After windows, roofing, and insulation updates we like to recommend that homeowners update their kitchens and bathrooms. We’ve put together some of ourfavorite examples and helpful tips for remodeling your manufacturedhome bathroom.
Mobile Home Living Expert Tips and ...
Learn the different types of mobile home tubs, sinks, and faucets. If you are going to remodel a mobile home bathroom you’ll want to read this post.
Please Hire a Plumber for your Tub/Shower Installation
Water is the most destructive force on earth. You don’t want a $300 bathtub to do $3,000 in damages because the drain wasn’t properly installed. If you can do the demolition yourself you can save a good deal of money. Use those savings to hire a licensed plumber to do your tub faucet, drain or hose bibs repair and connections.
(Video) Watch This Before You Renovate a Mobile Home - Weight and Structure
Save Money by Keeping your Layout
A great way to save money on a bathroom remodel is to keep your layout the same so no plumbing pipes need to be modified. Changing the placement of the pipes is often the biggest expense when remodeling a bathroom.
We’ve published a complete mobile home bathtub guide here.
Which Mobile Home Bathtub?
If you are remodeling your manufactured home bathroom yourself you will want to start with a detailed plan. Measure the room and everything in it first. If you want to get real fancy you can use a site like Room Sketcher to create a floor plan on paper.
You will need to make a few decisions based on the measurements such as the tub replacement. To measure your tub size you just need to measure the rough opening or the opening that the entire tub fits into. That’s it.
The average bathtub size in a site built home is 60″ long and 30 or 32″ wide.
The average bathtub size for manufactured housing is usually54″ long and 27″wide.
See the problem?
If your bathtub is mobile home sized you will need to decide whether you will order an exact fit tub from a mobile home parts store at a fairly high price or if you will retrofit a much cheaper standard size tub from your local home improvement store.
Read this detailed mobile home bathtub guide here.
Mobile Home Sized Tub or a Standard Size tub from Lowe’s?
Mobile home sized tubs can be expensive and if you have to pay for shipping it will make it even more expensive. Last I looked, a tub and surround set can run about $622 online at Mobile Home Parts Store(affiliate link).
You can save money by going with a cheaper surround option. There are so many choices: tile, plastic, and VOG panels have all been used as bathtub surrounds.
There are a lot of variables in this decision. First, you have to have space. It will be a lot easier to retrofit a larger tub if your water heater sits directly behind your tub’s faucet wall (a very popular layout in the 1970’s).
Pushing a wall over a few inches is a lot more work than most people realize. You will need to figure out how you will deal with ceiling and the flooring. Scars from the wall will be obvious and those ceiling panels are a pain to repair.
This decision is also a cost versus convenience thing. Paying $622 for the mobile home size tub, plus all the extra supplies needed,will certainly be more convenient and probably the best decision for those that aren’t experienced in complex DIY projects. You could easily have the old tub out and the new tub installed in a day.
Left Hand or Right Hand Tub?
After deciding whether you go with a mobile home tub or a Lowe’s tub you will need to buy the tub. This isn’t as easy as it seems.
If you are not changing the placement of your plumbing lines you need to buy a tub or shower unit that works for your home using terms like left hand, right hand, or center drain.
Look at your tub as if you are about to step into it. Where’s your drain? A ‘left-hand bathtub’ has the drain on the left. A right-hand tub has the drain on the right. Center drains are, obviously, in the center closest to the back wall.
Bathtub Material and Support
Bathtubs can be made from a few different materials. Of course, you can save money by choosing the cheapest material (usually PVC) but if you can splurge a bit this is where you would probably want to. Fiberglass is a more expensive bathtub material but it is more rigid and insulated. That warm bubble bath will stay warm a little longer. There are new materials hitting the market, too. I found this info table on ashevillemobilehomes.com:
ABS Plastic
Easy to work with. Very Lite Weight!
Easier Installation.
Economical price
Will Deform rather than Crack for increased durability.
Fiberglass
(Video) How To Remodel a Trailer (Bathroom Remodel)
Heavy Duty
Completely Rigid and Sturdy.
Beautiful Enamel Gel Coat Finish
Highly insulated
A quick word about bathtub supports: you will need to speak to a qualified bathtub salesperson so they can help you choose the best support system and installation for your bathtub.
Here’s the part where I preach about having a professional install your tub/shower and tile the surround. If you have experience fine, butremodeling your manufactured home bathroom isn’t the place to start doing-it-yourself.
Shower Units
You can always bypass the whole bathtub situation and install a shower unit in place of your mobile home tub.
You will need to decide on the mobile home versus Lowe’s here, too, but it’s not quite as difficult with showers though.
As with your bathtubs, you will need to have the exact measurements of your drain and supply line if you are going to choose a single shower unit. The two most common mobile home shower pan sizes are full shower and shower stall. A full shower pan is the same size as your mobile home bathtub, 54″ x 27.” The shower stall sized pan is 32″ x 32″.
Click here to read a little more about shower pans.
Check out these great tips on remodeling yourmanufactured home bathroom that Kimberly shared with us!
Kimberly did a complete manufactured home bathroom remodeling project. She replaced the walls, flooring, cabinets, toilet, and shower.
(Video) NEVER Do this to your Mobile Home Wall Strips, or Batten Strips. Very Important
This is what your bathroom will probably look like after the tub has been removed. No plumbing change has been made at this point.
Kim saved money by keeping the plumbing layout intact. She was able to use the same supply and drain lines from the original bathroom with little modification for the one-piece shower unit.
How to Install a Bathtub
Mobile Home Repair has a great article about repairing or replacing a mobile home bathtub here.
Budget Tips
You never know what you will find once you start remodeling your manufactured home bathroom so be prepared for anything when you start tearing out wall panels and bathtubs! Most experts agree that a 10% budget cushion is the minimum you should set aside for a home remodel.
Also, be sure to use LED light fixtures, low flow toilets, new faucets, and showerheads. Modern fixtures save electricity and water which saves money.
Check out this great article that shows that no job is too big to tackle!
Another great resource is our Mobile Home Bathroom Guide which will give you tips and tricks for that bathroom remodel. From the flooring to the bathtub it’s all in there. This article is a great tool to help you decide what you want and how to make that happen!
Need Ideas?
If you are just looking for some inspiration for remodeling your manufactured home bathroom our article featuring7 before and after bathroom remodels may help.
Summary: Remodeling your Manufactured Home Bathroom
We hope these tips help inspire and motivate you to begin the process of remodeling your manufactured home bathroom. It’s a big project but with the right knowledge and plan, you can get the bathroom of your dreams!
(Video) 1970’s SINGLE WIDE MOBILE HOME GUEST BATHROOM REMODEL
Be sure to take pictures along the way and send them to us here at Mobile Home Living. We would love to share your experience with our readers!
Adding wider eaves in addition to a higher roof pitch can help the outside of your mobile home look more like a house. Another way to make your mobile home's exterior look more like a traditional house is to install larger doors.
Other energy saving upgrades that can raise the value of your mobile home include adding insulation, installing insulated skirting, and applying weather-stripping and caulk throughout the home.
Install the vanity first, including the sink and faucet. Once you have the drain hooked up to the faucet, you can move on to the other essentials such as the mirror, cabinets and trim around the shower or tub. DIY Bathroom Remodeling Tip: Don't have the budget for a new vanity?
For example, a DIY project for a 5 x 8 foot bathroom (40 square feet) could cost about $4,000 at $100 per square foot. Then, add that 30-percent overage allowance, and a realistic budget is $5,200.
The most expensive part of a bathroom remodel is changing your bathroom layout. This is due to the amount of work required to remove, demolish, or dispose of current fixtures, which increases the labor cost of the project.
The hardest parts of a bathroom remodel are knowing where to start, planning and performing demolition, minimizing dust, visualizing the finish line, living with the inconvenience of not being able to use that bathroom, and managing the schedule.
Many manufactured homes are built with wall sections or panels that make building the home more efficient because assembling and transporting it is easier. To cover the seams between these pre-finished, vinyl-covered wall panels, Clayton uses batten strips.
§ 1.60501-1 (c)(7)(i). Therefore, whether a mobile-home sale is treated as a sale of realty or of personal property, the sale must be reported on Form 8300 if more than $10,000 in cash is exchanged.
All mobile homes have wall insulation, but it's typically thin material with a low R-value. All mobile homes have some sort of underbelly. At first, you may think crawlspaces don't need much if any insulation, but it actually is an area where insulation is necessary because of plumbing.
Manufactured or mobile homes permanently affixed to concrete or other foundations tend to hold their value better than their non-affixed counterparts. Manufactured homes are sometimes known as mobile homes because they feature a chassis and wheels beneath their floors.
The walls of many manufactured homes are made with materials such as drywall and vinyl-covered wallboard. Drywall is the most commonly used for manufactured home walls, but vinyl-covered walls have their benefits as well. Both drywall and vinyl-covered wallboard (or paneling) have their benefits.
As mentioned, typical single wide mobile homes do not have any load-bearing walls, so if you own one, it should be alright to remove your closet walls. Hence, hiring a professional engineer to double-check if your walls hold any load is always a good idea.
A bathroom remodel can take anywhere from 3-4 weeks, but this answer largely depends on the size of the remodel. Larger remodels will take anywhere from 4-6 weeks, but generally, you should prepare for most remodels to take at least a month to complete.
Bathroom walls should be tiled before tackling the floor to help avoid damage to the floor. This may not always be practical if the floor needs to be in place ready to fit bathroom units and suite.
"Generally, going with neutral colors like shades of white, beige, taupe, and grays lead to a faster sale," she shares. "Neutral colors are also more appealing to potential buyers because many want the creative freedom of a blank canvas to add their personal touches to when looking for a new place to call home.
Currently, painting your bathroom light blue can increase the value of your home by $5000. A light blue hue invites a calm, serene, and relaxing environment that compliments almost any decor or design style. Light yellow, cream, beige, and gray are also favorites of prospective home buyers.
While labor is the largest single expense in any bathroom remodel–between 40 percent and 65 percent of the cost is labor–it also tends to be a cost you probably can't negotiate much. Materials and fixtures are where you can save or splurge, and your choices will greatly affect the project's overall cost.
How much does it cost to tile a shower? It costs about $25 per square foot to tile a shower, which includes the cost of the tiles, installation and other materials. In total, the average cost to tile a shower typically falls between $450 and $1,000.
There are many reasons why a bathroom remodel may cost more than you think, including: inefficient layouts, complex plumbing systems, outdated design features and materials, high-end fixtures and appliances.
Gross profit margin (GPM) is the amount you add to an estimate to cover your overhead and profit. It is calculated as a percentage of project costs. According to Remodeling magazine, GPMs need to be 35% to 38% on average.
Cabinets: The Most Expensive Part Of A Kitchen Remodel
Cabinets are the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel, regardless of whether you are installing brand-new kitchen cabinets or want to refresh your old cabinets.
Vinyl is the easiest flooring to install in a bathroom. It is budget-friendly, durable and low maintenance. It comes in a variety of colors and designs. Ceramic tiles are budget-friendly and easy to install.
In general, you'll have three types to choose from—master, guest and half—but the choices for how you configure and design these are just about infinite.
Natural stone in a bathroom always looks timeless and classic—and we think it always looks beautiful too. Choosing a marble countertop in white or gray tones can create a crisp, clean, and luxurious feel.
The Difference Between Mobile and Manufactured Homes
The only difference between the two types of homes is the date they were built. According to HUD, a factory-built home prior to June 15, 1976 is a mobile home and one built after June 15, 1976 is a manufactured home.
Paneling (siding) and skirting can undoubtedly make it look more like a house that was built on-site. Concrete skirting, in particular, gives your home a look of permanence. The panels are usually made of VOG, or vinyl-on-gypsum panels.
Single-wide mobile homes are designed to be light, but the walls of most of them still contain wooden studs. Manufacturers often cover the walls with 1/4-inch paneling, but the studs can support drywall, so there's nothing preventing you from removing the paneling and replacing it.
The U.S. The Department of Housing and HUD requires plastic sheeting to be installed underneath mobile and manufactured homes, although state and local governments may not require it.
The skirting, also known as underpinning, goes around a manufactured home to enclose the crawl space underneath it and can be made of a variety of materials. Most of our home centers offer concrete, brick, vinyl and cinder block skirting options.
Painting is the easiest and cheapest method to update mobile home walls. A single color, as opposed to an outdated pattern, can update a room quickly. Painting is especially easy if you leave the battens, or strips, that cover the seams alone and paint over them.
Much like what a front porch can do, adding crown moldings and trims can also provide elegance and make your mobile home appear more like a site-built property. The two main things to take into consideration with this are the weight of the materials used and the durability.
solid concrete block can be used as a mobile home pad and will provide an economical way provide a solid foundation to support a mobile home. Please check with your local zoning laws, but the block can be laid on compacted soil or on an existing concrete slab.
Looking at all of these factors, the answer is yes -- most of the time. There's no guarantee that a mobile home will appreciate in value, but there's also no guarantee for stick-built homes either. Manufactured homes will typically appreciate in value over time as long as they are well-maintained.
Most manufactured homes come equipped with vinyl walls.This doesn't necessarily affect your ability to paint over them, provided you use the right materials. Painting also has the added bonus of being cheaper than wallpapering the walls or using another alternative.
Here is a quick guide: Aluminum: Valspar Anti-Rust Armor Enamel Spray Paint or Behr Premium Direct to Metal Semi-Gloss Paint are good examples. Vinyl: VinySafe by Sherman Williams and Regal Select Exterior Revive are good options. Wood: Generally acrylic or latex flat paints are the best for painting wood.
While the average life expectancy of a mobile home is 30 to 55 years, you can still outlast that number. This is best done if you ensure the installation is done properly, choose the right location, and generally adhere to maintenance practices.
In fact, Ramsey's blog states that "Mobile homes are a terrible investment because they drop in value super fast -- the same way your car loses value the second you drive it off the lot. Investing in a mobile home isn't like investing in real estate."
Hanging pictures in a mobile home requires more than just tapping in a picture hanger. Mobile home walls come in at only 1/4- to 3/8-inch thick; older mobile homes feature vinyl-coated walls and newer homes are outfitted with 3/8-inch drywall. In contrast, stick-built homes have a minimum of 1/2-inch drywall.
Here, we recommend using white vinegar since it cleans your walls thoroughly without ruining them. Please note that white vinegar is used to clean almost anything in a mobile home. Dip your sponge into the vinegar solution and wash your walls gently. Ensure you rinse the sponge in warm water.
Mobile homes are designed to be light, but the walls still have wooden studs and manufacturers will often use 1/4-inch paneling to cover the framing. The wall studs are spaced to support 4-by-8 panels, so the mobile home drywall, which comes in 8ft by 4ft sheets, should be no problem to install.
Introduction: My name is Errol Quitzon, I am a fair, cute, fancy, clean, attractive, sparkling, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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