Once you have installed your mobile home you need a crawlspace down there for accessibility.
This is the genesis of moisture problems.
Due to the natural characteristic of water, it is easy to find its way to the crawlspace and stagnate in small pools.
When the temperatures rise, water will vaporize to moisture.
Because the sun hardly reaches the base of your mobile home, moisture will accumulate in the crawlspace.
This moisture can cause damage the house structural materials.
So, Does A Mobile Home Need A Vapor Barrier?
Definitely, you will need a vapor barrier for your mobile home to prevent structural damage from vapor. First of all, it is recommended by mobile home manufacturers to help preserve your home structure. You need a proper guardian of the home against vapor.
Depending on how your mobile home structure was laid, it is common for water to find its way to the crawl space. Water will evaporate and create humid-laden air under the mobile home. Another source of moisture is wet soil. Soil carries a lot of moisture in it.
When the weather condition gets warmer, this moisture will rise and get trapped in the crawl space. Installing a vapor barrier will help reduce wood and metallic structural damage from moisture.
Five Sources Of Moisture In A Mobile Home
Now, to effectively deal with the problem at hand, let’s find out where the moisture comes from before we can prevent it.
Basically, the reason why moisture accumulates at the base of the house is that materials tend to retain moisture.
Once it has absorbed the moisture it releases it at a slower rate than it was absorbed.
Most house building materials are water tolerant but given enough time, they will build up more moisture and begin to decay or rust.
So, there are various sources of moisture in a mobile home, but let’s consider the most common ones as below:
1. Moisture From The Ground
The ground has a lot of moisture because it gets wet from time to time. It is common for water to flow to the base of your mobile home at any given time that there is rain or some water spillage from domestic use.
2. Moist Air From The Surrounding
If you are living in humid climates, the air from the surrounding is rich in moisture. Air gathers water vapor as it blows through the land. This moisture is trapped in your mobile home.
3. Moisture From Within Your Home
Not all the moisture originates from the outside surrounding.
Your home can also be a source of moisture. Think about the plumbing fixtures within your home that carry a lot of water every day.
The vapor produced is trapped within the house.
Also, home appliances too can propagate moisture around.
For instance, the clothes dryer, refrigerators, and air conditioners can be an ample source of moisture that damages your mobile home.
You should maintain them properly and execute the right usage all the time.
4. Moisture From Rain And Snow
Many climates have some sort of precipitations except for extreme dry weather climate regions.
Rain and snow are the most culpable problems when it comes to moisture control in mobile homes.
Depending on the cycle of the season, rain and snow are the main sources of moisture in a mobile home.
If there is poor finishing on your home, it will be so easy for moisture to crawl in between some crannies in the outer shell of your home structure.
5. Moisture From Human Activities
Although moisture from humans is negligible, human activities destabilize moisture balance in the home.
Such activities include keeping wet materials inside and tendering too many pottery plants within the premises.
Also do not forget that every time you shower, you generate some moisture.
Use a bathroom fan to minimize vapor.
The Reason For “The Movement Of Moisture”
Vapor move from one region of higher concentration to an area of lower moisture content in search of equilibrium as the law of Physics dictate.
Therefore, water and vapor move within the house in search of stability.
The flow of liquid is due to gravity.
This is a simple and quiet process that we usually see and ignore without much thought.
For example, water droplets from the rain may be stacked on the windowpane but once you opened the window, it flows down onto the sash.
This will eventually find its way onto the walls or flow.
The moisture can move through capillaries or porous crevices in the wood structure.
The most important propagator of moisture is air.
On a windy day, moisture-laden air is lodged in the openings in your mobile home such as in cracks, and marriage wall cavities.
From there, moisture can begin to get into the wood.
Why You Need Vapor Barrier In Your Mobile Home
To preserve your home structure in good shape, you need a vapor barrier.
As highlighted above, you need to arrest the sources of vapor and one way to do so is to install a water vapor in your mobile home.
The vapor that accumulates in the crawlspace can rise into the home and cause structural damage. Vapor barriers will help keep off the water and ensure that it drains away from the crawl space.
The vapor barrier will also help to maintain the integrity of crawlspace pipes. Also, when you install a vapor barrier in your house, it will be easier to maintain the temperature in that house.
Your house is vulnerable to moisture attack and unless you find a way to keep off the moisture, the integrity of the house will keep getting weaker.
The Three Types Of Vapor Barriers To Install In A Mobile Home
There are different vapor barriers available for installation.
Each type is chosen depending on the climate area you are living in, your budget, and your personal preference.
Consider the following three types of vapor barriers:
1. Class I
This type of barrier includes polythene and class. It allows for a permeance of 0.1 or less. It is a tight barrier.
2. Class II
Allows for permeance of between 0.1 and 1.0 perm. Some of the material choices for this class include polystyrene and asphalt coated paper.
3. Class III
Though they are relatively less tight in keeping vapor, they still offer reliable barriers.
They include gypsum board and fiberglass insulation.
Final Words
Considering the various merits of installing a vapor barrier in your mobile home, it is evident that you need a vapor barrier to guard your home against the harmful effects of vapor.
By following the proper installation procedure and keeping constant replacement for torn barriers, your mobile home will last longer.