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The Texas winter storm affects mobile homeowners in many ways, including plumbing issues, heating failure, power outage, and much more. Many of those living in the affected areas were not prepared for a storm of this size. Most mobile homeowners in Texas didn’t see a need for mobile home winterizing in such a warm climate. Whether the storm caused their pipes to burst, they were battling the cold with no heat or electricity, or the storm was damaging to their homes’ exterior and roofing, all mobile homeowners had to fend off the storm this last week. There are a few main ways that the Texas winter storm affects mobile homeowners.
No Electricity.
The Texas winter storm caused power to go out across all of Texas by shutting down power facilities. These facilities were unable to function properly due to extreme temperatures. Homes and mobile homes across the state lost electricity when the Texas winter storm caused electric power sources like natural-gas plants to shut down because they were not properly winterized. Many suggest that Texas’ response to the Federal Power Act of 1935 led to a power grid that was not protected adequately.
The Federal Power Act would have brought about the federal regulation of power infrastructure, like the power plants that shut down this last week. Many private power companies in Texas didn’t believe it was worth it to winterize their plants due to the high cost. No one saw the Texas winter storm coming because of the state’s warm climate. Not mobile homeowners, not private power companies, no one. The storm presents unique challenges to everyone as most couldn’t use cell phones, computers, and other important devices, relying on their cars to charge necessary items. Luckily, it seems things are headed in the right direction, as power is being brought back for many across the state.
No Heat.
The most threatening issue is that tens of thousands of mobile homes went without heating for days on end. Many factors played against mobile home heating during the Texas winter storm. The first would be that installing insulation in a mobile home can present difficulties. Insulating a mobile home can be a time-consuming project. Many mobile homeowners located in warmer climates like Texas don’t see this as very important. It is easy for mobile homeowners in Texas to forget about mobile home winterizing. Usually they are right! If you are not willing to take on the project yourself, some professionals will charge a high price to install insulation in a mobile home.
Due to the extensive time investment and cost, some warmer climate states decide not to worry about installing heat insulation, even if repairs are overdue. Older mobile homes are typically in need of new insulation. Another factor played against mobile homeowners in Texas. They have started to change over to electric heating, especially in the southern regions. Of course, the change to electric heating causes significant issues when power outages like the one in Texas happen. If it were not for difficult heat insulation, then this would not be an issue. Many even suggest that the transition to electric-powered heating is a good thing. However, it is necessary that all mobile homeowners in Texas are installing insulation in their older mobile homes.
Plumbing Issues.
Just as quickly as the brutal winter storm rolled across the state of Texas, the water sitting in pipes of mobile homes began to freeze and expand, damaging piping. Over the last week, 108,282 manufactured housing units lying in Texas faced this exact battle. Many mobile homeowners in Texas tried to ward off the freezing water by using heating tape, propane heaters, or even hair dryers. Some were successful, and some were not. Cracked water pipes in a mobile home lead to considerable repair costs and even replacement if the pipes are significantly damaged.
Luckily, many mobile homes are being built with plastic plumbing systems that can bend and withstand some freezing water. Mobile homeowners likely received a notice to boil their water, as water treatment facilities and other related infrastructure were inoperable, leaving unwanted parasites and bacteria in the water. Mobile homeowners likely turned to grocery stores in hopes of buying bottled water. Unfortunately, many store shelves were empty and will be for days, if not weeks. The battle continues for many as this is just one of the many ways that mobile home owners’ lives were affected this past week.
Roofing Damage.
Mobile homeowners across Texas are considering new roofing options due to the disastrous Texas winter storm. Whether you are using metal roofing, asphalt shingles, or TPO (Thermoplastic polyolefin), the Texas winter storm caused issues for everyone. For some, the Texas winter storm caused roofing to cave in, leaving the home more exposed to the cold. Homeowners were exposed to hazardous conditions like falling debris and roofing materials, and more damage to the home’s interior. Usually, professionals will install roofing for a mobile homeowner, while those who have the necessary carpentry skills take this on as a DIY project.
No matter how well you install a roof on a mobile home, none of them are impenetrable. The sheer weight of snow sitting on these roofs cause leaks and damage the roof’s integrity. Typically, the mobile homeowners who decided to install the cheaper roofing options faced the most damage. Of course, everyone would have installed the most practical roofing possible if everyone knew about the Texas winter storm when mobile home winterizing. Mobile homeowners are now paying the price of not winterizing their mobile homes. For those located in the southern region, a storm like this isn’t just unpredictable but unbelievable! When it comes to roofing for your mobile home, it is best to prepare for the worst.
To Wrap It All Up…
The Texas winter storm caused a large amount of physical and financial damage across the whole state. If homeowners and mobile homeowners in Texas knew what this last week would bring, they would have done something. Perhaps the mobile homeowners would have installed roofing more fit for bad weather.
Maybe they would have had new insulation installed in their older mobile homes to protect their pipes and themselves. Of course, very few mobile homeowners could have prepared for the Texas winter storm. However, we can look at the Texas winter storm as a lesson learned rather than a tragedy. We can learn it’s best to take precautions when outfitting your mobile home. There is hope for mobile homeowners in Texas. Mobile home winterizing doesn’t have to come with a massive price tag or time commitment. Protecting your mobile home might be as easy as getting new insulation or piping. We are here to help when you want to winterize your mobile home!
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Tags: Mobile Home winterizing, Mobile homeowners in Texas, Texas winter storm, Texas winter storm affects mobile homeowners
