All you need to know about park home maintenance

©Prestige Developments

Park homes

Maintenance is crucial to the longevity of a park home, just as with any other type of home.

Your park home chassis, roof and guttering all need to be kept in top condition – and there are companies that specialise in park home maintenance to help

Val Chapman Contributing Editor

Editor of Park and Holiday Home Inspiration, and its accompanying special editions, as well as Guest Editor of Caravan magazine, Val Chapman is a well-known and respected figure in the outdoor leisure industry, and a long-term contributor to Out & About Live.

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Essential park home repairs and maintenance advice

Keeping a park home in top condition usually involves some expert assistance, just like any other sort of home. Where park homes differ, though, is that they need experts in park home maintenance, rather than general home maintenance.

That’s because the park home structure is different, so needs people experienced in that type of structure. And, of course, park homes are the only type of homes to have chassis — and that element demands specialist knowledge.

You should check the exterior condition of your park home every three months for any hairline cracks or chips. You should also touch up your home’s exterior with a new coat of paint every two or three years to keep it looking fresh, enhance weather resistance and increase the lifespan of the property. Checking window and door seals is important, as is having the roof and guttering checked every year.

There are several companies that specialise in park home maintenance. Among them is Prestige Developments. Services offered include roofing refurbishment, insulation and chassis maintenance. The Prestige Developments’ team is experienced in all types of refurbishment, installation, maintenance and repair work to park homes.

Maintaining your park home roofing

Rather than replacing a roof, you can have it refurbished, ensuring it’s watertight, and with a guarantee. This is quicker and costs less than a new roof.

There are three main stages to this refurbishment. The tiles are checked and repinned. Any damaged ones are replaced; any moss and dirt is cleaned off. Then the roof is coated with an exterior coating and silicone spray for weatherproofing.

©Prestige Developments

Maintaining your park home chassis

Chassis maintenance services include underfloor insulation and levelling. A park home’s chassis is out of sight and largely out of mind — but it’s actually a most important part of the home’s structure simply because it underpins every other element.

Chassis are open to the elements and can be affected by any build-up of snow, or mud or, of course, should any flooding occur.

Without adequate protection, the steel frame of the chassis can corrode and rust, making it brittle and prone to cracking, or even, in extreme cases, buckling under the weight of the park home and its contents. Support jacks can corrode, too, making the chassis even more vulnerable to deterioration.

Early signs of damage to watch for include squeaky or uneven floors. More serious symptoms include floor movement and dampness leading to heat loss. The most severe cases could lead to the roof cracking or the park home floor subsiding.

A refurbishment team can carry out a detailed inspection of the chassis of your park home. The team can then provide a full service to restrengthen and condition the chassis, add support jacks where necessary and provide underfloor insulation, with a guarantee of the work for many years.

Maintaining your park home insulation

Underfloor, cavity and roof insulation can reduce heating bills dramatically. Preventing your home from losing warmth through the walls, floor and roof, and cutting out draughts, will make a huge difference to the way your park home feels, as well as to your heating bills.

Damp and poor insulation are the major factors affecting park homes. Water, condensation and dampness will result in damage to the structure of the property if left unattended. Sub standard insulation can also be the cause of these conditions and will certainly impact on your living comfort levels and your heating costs.

©Prestige Developments

©Prestige Developments

Maintaining your park home cladding

The home’s appearance will be enhanced by maintenance of cladding, and it will be made more resistant to harsh weather conditions.

Prestige ‘Ultimate’ Cavity Wall re-cladding brings exterior wall finishes and high performance in line with new home specifications approved to BS3632 standards.

The latest cladding materials specified are guaranteed rot proof and fire proof which means reduced maintenance costs and added peace of mind. The work is guaranteed for 10 years.

©Prestige Developments

How to find park home maintenance services

Specialist companies know how park homes are constructed and, when it comes to maintenance, they have the expertise to carry out repairs. Some of these companies are regional; others offer national coverage. Our advice would be to contact several companies and ask for advice and a quote. Which company to go for? You’ll find some suggestions below.

Several of the major names in park homes have links with companies that offer maintenance services. Among them is the giant park home manufacturer, Omar, which has a division called Omar Refurbishment Services that offers external renovations including roofs, PVCu windows, doors, underfloor and wall insulation and cladding.

Another major player in park home construction, Prestige, has a division offering remedial work. Prestige Developments offers a comprehensive service which involves everything from searching for and buying a park home to renovations or complete refurbishment. The range of services includes replacing the fascia, bargeboards and guttering, and building fully tiled roofs with overhangs and soffits.

If the exterior of a home you are considering buying would benefit from a refresh, there are companies out there ready to help you. Among them is Resitex, specialist manufacturer of textured or smooth finishes and primers. One of Resitex’s products, for example, is Resifine, a finish formulated to protect external walls and designed for DIY use.

Rapide Services specialises in park home refurbishment. Based in Staffordshire, services offered include roofing, windows, doors, even heating systems. And this company can also reposition internal walls if you want to alter the layout.

FAQs

Who is responsible for the maintenance of a park home?

In short: the owner. Even though you don’t own the ground on which the park home stands, you do own the park home, so you are responsible for its maintenance.
How much does it cost to clad a park home?

The cost entirely depends on two factors. The first is the size of the park home. The second is the type of cladding you choose. CanExel cladding is arguably the best known; it is made from wood fibres, resins and wax fused together under pressure. The result looks rather like natural wood. A wide range of colours is available.
Vinyl cladding, and various wood-finish cladding options are also available.
How much does it cost to insulate a park home?

Again, this is strictly dependent on the size of the park home. The cost of insulating a park home also depends on when it was made, and how much work would be required.
The older the park home, the more likely it is to have insulation standards that are well below today’s standards. As a result of both evolution and regulation, standards of park home insulation have dramatically increased over the last three or so decades.