When your mobile home starts to look shabby, don’t moan that your investment has gone down the drain. Paint it This job is not one of those quickie repairs, so enlist some help from friends.
For best painting results, you need a temperature around 70°. Weather should be calm, clear, and dry. Don’t paint in the sun, however.
Assemble these items: paint, primer, paint sprayer, body filler, sanding blocks, fine sandpaper, wax and grease remover, rubbing compound, masking tape, newspapers, and plenty of clean rags.
Wash the skin of your home thoroughly. Then clean it with wax and grease remover. Work in small sections. This is where your friends come in. Sand the exterior walls with fine-grain sandpaper and lots of water. Begin at the roof line and work down. Don’t allow paint dust to build up in the sandpaper grit; it will spoil the final finish. Rinse the sanding area often with clean water. Change to fresh sandpaper frequently. After sanding, clean the area again with the wax/grease solvent. Most likely, in cleaning, you’ll find scratches you never knew were there. Patch them with autobody filler; follow the directions on the filler kit. Sand the filler smooth.
Mask off windows and decorative trim with newspapers and masking tape. Remove shutters. Before using the sprayer, test it on a piece of scrap wood. A spray gun held too close to the surface makes the paint run. Spray from a distance of 6—8 inches. Adjust the distance to obtain a fine, stable spray.
Apply a primer first. When that dries, water-sand it. Clean that and let it dry. Then apply a second coat of primer. Water-sand it too. After that primer coat has dried, spray on the paint. Apply several very light coats of paint. Allow each coat to dry tacky before you spray on the next coat.
In a few days, when the paint has thoroughly dried, use rubbing compound to bring out a luster.

Once a year, reseal your roof completely. Some Sealants spread on easily with mop or brush. You can apply other types with high- pressure spray guns. However, one word of caution Exercise care walking on the roof. Some manufacturers suggest Sealing their roofs from a scaffold. Others suggest laying a large piece of plywood on the roof to distribute your weight broadly. You don’t Want to dent your roof or step through it.
You may find sealing products in a variety of colors. Remember that a light-colored or silver roof reflects hot sun rays best. You’ll appreciate this most if you live in a hot climate. If you live in a mostly cool climate, a dark roof tends to hold the sun’s warm rays, adding some extra heating on cold but sunny winter days.

Whether you live in a mobile-home park or set your home on your own residential lot, mobile-home living today is as good as you want to make it. Despite all the care and maintenance described in this book, mobile homes demand less care than conventional housing. But that does not condone neglect. You have seen the simplicity of adequate mobile home care. You know your home needs good maintenance, and you know the why as well as the how-to. Preventive care seeks out and remedies potential repairs before they turn into costly service problems. Your home soon reflects the effort, time, and money you put into maintenance. Homes built according to standards provide you with basic quality housing. But the challenge of retaining and improving on that basic quality is yours alone. Enjoy it!