Exterior Accessories For Your New Manufactured Home
Today’s manufactured home is the only form of residential housing where all components are fabricated in a factory, delivered to the home buyer, and attached to a foundation. Once delivered, the completed home is installed and ready for occupation — all within a short period of time.
Other types of factory-built housing, such as prefab homes, shell, and modular homes, are partially built in factory with components shipped and assembled at the site. Conversely, a manufactured home is transported to the site on a steel chassis and frame that remains attached to the home. The only assembly required is the mating of the two or three sections, and only if the home is double or triple wide.
Many exterior accessories for manufactured homes are available directly from manufactured home retailers or independent suppliers. These features are purchased by manufactured home owners and installed on site to enhance the comfort, convenience, and aesthetics of their home.
Below are some of the more popular manufactured home additions and enhancements. These may be added to a manufactured home’s total price and included in its financing, or purchased as aftermarket additions.
Manufactured Home Skirting
Unless your home is set-up on permanent block foundation, you’ll need skirting to cover the open area between the bottom of the home and the ground. The least expensive skirting material is vertical aluminum, available in three or four colors. However, using skirting material that matches the color and design of the home’s exterior instead will deliver a more attractive look.
Air Conditioning or Heat Pump
Manufactured homes may be ordered with “air ready” furnace systems that allow the air unit to be installed on site with minimal expense. The size of the air conditioning unit depends on the square footage of the home as well as regional climate. You may find the energy efficiency inherent in today’s manufactured homes for sale will surprise you in its low cost to install and operate.
Porches, Steps, and Patio Awnings
Wooden raised plywood decks with all-weather carpeting and aluminum railings are very popular and require little maintenance. An aluminum patio awning over the porch deck, attached to the fascia eave (the band running horizontal to the roof of the home, typically consisting of sheet metal or wood) of the home and unitized with matching trim, complements the home and is far less expensive than a wooden structure. Skirting that matches the house should also be used below the raised porch and sides of the steps.
Carports, Garages, and Sheds
In manufactured home communities, the area used for automobile parking is typically next to the utility side of the home. This allows the aluminum awning to serve as a carport. The carport awning can be up to 12 feet in width when attached to the top fascia of the home, with supporting columns on the outside perimeter. Open parking structures that cannot be attached to homes must be supported on all sides and are referred to as “free-standing carports.”
If you want to build an on-site, attached garage for your manufactured home, you’ll need to select a floor plan that will accommodate one. Take into account window placement, where the garage is attached, and access to the home’s rear door. Most importantly, the home must be ordered with fireproof doors and fire retardant on its exterior, where the garage will attach. The garage should be built with the exact material and paint as the home itself. This is also recommended for a detached garage, and any other sheds, utility cabinets, or outbuildings.
Remember, anything that can be added on or built to the exterior or interior of a “stick-built” home can also be done with a manufactured home. What’s more, it can usually be done at a lower cost. Modern manufactured home builders employ skilled craftsmen and professional engineers to design homes that are indistinguishable from site-built homes. It’s up to the homeowner to address the importance of displaying and maintaining the home after its installed. Homeowners that use the aforementioned accessories enhance and enjoy their homes more because of the fluidity and uniformity they create.
