Insulated Windows for Mobile Homes: Energy Efficiency & Comfort

There’s no doubt that Old Man Winter has hit Northern California with an extra dose of cold, rainy weather this season. It’s great for filling up our reservoirs and relieving us from the drought we’ve been experiencing, but all that chilly, wet weather is keeping many of us indoors. We’re deep into “hot chocolate season,” as I like to call it, but it’s hard to enjoy the cozy warmth of your mobile home if that damp, cool air is leaking in through the windows.

There are lots of advantages to living in a mobile home—affordability, mobility, and fast and easy installation. They come in all kinds of styles, with tons of features. But, they also often come with stock components, like single pane windows made to fit the thinner cavity walls of the home. These may be attractive, but they often don’t provide enough insulation to keep heating and cooling bills reasonable.

But, you can easily improve how well your mobile home is insulated just by replacing your windows with double insulated ones. They’re an easy and attractive upgrade to your mobile home that’s also energy efficient and can save you money for years to come.

Insulation Drawbacks in a Mobile Home

Mobile homes are an affordable and convenient way to become a homeowner as they come standard with certain features making them easier and cheaper to buy. Many of these standard features are because manufactured homes must adhere to regulations set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. These regulations specify construction details unique to mobile homes, allowing homebuyers little latitude when it comes to things like extra insulation or moisture barriers.

Local climates are also not considered when a mobile home is constructed. Homes made by the same manufacturer can be shipped all over the country, which means to all different sorts of climates. Manufactured homes aren’t built with specific temperature and humidity issues in mind, so most come with one-inch fiberglass batting for insulation. And, because they’re designed to be transported in parts and easily installed, finishes like perimeter skirting and moisture barriers that are key to providing a layer of insulation to the home may or may not be installed. But that’s where windows can come in.

Insulation Problems with Stock Windows in Manufactured Homes

Insulation plays an important part in the construction of any home, but people often forget that it doesn’t just mean putting pink fluffy batts of stuff in your attic and walls. It also includes making sure the parts of your home where you can’t put insulation, like your windows, have insulative properties.

Mobile homes face a particular challenge with insulative windows because the walls tend to be thinner. It makes installation of single pane windows easier and more cost effective to install, but these stock windows don’t add much value to your home. Several issues with these standard windows are:

• Poor insulation properties: Single pane windows provide little in the way of insulation. Thus, most mobile homes experience heat loss and gain between 20-50 percent, raising heating and cooling bills for homeowners.

• Very little flashing: A lot of mobile homes have very little to no caulking, or flashing, around the aluminum window frames so water can leak in the first time the home experiences a rain. Water that leaks in through the flashing can rot the interior walls of the home, materializing as water stains years later.

• Expensive to replace from the manufacturer: Any homeowner that has tried to replace a broken window knows that ordering the same one from the manufacturer can be incredibly expensive, sometimes three times what you can find at the average home repair store. Unlike on-site homes, mobile homes also depreciate over time, so buying the same, energy-depleting window for a higher price makes little sense. For this trouble, you can install a custom, well-insulated, double paned window that will immediately start to save you money on your energy bills.

Replacing Your Stock Mobile Home Windows

No matter where you live, keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer is a priority for the comfort of you and your family. But, beyond comfort, you also want to keep your utility bills low. One of the best ways to improve the efficiency of your mobile home is to replace standard windows with double insulated ones. This works by minimizing the heat transfer through the windows and seals, improving efficiency by up to 40 percent.

The advantages of installing double insulated windows in your mobile home are:

• Lower energy bills
• Eliminate the need for storm windows
• Create a better seal for fewer leaks

Replacing windows in the dead of winter may not be at the top of your to-do list, but it can be a surprisingly good time to explore upgrading them, especially if you have a leaky or broken window already. You want your mobile home to be a cozy, dry retreat for you and your family so contact a local window professional to get a quote on installing new double insulated windows. You’ll save energy—and money.

If you need to replace your standard mobile home windows, don’t wait for the energy bills to keep getting higher and higher each month. Bell Brothers has experienced window professional that can give you advice and quotes on beautiful double insulated windows for your manufactured home.