# Roof Over and Converting a Mobile Church Into a Home



## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

Hi, my husband and I have remodeled a single wide trailer, then a 1965 ranch style home. Built a garage and then added on to the home, doubling the square footage. So we are not strangers to remodeling work. However, we have been stumped for a couple of years about what to do with a lot we bought that has a mobile church in it. The previous owner had the flooring replaced so it has a good sturdy plywood floor. The roof is what looks awful. Inside it has a slanted ceiling on each side which steps down from the pointy raised part in the middle to give it a chapel look. The outside is shaped like this too so its impossible to make it look good for converting into a residence. 
We finally decided to just order trusses and put them over all of it and then tear the ceiling out from the inside until we could make it look right. However today we found out that we think the walls are 2x2's so I dont think we can put regular trusses on them?.

The floor/foundation is supported with block pillars every 5 ft.

What kind of roof could we put on 2x2 walls? We simply have to tear off the current roof, there is no way to make it look right inside or outside.

The over all structure is 24 x 50. Its basically one big room on the inside with a couple sunday school rooms on one end.

My husband suggested tearing the whole thing down and building a house with 2x4 walls and trusses on the frame since the floor is in good shape. I think this would be a waste of time and money as you would still have a mobile home when you got done but with the expense of almost building a house. It prob would not be mobile either as the frame couldnt be moved with additional weight of basically house construction on it. 

Now that ive found out the walls are 2x2, im not really sure if its worth remodeling................

What do you think? 
1. any way put a roof on it?
2. Is it worth putting money into something with 2x2 walls?
3. any pros to tearing it down to frame and building it back up with 2x4 walls?


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Mobile home roofs are also made of sub sized lumber, but scientifically engineered to withstand loads. If you could post pictures of this, it would help us see what you are seeing.

Removing the existing roof and replacing it will add to the weight, obviously, and could tend to bow the walls out or in. Another option would be to build a free standing "over" roof with soffits and fascia to seal it against the walls. Then you could remodel the interior ceiling any way you wanted, and still be protected from the elements.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Not worth remodeling is my opinion.
Just a few reasons:
Only 1-1/2 of insulation.
Super cheap windows.
Substandard wiring.
A nightmare to try and get financing for and very hard to resell.
Depending on your location building with 2 X 6's instead of 2 X 4's may make more long term since with the energy savings.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

well we are all in agreement that its not worth remodeling.
However, my husband has decided to dismantle it and completely rebuild on the frame since the floor is rather new advantech. 
I thought maybe it would be better to just give it away and buy a used mobile home to put on the site. ........Oh well at this point I am having to keep my mouth shut as my opinion was not happily received :vs_frown::vs_frown: ...

Ok so I am going to have a ton of questions for the next 4 months. (the amount of time we have to get this done before my son gets married and needs to move in it) I will try to post pics tomorrow.

1st problem to solve: 
the current frame is nicely supported on concrete block pillars spaced approx 5 ft apart. These are all along the edge, under the sill, and also in the middle of the floor. Remember its a 24x50 so thats prob 2 mobile home frames under there. My husband plans to build it back with 2x4s and order trusses for the roof. Does it need some type of additional foundation support since it will be trusses and therefore more weight on the walls/edges than what it had in the past?


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Testosterone has funny effects. The concrete block pillars are fine for a mobile home. They are usually sat on the ground and will stabilize the home. Often they sink and will require leveling or replacement at times due to soil conditions. They block piers are not ideal as they don't bear on anything but dirt. Proper footings are excavated and poured concrete buttresses that can distribute that weight.

To avoid obvious problems it may be best to bring in a structural engineer to give blessings to the proposed build based on what structure is there. It isn't expensive, but can save you headaches later on if he discovers problems.


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## jessesandy (Dec 17, 2015)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

What is the current roof made of ?
Does it the building feel unsafe with the current roof ?
It sounds like you're figuring the new roof will be a lot heavier. 
How about adding posts to carry the weight. (Located on the outside of the building.)


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

hmmm, I dont see any way to upload my pics. I dont have a paperclip icon........? Do I need to get approved to be able to upload pics?


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

well while I am waiting for someone to help me know how to be allowed to upload pics, I will tell you where we are now.
We have spent a couple days cleaning the lot, thankfully a neighbor had bushhogged the lot recently so it was short enough that we were able to mow with our lawn mower albeit up as high as the mower deck would go. 
WE have also been cutting down and clearing away the debris that has grown up around it.
Inside we are clearing out, it has been used as a storage shed for several years so there are truckloads of stuff in there.
My husband and sons tore out the interior sunday school rooms and also the left ceiling. 
Somone suggested building new 2x4 interior walls on the inside, up against the 2x2 walls. I think this is actually a reasonable suggestion though I can tell my husband isnt thrilled about it. It would have to be done after we tear the roof off because the current walls are only 7ft tall and we def want 8ft walls.
I also pointed out that this would keep it to where we could focus on the inside this summer during the heat because we could leave the outside as is, until cooler weather in fall. If he tears the current walls down, then new outside OSB or such will have to be put on immediately to protect from the weather, not to mention the added expense. 
The current walls are 2x2's spaced 4ft apart with foamboard in between the studs, paneling glued on the inside and typical mobile home metal on the outside.
What do you think of this idea of builidng new 2x4 walls on the inside? If would make it overall 2x6 walls when completed. I dont see how this would hurt anything, though I wonder how we would attach siding once we are ready to do that. We would prob take the metal off the outside but since the studs are 4ft apart...........Not a great base for installing OSB or siding
Suggestions?


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

If you are going to raise the roof I'd tear out the old walls and erect new at that time [in correct place so your OSB/siding will attach to the new wall] At some point you have to consider is all this work worth it? might be easier to start new.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

umm yes, I did suggest that if this building needed to have that much rebuilt that we should just sell for $500 and build a duplex from scratch...........But my suggestion was not well received to say the least. And after 20 yrs of marriage, some fights just arent worth it anymore.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

https://www.dropbox.com/pri/get/IMG...ADehfCaDhT3McvpShK7gWsStjvZvY9PmLbtrm_itgOvJg

until I am approved to upload pics, maybe this link will work?


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Can someone tell me how I can be approved to post pics?:vs_worry:

I would really like to show ya a pic of how this structure looks and also the current supports underneath. Thank you


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*



leenabug said:


> Can someone tell me how I can be approved to post pics?:vs_worry:
> 
> I would really like to show ya a pic of how this structure looks and also the current supports underneath. Thank you


Contact the mods. At the bottom of the forum page, there are lists of names, highlighted.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

thanks, I sent one of them a message yesterday but no reply yet


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## jessesandy (Dec 17, 2015)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

The paper clip didn't show up for me either until I used the "Go Advanced" button.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*



leenabug said:


> Can someone tell me how I can be approved to post pics?:vs_worry:
> 
> I would really like to show ya a pic of how this structure looks and also the current supports underneath. Thank you


Did you confirm your registration by the email sent you? Your profile page shows you have not yet been confirmed.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Thank you for responding. I thought I confirmed, but checked my email again to make sure and I couldnt find any email message asking me to confirm. i also didnt see anything in my spam. Can you resend me the link to confirm? or should I try registering again?


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

I will let the admin know so this can get resolved.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

I would sit down with the truss company, I would bet they have seen this movie before.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

I did talk to my truss guy and told him what we were doing, he acted like it was no big deal. We are in an area with lots of mobile homes so maybe he has seen it done before or maybe he didnt care,lol. I told him i was worried about the weight in trying to choose trusses and he said there wasnt much difference in a 4/12 and 6/12, weight wise. He just asked was i putting it on 2x4 walls.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Most houses are framed with 2x4s and that generally supports the roof [or another floor] well. You also need to know how well what the stud wall is on will support the weight. Generally not a concern with a conventional house but MHs usually have the floor joists cantilevered out from the frame. I don't know if that would be an issue or not.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*



leenabug said:


> Thank you for responding. I thought I confirmed, but checked my email again to make sure and I couldnt find any email message asking me to confirm. i also didnt see anything in my spam. Can you resend me the link to confirm? or should I try registering again?


Admin has you up and running now, they said you should have been ok back in 2014 when you joined. :smile:


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

yay! Thanks!
ok, so here are some pics of this structure. You can see why the roof needs to be replaced if using as a rental apartment. There is just no way to make it look residential. THe current roof, leaks, is in 3 sections and only 7 ft tall on the 2 sides. The 3rd middle roof, is 8ft tall but supported by posts all down the middle. 
We just tore off the underpinning to inspect and look for any damaged or rotten wood on the sill and underneath. I was horrified to discover that the sill is only a 2x3! Even our old mobile home sill was a 2x6! Now im even more worried that its just not strong enough to support new 2x4 walls and trusses, regardless of how much support it has. 

Im posting a pic of the structure so you can see the roof and also pics of the current supports, or which there are tons of underneath. They are spaced 5 ft apart all around the perimeter and also in the middle and other places. Lots and lots of columns. But what about that sill?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

A couple thoughts, Lift a little in sections and place a beam from pier to pier around the house. Or Just add beams on top of the walls that would give you more height on the walls two. This isn't as good as you would like to have solid bearing on each side of the windows. which you don't have now. 

If you go with the lower beams, go with scissor trusses. Vaulted ceiling for the head room.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*



Nealtw said:


> A couple thoughts, Lift a little in sections and place a beam from pier to pier around the house. Or Just add beams on top of the walls that would give you more height on the walls two. This isn't as good as you would like to have solid bearing on each side of the windows. which you don't have now.
> 
> If you go with the lower beams, go with scissor trusses. Vaulted ceiling for the head room.


What kind of beams? you mean like a 4x4?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Normally a beam for something like that would be 2 2x10 nail. They will have a roll over problem.
If you are going under I would think a treated 4 x 6 would be enough with crown up.
Never use a 4x4 as a beam, they will sag.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

So just to make sure i am understanding you:
We could jack up one side of the floor and slide a beam on top of the piers and the sill would rest on that, thereby providing more support for the new 2x4 walls and trusseS? 
That seems like a reasonable solution, thanks, i will tell my husband about it and see if he thinks that would be possible to do. The only thing that might make it hard, is adjusting the supports in the middle of the home. They r under the metal transport frame and the way the roof is designed , im wondering if this was a triple wide and transported in 3 pcs.......


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

I just realized that what i am calling a "sill", that a book diagram of flooring construction, listed it as the " joist header". Around here, ive just been use to people saying, check to see if the sill is rotted when a window has leaked. But we are referring to the board that is on the end of the floor joists. I had a mobile home that had to be moved once and they refused to move it until i replaced that rotted outer board. They were afraid it would affect the strength of it being able to hold together while transporting. So we did pry out the damaged joist header and replace it with new treated and the mobile home made the journey down the mtn just fine. but that was an2x6 so i was shocked that this one was only a 2x3! However the construction is different somehow. It appears to be sandwiched between sheets of plywood maybe? But its got me to wondering what the floor joists are made out of. I cant see because as i said they are sandwiched between sheets of something. So underneath the floor, its just a solid floor with no visible joists on each side. Now the middle, where the plumbing was, looks different. It may be 2x6 there. I need to crawl under there and take pics of that too ........


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Every MH I've ever worked on had 2x6 floor joists. MHs also don't typically have block piers along the outer edge but under the steel frame. Not sure what you have going on. Is this a single wide trailer with additions?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*



leenabug said:


> So just to make sure i am understanding you:
> We could jack up one side of the floor and slide a beam on top of the piers and the sill would rest on that, thereby providing more support for the new 2x4 walls and trusseS?
> That seems like a reasonable solution, thanks, i will tell my husband about it and see if he thinks that would be possible to do. The only thing that might make it hard, is adjusting the supports in the middle of the home. They r under the metal transport frame and the way the roof is designed , im wondering if this was a triple wide and transported in 3 pcs.......


Mark made a good point about what you have. You may have one unit with add ons. That can be looked at, not sure how much that changes the plan.

Any way My thinking was to lower the piers to allow for a beam so the height stays the same.
The joist across the end of the joist is usually called the rim or rim joist.
It sits on a sill which usually sits on the foundation of a house.
Sills are also the framing member just above a door and above and below a window.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

This appears to be a structure that was put together as 3 pcs, so i thought it was a triple wide but there is no metal frame on the sides, just in the middle. It wasnt a single wide that was built on to, it was installed this way when it was set up but im not sure how they hauled the 2 side pcs in. Because i was expecting to see 3 frames underneath, but no. I will try to take more pics tomorrow underneath and inside.

its only 23'3" wide so that means each section is less than 8 ft wide


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

It sure sounds like a single wide with the 2 sides having been site built. Wish I could crawl under it and see how it was put together - curiosity is getting the better of me.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

ok, so we tore off the front porch and all the underpinning and have a much better understanding of how its made. Its would be considered a modular office unit according to our local mobile home mover. Its a 9 ft single wide frame in the middle and then the two 7ft sides are on piano hinges and so the walls, floor and ceiling swing up, in, down for transport. He said they are horrid to move and he quoted me a price of $7k to move so its not worth selling. And for that cost to move, its not even worth giving away as a storage building. 
The middle part that is on the metal frame is built on 2x6 joists, but the 2 seven foot sides are 2x3s sandwiched between 2 sheets of 1/2 plywood and then a sheet of 3/4 plywood on top of that. Thats the original construction. Then whenever the church was brought to this site, it was freshened up with another layer of 3/4 advantech installed on the inside.

So is there any way we can support the outside edges enough to where we can install trusses on the walls? (the walls would have to be replaced with 2x4s or reinforced since they are only 2x2s). Such as the suggestion to put beams across the piers. 
Or is it just not feasible considering the construction?


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

We tore off the bottom pc that was holding the underpinning so that we could see the edge of the construction for both the middle part and the 2 sides. 

Middle: Typical 2x6 joists with 2 sheets of plywood on top

Sides: 2x3s sandwiched between 2 sheets of 1/2" plywood with a pc of 3/4 plywood on top. Then the outside walls are built on top of this. The inside has yet another layer of 3/4 advantech on top of the original 3/4 plywood.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Here is 2 pics of the inside to show how the roof is on the inside.

the 2 sides are only 7ft tall
the middle is 8ft tall and has headers across it. im assuming to give strength to the sides. All of that was probably installed after it was put in place as it doesnt seem possible for the ceiling to swing down for transport with those headers there.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

As long as the 2x3 is adequately supported it will support the wall and roof load. The problem with the 2x3s is where it spans between supports. The plywood helps but I don't know how much.

IMO it would be best to provide more support under the outer edge. Ideally you'd have a continuous block wall for it to rest on but it could also beefed up with wood or steel to make the edge more rigid/stable.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

We are very strongly considering putting the trusses over it pole barn style to that the weight will not be on the frame. That was suggested originally, but we were hesitant because of the appearance. However, have thought of some ways to make it look good. The insurance company was very negative about a total rebuild so i think they would be happier with the roof over too. I will post some more pics as we go. So far, putting the beam across the piers seems like the most feasible way to reinforce the sides. 
I think someone earlier said that a 4x4 would not be sufficent? Even across a 5ft span? So a 4x6 is the minimum?


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

I'm not sure why but ins companies don't like modified MHs. My house consists of an older single wide with additions built across the front and back with a block foundation and roof/attic. For the most part it looks like a conventional stick built house. But because I don't have a title for the trailer there is only one insurance company I've found that will insure my home. The bright side is I was able to pay cash for the place and build the additions as I had time/money.

I don't know if 4xs will work or not [I'm just a painter]. Generally lumber is strongest when the flat side is on the side - 2x6 laid flat is weak but when the 6" side is pointed up it is stronger.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*



mark sr said:


> I'm not sure why but ins companies don't like modified MHs.


Fire risk?


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

It shouldn't be a big deal if everything is permitted/inspected. If I had a title for my MH I could get MH insurance including the additions .... but MH insurance is higher than comparable convention home insurance. Most non MH ins companies won't insure a house that has a MH inside it. I have decent fire and wind insurance but it doesn't include theft or liability ..... but at least compared to most homeowner policies - it's cheap.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

You could do both. pole barn with support posts run right thru the walls with beams above the walls and set trusses on those beams.
But the outer floors sound mickey mouse at best. You could use 2 2x10 for a beam under the walls and then you could fit floor joist under there too. Or maybe 2x8s.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

well we got most all the 4x6 beams placed under the wall on top of the piers. Thanks to the person who recommended this! It really helped.
We are still going to help support the trusses with beams too so that they arent really sitting on top of the mobile home wall or atleast not all the weight.
Where the joints of the 4x6s did not end on a beam, we are going to put blocks under the joints or support in some way. Just thought I'd mention that before someone pointed it out


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Yeah, I would have cut them to fit the post and been picky on the length I bought to lower the waist. But that is what I had in mind.
Any nails going into that stuff should be hot dipped galvanized or the treatment will eat them.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

I wouldn't be leery of mounting the trusses over the exterior stud wall now [assuming the studs are 2x4 or larger] Not sure what your spacing is with the block piers but 8' or less would be ideal.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

ok, so we have been working on it constantly and I have been so exhausted each night that I didnt have the energy to post our progress.
So we didnt take the tin off the sides.

We have made so many mistakes that I hesitate to even tell it, but I will take my lumps and learn as may others who read this before starting their projects.
We dug out holes with post hole diggers, approx 40+ inches deep. Its been raining here for weeks on and off and the ground was saturated so we put about 12" of dry quikcrete in the holes, then set the poles. We did not fill in the holes around the poles with quikcrete at this time because we wanted to see how the truss would sit on there.
Which brings me to another "not correct" thing we did. We had already ordered the trusses before we decided to NOT tear down the walls after all. (insurance company wouldnt insure it if torn down and rebuilt). So we had to reinforce the 2x2 walls somehow and considered building a wall inside the trailer, along the current 2x2 wall. In the end we decided to sort of support the roof, pole barn style, and this would also give us the chance to have a frame around it to put siding on and therefore hide the ugly.
The problem was that the trusses were made to fit on the trailor frame, so they would only sit on the one 2x8 that we mounted to the side of the post.

Another "wrong" thing we did was we turned the 4x6 beam flat against the trailor wall. We did this because the beam is now inside the overhang so I went from a 12 " over hang to an 8". If I had turned the beam the other way, I would have been left with a 6" over hang.

We plan to put another 2x8 BETWEEN the posts and toenail it in, then screw to the existing 2x8 thereby forming a stronger "girder" for the truss to set in. The reason we didnt install it before we put the trusses on was because the 2x8 will fit under the eave and might have to be cut at an angle to fit snugly up in there.

Remember how I said the roof was in 3 sections, well we just tore off the side ones and installed the beams and 2x8, then when we were finally forced to tear out the middle section, we discovered the 2 end walls (in the middle section only), were built out of 2x4's and were a full 8ft tall. Rather than tear that down, we found out we could put a rough cut 2x4 on top of the 2x8 and it was the same height all around as the middle section. 

So now it would REALLY have been best if we would have went ahead and put the other 2x8 between the beams and screwed it all together. But we thought we would test a few trusses and see how it all fit and determine what angle we would have to cut the edge of those 2x8s on. 

However as we were raising the first truss, my dad and brother showed up and helped us raise several of them. He didnt realize we were adjusting and figuring out as we went and that the posts were not cemented in place yet. So when they left, I realized that the wall wasnt straight and so we had to unscrew some of the trusses and use heavy duty rachet straps around opposite posts to pull them in and keep the walls straight and 24' apart. The trusses hanging like that were pushing them out, even with bracing outside. 

So yes, Ive been leveling my beams on the outside and filling around them with quikcrete after my trusses were up, we also are adding the 2x8 between the posts after the trusses are set. I know its backwards but the trusses wouldnt set over both 2x8s without the inside 2x8 being angle cut on the edge. I still dont know what angle to cut in on.

AS were were going along,(this process lasted for days with rain almost every day, so we would work frantically trying to figure out ways to do things with a storm cloud bearing down) different people showed up to help and it actually made it worse in some ways, as they all had a different way of doing things. They werent usually there at the same time. One was adamant that the eaves be kept straight and another felt the overhangs should be exactly the same. Yet another felt it was more important that the peak be kept in line, he said you could always trim the overhangs along the edge of the eave to make them all straight. 

Finally the rains are diminished for a few days and so we will tear the tarps off of everything, measure and adjust and see what we have.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Experience is gained by figuring it out after you have it finished.
Boy are you getting lot's of experience.

You line up trusses after you have both walls straight , plumb and parallel 
The heel cut is the cut that should be exactly over the edge of the out side sheeting of the wall, as that doesn't apply. Line up one where you want it, measure from something to that heel cut and make the heel cut measurement the same for that one wall and let the rest take care of it self..

When you do that if you notice the measurement on the other wall is changing check your levels and everything again.

You talked about the angle of the 2x8. I think you want to slide it up under the tails.
It will be the same angle as the tail. but that wouldn't count for bearing weight you need something like 2 1/4 plus under the heel cut

You can add to the tails with 2x4s scabed to the sides of the tails. Cut the tail angle 
figure how much you want to add and add another 4 ft to that.
But that should be checked to make sure that is allowed where you are.
After you have al the trusses up pull a string across the ends of the tails to see how close you have them. Any that are to long can be trimmed. but usually you can nail on a 2x4 liner, just make sure it is flush with the bottom of the tails, that will give you the right plane on top. Then you run the string again and you may have to tap it out in a few places to make it straight.
You do not need a fascia behind a gutter.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

I would add that most of us learn by doing .... and making our share of mistakes along the way. Ambitious project! keep your eye on the goal and all the bragging rites you'll have once you finish.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

We have all the trusses set and most of the lathe whichnis 2x4s. We were told by more than one person to be sure and put roofing paper under the metal roof. They said that the metal roofs form condensation and will weep or drip down on the attic area and the roofing paper is for that. Our problem is , we cant figure out how to put roofing paper over lathe , meaning where do u stand ? That also seems like it also doesnt give u a place to stand to put the metal on as well.....


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

A quick google of that looks like most times they are paper over sheeting and then strapping.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Did you run a catwalk down the center of the trusses and a leveling brace for the gables.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Run the tar paper from the ridge down to the eave vertically and walk beside it.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

I dont know what you mean by catwalk? There is no sheathing on this roof, just the trusses and then the 2x4 lathe or purlins. I too have been googling and i found some specs that said to run it from peak to eave rather than horizontal. Do you think overlapping 3 or 4 inches would be good enough or should it be taped? If so taped with what?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

The cat walk is 1x4 or bigger run up the center of the trusses on top of the bottom cord nailed on the same lay out as on the wall.
No more than 10 ft between bearing wall and catwalk or next catwalk.

Angle brace is 2x4 nailed high in the gable truss and sloped down to tie into the cat walk. This to hold the gable plumb. 

I would check with people that sell the stuff for overlap and tape.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*



leenabug said:


> We have all the trusses set and most of the lathe whichnis 2x4s. We were told by more than one person to be sure and put roofing paper under the metal roof. They said that the metal roofs form condensation and will weep or drip down on the attic area and the roofing paper is for that. Our problem is , we cant figure out how to put roofing paper over lathe , meaning where do u stand ? That also seems like it also doesnt give u a place to stand to put the metal on as well.....



The roof on my house is installed over strapping with no tar paper BUT my attic space is well ventilated and over the last 25 yrs I've experienced no moisture issues. My barn roof is built the same way but no attic or ventilation and occasionally it 'rains' in there from condensation.

How far apart are your straps? If you added a strap in between each current strap that might make it easier to both lay the felt and walk over it ... also gives more wood to screw the metal to.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Here is a pic with all the trusses up. We finished the last of the lathe this morn(and the overhang) and are working on the board that goes on the end of the rafter tails this evening. Getting ready to do bracing and we are ready for metal hopefully. 

We are going to vent the attic space area, insulate it and also have a ridge vent. So we plan to run the 30# roofing paper from the peak to eave as a back up should we have any condensation. But hopefully the venting will take care of it. I still want to tape it just in case as overlapping vertically doesnt seem like it would accomplish much.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

I would still extend the tails a foot or 15"

I would think the tape they have for covering the joins in sheeting or any of the window flashing peel and stick would work for that. You would have to cut down to about 2" I don't think you can get less than 6" wide

There is a double sided but I don't know if you will find it locally.
http://www.mfmbp.com/productView.aspx?id=35
http://buildingadvisor.com/materials/exteriors/flashing-membranes/

The trusses look great.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Frankly, the tape is not required. 
Have never seen the paper taped under metal, but go ahead if you feel better with it.
All it does is avoid the condensation from dripping on the sheathing or insulation. Any buildup flows out at the eave edges.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

I also don't see any need to tape the felt. You said "plan to run the 30# roofing paper from the peak to eave" Not sure if you worded it wrong or don't understand how the felt is typically put down but the felt gets laid horizontally with the first strip at the bottom, the next overlaps the first until you've worked your way to/over the ridge.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Yes i know the felt is suppose to be laid horizontally, but i found some specs (and someone who did it that way), that said it could be installed vertically if taped. The other person that installed theirs that way said they just overlapped, but i know it can leak if not taped when ran vertically. The reason we would love to be able to install vertically is because we have no where to stand if installing it horizontally. There is no sheathing, just 2x4 lathe(or purlins) on the trusses. Most in this area do not put the felt under the metal, they just vent, so im not 100%relying on the felt , but its good backup i hope. I am venting as well.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*



leenabug said:


> Yes i know the felt is suppose to be laid horizontally, but i found some specs (and someone who did it that way), that said it could be installed vertically if taped. The other person that installed theirs that way said they just overlapped, but i know it can leak if not taped when ran vertically. The reason we would love to be able to install vertically is because we have no where to stand if installing it horizontally. There is no sheathing, just 2x4 lathe(or purlins) on the trusses. Most in this area do not put the felt under the metal, they just vent, so im not 100%relying on the felt , but its good backup i hope. I am venting as well.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/3m-FLASHING...ELT-REPAIR-KIT-SEALS-LEAKS-LEAD-/220917401410


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*



> The reason we would love to be able to install vertically is because we have no where to stand if installing it horizontally.


Sounds like a plan. although I've never done it that way


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

So we got one side completely done in metal and half of the other side before we stopped for the night. HEre is one pic that shows us installing the felt vertically, they overlapped it but did not tape. Im hoping between that and being properly vented we wont have any issues with condensation.
The heat index here is over 100 during the day this week so its been scary hot and we could only work early morn and evening. But the rain did hold off all week so we were thankful for that. 
My husband took off half of the 3 weeks we spent tearing off and rebuilding and installing trusses and metal but he finally had to go back to work even though he is self employed. My sons and I still worked on it but they are teens and thankfully my brothers showed up a few times to help. So we got way more done than we would have with just us. My oldest brother also did the bracing inside.
Its starting to come together finally. Hope to go shopping for windows tomorrow.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

How much was the felt overlapped? water runs downhill so hopefully there won't be any issue.

re self employed - that just means you have more bosses, nice he could take time off though.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*



mark sr said:


> How much was the felt overlapped? water runs downhill so hopefully there won't be any issue.
> 
> re self employed - that just means you have more bosses, nice he could take time off though.


That is why he was looking for tape.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

they overlapped it quite a bit, Im thinking 6-10". I did purchase some tape and had it there to use, but like I said, most of the ones in this area dont use the felt under the metal. So they felt like we were doing extra by putting any felt under it anyways. I told the guys I had tape but since I wasnt up there on the roof myself, I couldnt really do anything about it. They didnt want to tape it, so it didnt get taped. Though I did hear my brother say afterwards that it prob wouldve been nearly waterproof if they had. 

Am I correct in guessing that the condensation happens in the winter when the roof is cold and the warm air from interior causes it to sweat ? We only have 2 months of real cold weather here, though the heat is turned on for about 4 months out of the year. Maybe thats why alot of people in this area seem to "get by" with venting only?
I currently have a garage (10yrs old) that was built this same way but with no felt and Ive never had any condensation problems. Granted we dont keep it heated in the winter except for times when we are out there working for extended periods of times.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*



leenabug said:


> they overlapped it quite a bit, Im thinking 6-10". I did purchase some tape and had it there to use, but like I said, most of the ones in this area dont use the felt under the metal. So they felt like we were doing extra by putting any felt under it anyways. I told the guys I had tape but since I wasnt up there on the roof myself, I couldnt really do anything about it. They didnt want to tape it, so it didnt get taped. Though I did hear my brother say afterwards that it prob wouldve been nearly waterproof if they had.
> 
> Am I correct in guessing that the condensation happens in the winter when the roof is cold and the warm air from interior causes it to sweat ? We only have 2 months of real cold weather here, though the heat is turned on for about 4 months out of the year. Maybe thats why alot of people in this area seem to "get by" with venting only?
> I currently have a garage (10yrs old) that was built this same way but with no felt and Ive never had any condensation problems. Granted we dont keep it heated in the winter except for times when we are out there working for extended periods of times.


Condensation is when warm moist air is cooled down so it can no longer support the moisture. So it is really important at you have no air leaks from the house to the attic and then the free flow of air from the soffet to the vents at or near the peak.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

I've never seen or noticed any signs of moisture in my attic and best I can remember the only times it's been an issue in my barn/shop has been in the winter. I have a wood stove out there but that generally dries things up [don't normally keep it going over night]

With a 6"-10" overlap it's not likely there will be any issue from not being taped.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Then condensation issue occurs both Spring and Fall when the temperatures and the Dew Point of the air loads up the air with moisture during the day and dumps the condensation as the roof cools down at night.
Without the felt in place, it wets the insulation and makes it ineffective. 
The moisture dries eventually all by itself in time. 

Without the felt to divert the moisture, it is like a light rainfall under a metal roof.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Here is how our "girder" ended up.
No, its not "right" but this place had 3 separate ceilings and we tore out the 2 side ones and installed the poles and the 2x8 on the INSIDE of the poles . We left part of the middle structure to be able to stand on while installing trusses as half of them were scissor trusses.
Well, when we started tearing out some more,we discovered that the middle structure actually had some 2x4 constructed walls and was exactly 8ft tall. We had already put in the poles and the 2x8s but if we put a rough cut 2x4 (1 5/8 thick) on top of it , then the side walls were exactly as tall as those middle 2x4 structures. 
So thats what we did and then we put another 2x8 on the outside BETWEEN the poles, cut it on an angle and shoved it up under the eaves. ( remember we ordered the trusses before we decided to support them with poles, so they were only as wide as the trailer) Screwed it to both the 2x4 and 2x8 on the other side. 

I bought these brackets to put at the corners as someone felt that would be more support than just toe-nailing the 2x8 in. The first 2x8 was installed with lag bolt type wood screws. What type of screws would you use?

The roof is not sittin on trailer at all. There is actually a 3.5" gap between the trailer walls and the 2x8 as you can see from the pic. If I put a 2x4 there,I was worried about the poles/roof settling or that 2x8 sagging and putting pressure on the trailer walls. As they are only 2x2s, I wasnt sure if they could handle it, but surely the poles are holding up the majority of the weight of the roof.....

What do you think? Would you leave that gap or would you put a 2x4 there?
Obviously siding will cover the gap on the outside and wallboard or paneling will cover it on the inside


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

You want to make the beams one with galvanized nails every 16" as many as look reasonable. That should make the beam strong enough but the weight of the truss is landing on the 1 5/8" 2x4. Send that to the truss company and ask if that is enough to deal with the crush factor. They may want another 2x4 on the inside.

If you are going to get it inspected the inspector will want to see the engineered plans from the truss company so if you are not to those specs get the truss company to draw the new plan to reflect what you have and make any improvement they ask for.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Oh there is zero inspecting or permits required here. The only thing i have to do up to specs, is the electrical company wont hook up power unless the outside part is done a certain way. They came and gave us temp power on the pole and once we have the siding done, they are going to mount it on the side of building and eliminate the standard mobile home power pole. I have to pay $350 to have them run it underground and ive got to dig the ditch myself. But i was going to have to purchase a new updated pole anyways so its worth it to pay the extra and eliminate an ugly pole right by the front door


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

That's pretty much how the permitting process was around here until a few yrs ago. Even now some of the inspections are fairly lax. Wish our POCO would set up service that cheap!


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

You can use those hangers and you want hurricane hangers on the trusses too.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*



Nealtw said:


> You can use those hangers and you want hurricane hangers on the trusses too.


Thanks, we are finishing the roof tonight in anticipation of rain tomorrow and hopefully i can get those brackets and hurricane hangers on this weekend


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

*Re: adding a roof to a mobile church*

Well we got the roof finished,just in time before a 4 hr rain, so it was blessed sweet relief! We are now starting to build walls inside.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

ok, so I mentioned before that the outside walls of this trailer are mostly 2x2s, hence our reason for deciding to install a new roof , supported by poles. However, we tore out the middle section last and discovered it was built with 2x4s. So the 2 end walls(front and back) had 2x4s for about a 9ft section, then it transitioned to the 2x2s for about 7ft on each side. So on the back, we just took out the 2x2s and replaced them with 2x4s and joined it to the 9ft middle section of 2x4s. This gave us a roughly 24' back wall of solid 2x4s. But in the front, that wide 6ft double door took up most of that 9ft section of 2x4s, so we just decided to rebuild that entire front wall. Removing that wall and with the new roof, wow I could totally see it taking shape into something decent looking!
If you look at the original pic before we started, All the lower sections are 2x2s and that middle taller section is the part that was 2x4s


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

You guys are making it look easy.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

Working in the lap of luxury with the orange roofed cook shack right handy.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

whew that canopy was our only place of relief at times while we were tearing off the old roof and putting on the new! As you can see, we are in the middle of an open field with no trees at all! Heat index of around 100 or MORE most every day in July while we were out there! We were scary hot, I made runs to the store for powerade almost daily there for a while. The humidity was unreal high, with pop up showers happening constantly for the first 2 weeks in July, so we were sweating unreal. I am also covered with bites that wont heal. I think thats some problem with me however, as the boys and my husband have not gotten many bites. The bites they did get, went away quickly. So evidently im having an allergic reaction to my bites. Im wondering if since this place set, with no one using it for around 5 yrs, if there are mites in the wood or something?


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

We are just a little north of you but we sure know about the heat and humidity. 

You may need to see a doctor about that, it could get worse.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

well you were right, it did get worse!Spread to both legs and arms, turned out to be poison oak/ivy. Once I found out what it was, I washed it with vinegar each day and mixed coconut oil, peppermint oil, lavender oil and tea tree oil together and rubbed on it. Within a few days it started drying up, no more blisters now


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

boy what a difference it made once we put that siding on the front! Now it seems like we are finally getting somewhere! Since the structure is turned "wrong" for a residential structure we decided to work with it and plan to do "shotgun home" type features. Hence the door being on one side in the front. 

We got the siding for $15 a sheet, its 4x9 so works great. Its like vinyl and osb in one. Its masonite? and has a rustic wood look up close. I didnt want to paint it because the rustic look is not just the texture but in coloring too. So I didnt want to cover it up, so they said to just seal it. With what? Like deck sealer or some kind of house wood sealer?

You can see the side where we are framing up 2x4s between the posts to hold the siding. Its on 2 ft centers. Since the posts are 10ft apart, my dad was worried it would sag at the bottom so we got some 2x6s and turned them on side, doubled, and then put the 2x4s on top of that. You can also see where we are framing up for new windows. The others were single pane plate glass and way too ,many of them to appear residential. Also going to put a door there on the side, going into the kitchen.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

took a break from the heat and framed up some interior walls too! Here is some of the beginning and during pics to compare. It helps me to look at those and realize that we are slowly getting somewhere. We work on this almost 6 days a week. Sometime just a couple hrs a day, sometimes all day. So it seems like we should be farther than we are........We are getting it ready for our son to live in and he is getting married in Oct so just not sure if we can do it in time. But surely atleast we will have a bedroom and bathroom complete by then.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

If that is Masonite, seal it everywhere, and really good especially the bottom edges, Masonite doesn't hold up well for an extended time. I would ask a pro painter here on the forum what would be best to seal that with.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

If it is masonite [not sure they still sell it] you should oil prime and then apply 1-2 coats of latex house paint. It looks more like T-111. Could you post a pic or two showing the back side and the edge?

Poison ivy or oak ain't no fun!! I get into it more weeks than not BUT if you wash up within 15 minutes or so you can generally wash away whatever it is gives you the reaction. I've always heard that if you don't do anything the poison ivy rash will clear up in 14 days but if you doctor it - it will be gone in 2 weeks :wink2:


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

Well I had been battling these places on my legs for around 8 weeks. They would get bad, then start to heal, then flare back up. Thats why I thought something was biting me and I still think there was some bites mixed in. But this last time it got really bad and spread everywhere. I have an immune problem so thats why I felt I needed to treat it. i was afraid my body couldnt fight it off on its on. So not sure if my "treatment" was what made the change or if it was just time, but anyways its all dried up now!

Here are some pics of the siding. It doesnt swell or come apart if left in the rain but its def not wood or T-111.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I'd oil prime including the bottom edge and then use a quality latex house paint. If you have any areas where the siding will be close to the ground - back prime those panels 4"-6" up.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

so is it masonite?
I chose this because of the nice distressed wood look. Is there no way to seal it without painting over it?

Its 2 ft from the ground so not touching near the ground/ There will be underpinning from the bottom of this siding to the ground.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

leenabug said:


> so is it masonite?
> I chose this because of the nice distressed wood look. Is there no way to seal it without painting over it?
> 
> Its 2 ft from the ground so not touching near the ground/ There will be underpinning from the bottom of this siding to the ground.


It looks like K3 boarb. Kitchen cupboards the stuff that is white inside the cupboards.
Does it have a name.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

ok, so I found out it something called "hardboard" and its not really a good product
I shouldve went with the T-111.
Since we are mainly using it to hide the ugly old trailer walls, I guess it will do in this situation. But when we build a house next I know NOT to use it. A contractor (who was giving the pros and cons) said it would last much longer if I would paint the back of it before installing and also the edges as Mark said. I guess I need to paint it all around. 
Sigh, not what I wanted to hear.
The only thing about it that might be better than the T-111 is that it wont have to be painted as often as wood(or so I was told). But its not as strong as T-111 by a long shot. He said if I dont paint the back of it, moisture will eventually break it down from the inside out. He didnt really have anything to say about the outside finish, but rather made it sound like the weakness came from the back. ...


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Oil base primer on the back and edges I would guess.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

leenabug said:


> Well I had been battling these places on my legs for around 8 weeks. They would get bad, then start to heal, then flare back up. Thats why I thought something was biting me and I still think there was some bites mixed in. But this last time it got really bad and spread everywhere. I have an immune problem so thats why I felt I needed to treat it. i was afraid my body couldnt fight it off on its on. So not sure if my "treatment" was what made the change or if it was just time, but anyways its all dried up now!
> 
> Here are some pics of the siding. It doesnt swell or come apart if left in the rain but its def not wood or T-111.


That isn't brand name Masonite, but it is a fiber board which is the same thing. My wife and I love the rustic look so we bought the same type board for our living room and white washed it a couple different colors to look kinda like old barn wood. (picture below)

They do make a clear oil base paint, from what I am seeing, and the fellow told you right, you need to seal it everywhere especially edges and back side, you should get quite a few years out of it, It can last a good while. Paint often when showing signs of wear will prolong it being replaced. I laid an unprotected piece out in the weather for about a couple weeks and on sign of swelling but if left unprotected for very long, it will swell.

Here is how we did the fiber board in our living room.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

If you want to give that stuff a real chance of stay dry and breathing you might look at rainscreening.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

That looks amazing , big jim!

That some serious prevention with the rainscreening. Im wondering about the difference in our weather. We dont have much of a winter but a very humid summer so im wondering if we still have as much exposure to wet? I dont know but the main thing im worrying about in this situation is that we left the metal trailer siding on. I was told it might sweat. So that worries me that will have even more moisture behind that siding than normal. I for sure think i need to leave a place for it to drain.....like a 1/2" gap or something between the trailer and the outside 2x4 wall....?


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

mark sr said:


> I'd oil prime including the bottom edge and then use a quality latex house paint. If you have any areas where the siding will be close to the ground - back prime those panels 4"-6" up.


I thought i couldnt put something latex based over an oil base? So its ok to put latex paint over an oil based primer? Just making sure i dont mess something else up....


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Yes, latex paint can be applied over oil base primer. Latex will adhere to weathered oil base finish paint, just not shiny oil that is in good shape. Oil base primer does a better job of sealing the substrate than latex primer does.

The old masonite siding held up well provided it was kept well painted. Moisture getting absorbed by the siding was it's downfall.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

My grandparents still have the masonite siding on their house (over 50 yrs old) so thats why my dad thought it would be better than wood(t-111). Cause it never rotted and they didnt have to paint it as often as he and his wood siding. But they may have made it better back then. It seemed heavier than this stuff i bought.
Well we are working on the plumbing and electrical this week. Keep finding things that need to be adjusted/ prepped for drywall and flooring.....
I think we have spent over $6k so far. My husband is a plumber and my dad/brother are doing the electrical so thankfully dont have that expense. Still covering the walls and floors are gonna cost another grand probably even though we will do the work ourselves. plus i have to get my uncle to do all the insulation. So i think i will be going over my $7k budget somewhat If i can get this project done for less than 10 grand i will be happy. Son will live in it a few yrs and then we will rent out and hopefully recoup these expenses.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

If your son is able to pay rent he'll likely appreciate the place to live more, if not try getting some sweat equity out of him .... all those things build character!

Masonite can last a long time if it never gets wet. Most masonite siding fails because either it wasn't primed/painted properly in the first place or repainted as needed.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

Yeah we are requiring him to put in 275 hrs of labor there for each year of rent. He has 200hrs invested so far ,so by the time his wedding gets here he will easily have one yr of rent paid for. Then next yr we want 2 porches, a deck and storage shed built so he should be able to work off another yr of rent. After that he has to move out or start paying cash rent.
He is a registered plumbing apprentice and has worked summers since he was 14. He has now graduated highschool and worked a yr full time. I told him this summer was like a college course in construction as he learned ALOT during the course of this project!


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## xhyperxshogunx (Aug 29, 2017)

Looking Great!


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

Things feel slow now. All the plumbing is done, and we are starting on electrical. Prob take us another week to get ready for insulation. Once we can start covering up all these studs, inside and out, i know it will feel like we are finally making some progress again. Oh yeah, my husband wants to put one of those mini splits in. Is that what they r called? ONe head or thing that hangs on wall in living area , and another in bedroom area. . Maybe also callled zoned heating/cooling? Anyone have any experience with those? ARE they really more efficient than a traditional central unit?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

leenabug said:


> Things feel slow now. All the plumbing is done, and we are starting on electrical. Prob take us another week to get ready for insulation. Once we can start covering up all these studs, inside and out, i know it will feel like we are finally making some progress again. Oh yeah, my husband wants to put one of those mini splits in. Is that what they r called? ONe head or thing that hangs on wall in living area , and another in bedroom area. . Maybe also callled zoned heating/cooling? Anyone have any experience with those? ARE they really more efficient than a traditional central unit?


I would post another question in HVAC for that.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

ok, so it seemed we were stuck on wiring forever. As we prepped for drywall and siding, we kept finding things that needed to be done. We ended up using a fiberboard for the living room/dining/kitchen that I found for $2 per 16ft length, 9inches tall. It kind of looks like shiplap. Came out to approx $5 per 4x8 area which was half the cost of drywall, plus I dont have to pay someone to install or finish it. So im very happy with it. ALso the insulation guy has been putting some insulation in as we finished with areas of wiring.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

What do you intend to cover the ceiling with? Normally the ceiling gets done before the walls.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

THE CEiling is long sheets of corragated metal. I will prob trim out around the top of walls with a rough cut 1x4 so it didnt matter which we put up first. I had something wide enough to screw to either way


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

got the ceiling done in livingroom. we were happy with the rusty tin we used. I think it came off a warehouse or something. Planning to use it as underpinning too.

Used some of the wood look fiberboard on the bottom half of the bedroom because it was just killing us, timewise, trying to finish the sheetrock. The "chair rail" is actually brickmold inserted between the sheetrock and fiberboard because the fiberboard didnt go all the way down to floor. So that brickmold gave us enough few inches to get it down low enough for baseboard to cover the rest. We will have to use a jitterbug though to trim out a space to put widow trim around the window. 

Put some of the old trailer metal roof (the smooth underside) around the bathroom vanity and tub, rather than tile , for a rustic look. 
Its slowly coming together but the wedding is in 12 days so we wont be finished in time. They will just have to come home to a working bedroom and bath and will have to use crockpots & electric griddle to cook off of until we can get the kitchen done.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Are you running a continuous soffit vent and a ridge vent? Also you will need a space above the ceiling insulation so there will be air flow from the soffit to the ridge vent, or it is going to sweat on you. 

You are getting closer for sure. By the way, thank you for the great information where to buy the fiber board, I appreciate it.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Looks great!


> They will just have to come home to a working bedroom and bath and will have to use crockpots & electric griddle to cook off of until we can get the kitchen done.


That should make them more appreciative of the finer things later on!


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

Yes we are doing the soffit vent and yes we have a ridge vent and yes there is a space between the insulation and roof on the vaulted part. About 2 ft actually. On the 2nd half of trailer ,with normal flat 8 ft ceilings, its blown insulation and we built a small platform over the insulation,near the access door, so they have a 5x 8 storage area.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

leenabug said:


> Yes we are doing the soffit vent and yes we have a ridge vent and yes there is a space between the insulation and roof on the vaulted part. About 2 ft actually. On the 2nd half of trailer ,with normal flat 8 ft ceilings, its blown insulation and we built a small platform over the insulation,near the access door, so they have a 5x 8 storage area.


I had a buddy who didn't vent his vaulted ceiling at all, that winter when he cranked up the heat, it looked like it was raining in there. It ruined his ceiling, floor, roof decking and insulation. I helped him tear everything out and replace it, what a mess.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

We also put 30# roofing felt under the tin just in case it did sweat because my uncle (the insulation man) said he sees metal roofs drip all the time and get the insulation wet. So hopefully the ridge vent, the soffit vents and the felt will eliminate that problem.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Sounds like a winner, from the pictures it was hard to tell if there was a space above the insulation. You will be so happy that your uncle gave you some very experienced advise. 

I know your son and his new bride will be happy in their new home.

Are y'all going to build your cabinets?


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

Well i bought a set of base cabinets off of craigslist for $250 , but we are going to alter them. So yes & no, lol


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

leenabug said:


> Well i bought a set of base cabinets off of craigslist for $250 , but we are going to alter them. So yes & no, lol


Can't beat that for price, the material to build them would have cost more than that.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

So there is a gap in the pictures of the progress, bc there at the end we were frantically working down to the day before and of wedding trying to get them able to move in. Got the flooring down in all the rooms, finished installing the last window and all of outside siding. Throwed a mattress on the floor and a futon in living room and they moved in! Its been almost 3 weeks since the wedding and we finally got those cabinets cut and screwed together to fit the space. Also got some appliances off craigslist. If I can find some countertops and get the cabinets painted then I think it will finally be a real kitchen. The first pic is as we were putting the metal and siding in the kitchen area, then a big jump to this week and setting the cabinets and appliances in place.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

Throw some rips of 3/4 inch plywood on for countertops and they are good to go.

Nice job.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Countertops almost always have to be custom cut/made. When I did our kitchen I used plywood, cement board and tile. That was cheaper than having formica tops custom made. If I had to do it over again I would use a darker grout - white is hard to keep clean!

If you ever get depressed by how long it takes to get stuff done - refer back to your original pics and revel in the progress you've made!


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

mark sr said:


> Countertops almost always have to be custom cut/made. When I did our kitchen I used plywood, cement board and tile. That was cheaper than having formica tops custom made. If I had to do it over again I would use a darker grout - white is hard to keep clean!
> 
> If you ever get depressed by how long it takes to get stuff done - refer back to your original pics and revel in the progress you've made!


I would still sooner have the Formica tops we used to make ourselves


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

The biggest thing I have against formica is the use of particle board under it. It isn't uncommon to see the PB swell and the need for a new top when there is a plumbing leak.


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## leenabug (Dec 7, 2014)

Ive done the plywood counter tops before, the plywood topped with tile, formica and granite. 

Plywood-fast , cheap, not long term

Plywood topped with tile(brown grout)- economical, can set hot pots on, durable, broke/chipped my coffee mugs alot

Formica/laminate- affordable, some really good looking ones now, chipped on corners and edges (we are very rough), does swell if water gets exposed to it somewhere, cant set hot pots on

Granite- costs alot, touch as nails,looks high end, can set hot pots on, must keep sealer/polish on or dulls & streaks

We have a salvage building material store that sells formica/laminate counter tops for $6 per foot. All diff colors, brands and styles are $6 regardless. For price and ease, this is what I plan to put in there. However, I need 3 pcs (one bar style) that blend with the gray toned floor so havent found anything there yet that we liked. They had a nice granite look kind but it was brown toned and a white/gray marble look but it had no bar style available. The rest were cheap or dull looking. Waiting for the next load to come in


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