10: Insulating the Walls, Floor and Ceiling

Insulating your walls, floor and ceiling in your mobile home will save on energy costs

Insulation in walls, floors, and ceilings acts like a blanket, keeping the heat inside your home in winter—and keeping the heat out of your air-conditioned home in summer. Like a blanket, the thicker the insulation, the better it works. The performance level of insulation is called its R-value, which indicates its resistance to heat flow. (As R-value goes up, energy use goes down).

Insulation in manufactured home walls and floors is usually fiberglass batts. Ceiling insulation is usually loose-fill fiberglass or cellulose. Before the first energy crisis in 1973, most homes built in the U.S.—including manufactured homes—contained little insulation. The level of insulation used in homes has been increasing ever since. The recommended amount of insulation for a given house depends on its climate; colder climates generally demand more insulation.

Determine if your home is a candidate for adding insulation. Decide what part of your home, if any, should be insulated: floor, ceiling and/or walls.

Bookmark It