Manufactured Homes and Germane Materials 02: Wall Coverings | TMH 010
In this post I am going to talk about germane wall coverings, continuing the discussion started in TMH 004. For manufactured homes (MH) the primary, interior wall covering is paneling. This can be wood, wood composite, faux wood, or Vinyl Over Gypsum (VOG). Gypsum board (drywall) and tile (for bathrooms and backsplashes) are rare in MHs. This is due to their weight and brittle nature which can cause both to be damaged during the moving of a MH from the factory to the site. There will be a limited discussion here about gypsum board, and tile will be handled in a future Tile post.
Wood and Faux Wood Paneling | Wood and faux wood paneling is probably the most common, and most maligned, wall covering in MHs. It it lightweight, relatively inexpensive, and, unlike gypsum board, can be installed without covering the seems where one panel ends and the next panel begins. These seems are usually a continuation of the grooves used to give the paneling the appearance of “real” wood planks. For the most part this paneling is not moisture resistant. Most wood and faux wood paneling is 4’-0” wide and 8’-0” high. It can also come as high as 10’-0” or even 12’-0”. This height can be important to note if you have high, vaulted ceilings so there may be a picture railing molding running around the room at 8’-0” height.
Vinyl on Gypsum Paneling | VOG is very similar to the paneling above, but it is moisture resistant (because of the vinyl) and must have the seems cover with what is know as batten. Batten is a thin strip of material (wood, vinyl to match the VOG, ect.). Because VOG is moisture resistant it can be used in bathrooms, and can be seen in many MH bathrooms while that same MH has conventional wood or faux wood paneling in the other rooms. VOG may also be printed with a pattern. This pattern can be almost anything from floral to abstract - and is usually terrible! The width and height from the paneling above also applies to VOG as well. About the above image - all the photos I could find of VOG were so ugly I didn't want to use them - take a look here.
Gypsum Board | Gypsum board (drywall) is the wall material found in most every conventional home and living space you will come across, but it is rarely found in MHs. If you want to replace your MH’s paneling with gypsum board the only considerations are your budget, can your walls take the wight (MH walls are thinner than conventional home walls and can support less - this should not be a problem with gypsum board, but do your homework before proceeding), and will your MH be moved (if it’s going to move sooner rather than later, maybe wait until after the move so it isn’t damaged during the move, and your MH is lighter)?
Fixes for Paneling | So, you are not a fan of the wood and faux wood paneling in your MH? Well, not to worry, you can paint it. And if you hate the grooves that make it (kind of) look like real wood you can fill those in. I, for one, don’t like the grooves. This is because they are usually spaced too far apart, or are a mix of 0’-6” and 0’-8” spacings. I prefer grooves that make it look like the paneling is made of of 2” or 3” boards. The basic process of filling and painting is as follows (do some further googling, and read some forums for a full tutorial, but these are the basic steps):
Wash your walls - if it is an old MH there will be so much nicotine on the walls!
Sand your walls and get rid of the shine.
Wipe off all the sanding dust.
Fill grooves with joint compound and allow it to dry fully. The joint compound has glue in it that will help it stick - unlike patching plaster.
Sand again
Wipe off the dust again
Prime with an oil based, stain blocker - like Kilz.
Paint with your choice of paint.
Now, I will say I do have some fear that the seems where one panel meets the next (not the grooves) could crack later, but I didn’t come across anyone having this problem online.
VOG paneling can also be painted. The battens can also be removed, but it is a little more difficult to fill the seams than the Wood and faux wood paneling grooves above. The battens are at 4’-0” intervals - see image above - and if you want to leave them in place you can paint over them. One way to disguise them is to add more battens to break up the panels a little - say add a batten at 1’-0” intervals. Here is a link to Mobilehomeliving.org where they talk about VOG, how to paint it, and how to remove the battens and fill the seam.
Another way to update wood and faux wood paneling and VOG is to panel over it with new paneling. This is possible because paneling is fairly thin - 1/4” to 3/16”. So, the only obstacle is your budget and what new paneling to choose. Above are Wall Flats - 3D Wall Panels from inhabit in Architect style.
I hope the above information was a little helpful. In the next post I will talk about wall coverings and paneling currently on the market that you may want to use to update your MH...
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Reddit.com - Farnsworth House | Pano, IL, USA | 1951 | Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
News.Urban360.MX - Casa Luis Barragán | Miguel Hidalgo district, Mexico City | 1949 | Luis Barragán
