Doors and Windows - Mobile Home windows

Does anyone have any experience with mobile home windows. I think possibly most of the windows in my "new to me" mobile home are leaking. When the temp dropped the other day, I had a LOT of condensation on the windows. I think the condensation is leaking into the space between the walls. This summer, with all the humidity and dampness, these leaks have caused a lot of mold problems. Any advice appreciated. :(
Loren

If the condensation problem is serious enough that it is damaging the sills and jambs around your windows, you need to look at replacing the windows. I'm guessing that the ones you have are single pane, aluminum frame. Replace them with dual pane vinyls, and spend the few extra dollars on the Low-E glass.

Condensation is the result of several factors, including the temp. and humidity difference between the inside and the outside. The new windows I described will provide a thermal break, reducing or eliminating the temp. differential at the window, but you may also need to look at the humidity differential and what is causing it.

Thanks for your post.

There are two sets of windows for each window. It's sort of backwards from a regualr house thought, with the strom windows, or the ones you remove, on the inside. I actually don't remember whether I had the inner set closed the night the temp dropped.

Your explanation about the humidity differential helps, but I'm still not sure whether I understand. Basically, you're saying the moisture that's condensing onto the windows is coming from inside the house, right? Or is it possible that the window frames aren't sealed properly and moisture from the outside is getting in? And I guess the way to tell is to first, make sure the windows are sealed. Second, close the inner set of windows. (I need to minimize the problem until I can afford to replace them.)

Thanks again. :)

Mobile homes are built a lot better today than in years past, but they still put the cheapest nothing of an excuse for windows in them yet.

Closing the inside window will help with the condensation, but probably won't eliminate it entirely. Here's why.



Cold air will not hold as much moisture as warm air, so the warm air inside is moisture laden. The moisture is generated by cooking, bathing, even people breathing......and IF you use a kerosene heater in a MH, they put about a quart of water in the air for each gallon burned.....

So this moist air hits a cold surface, like the aluminum frame of your window, and condenses ( the "iced tea glass effect" )...aluminum is a GREAT conductor of heat/cold....which makes for a good radiator and a lousy window frame.

Another problem common to mobile homes is the metal roof and siding, and even the covering under the floor that holds the insulation in place, all are GREAT vapor barriers. Unfortunately, they are also on the wrong side of the insulation. So the moisture level tends to be higher in a MH than a regular house.

I found this out when we lived in one for a year while building our current house. Light switches on the outside walls kept failing.....couldn't figure it out......every couple weeks, another would just "quit".....name brand Leviton switches and so were the replacements.....I finally took a hammer to one of the old ones and found the contacts were corroded from moisture. The outside recepticle boxes have no insulation behind them, just back right up to the metal siding......and the moisture condenses REAL nicely in those outside wall boxes.

loren700,

If the inside storms are what you can afford to do for now, go for it. They are NOT a solution -- just a temporary "fix". But at least, IF they stop or reduce the condensation, they are SLOWING the damage to the walls that the condensation is doing. Like Andy said, if your mobile has aluminum siding, that is another source for the condensation,

The ULTIMATE cure will be to replace the windows and to reside the mobile. Start with the big windows, and do them one at a time as the budget allows. Windows in a mobile are generally the easiest to replace, especially if you have the type that are installed with a bunch of screws on the outside, about 2" to 3" apart.

Wow, excellent answers!! Thanks Andy for your excellent explanation of what's going on with all this moisture. And for sharing your personal experience. I'm a person who likes to understand WHY and it's real frustrating when I'm trying to fix something if I don't know why the problem is ocurring.

And Lefty, you are correct on both counts: I have aluminum siding and windows installed from the outside with a bunch of sheet metal screws.

To bring you up to date, I started to attempt to remove the wood paneling underneath the worse window (there is damage to the floor underneath) and wasn't able to do that but started instead to losen the rotted shims(?) around the window. When I got to the top of the window.....well, it's not a pretty sight. So it looks as if the siding is causing some damage as well.

Also, we had another cold night last night and I opened the two bad windows a crack. It seems to have helped a lot.

Thanks again for your posts!