Using Films for Energy Efficiency
Another cooling technique that you should consider is installing films. A window film provides UV protection and light reflection, which work together to give you an energy-efficient home.
Due to the increased cost of energy bills and the growing climate change issues, more people are beginning to ask questions regarding energy efficiency in their homes. This includes individuals seeking alternative housing options like mobile homes. Homeowners want to know that their mobile homes will be sufficiently energy-efficient to minimize environmental impact and living costs. This article has shown that mobile houses can indeed be energy efficient. Therefore, in case you choose to go for mobile homes, know that you have great energy-efficient options at your disposal.
