If you own a mobile home, you may face multiple challenges when it comes to windows. Changing your windows can both improve the functionality of your home and boost its curb appeal. Here are four reasons why.

Energy Efficiency

Mobile homes, which were originally designed for more transient living in warm retirement locations, are often less well insulated than permanent homes. Inexpensive or poorly fitted windows can add to your HVAC problems and expenses, allowing too much heat in summer and too much cold in winter.

You don't have to tear out the entire window to improve its energy efficiency, however. You can use less expensive and disruptive replacement windows, which fit into the existing frames with no construction or cutting, to help better insulate your mobile home. Try using low-E glass or gas-filled windows to keep your temperatures where you want them.

Also, changing the way the windows operate can help with issues like ventilation in the warmer months. To replace non-opening or crank windows, you can purchase traditional side-to-side sliding windows, double hung windows, or windows with extra transoms above to maximize air flow. If your replacement window supplier doesn't carry these stock windows, they can order them from a mobile home parts specialist.

As a tip, if you have experienced leaking with your old windows, always check the subfloor underneath the windows when you replace them. If it is made of particle board, as is common in many mobile homes, it may be worn or even rotted from water exposure.

Traffic Flow

In addition to improving air flow, you can improve traffic flow in your home too with new windows. If removing an interior wall between your kitchen and dining room isn't possible, consider creating a pass-through between the two spaces. You can also do this between the kitchen and the patio or deck. Invest in a pretty pebbled or stained glass window that closes off a messy kitchen when need be but looks great from the outside and still allows light in.

You could also replace any exterior window with a slider door--a little more work and expense, but worth it to make indoor/outdoor living more seamless. It will also make your mobile home look more spacious from the inside.

View

One of the advantages of a mobile home is that it is movable, even if it looks like a permanent home from the outside. You may have already capitalized on this by situating your mobile home in a spot with a great view. You can really take advantage of this with replacement windows that improve your vista. Get rid of bars and panes you don't need that only get in the way of what you really want to look at.

Exterior Appearance

When maximizing that view, think about spending a little more money on one special window where you get the best vantage point for a glorious sunset or all-day ocean views. One way to do this is by joining two windows without a frame at a corner of the home to create a 90-degree wall of glass. Besides giving you a better view, your mobile home will look more like a conventional home from the curb, which in most cases is highly desirable.

When choosing windows to make your mobile home look more like a permanent home, look at features that traditional windows use. This includes things like high-end hardware and trim colors that match the color scheme of the house. Also, use elements like quality window treatments and shutters to give a homey feeling to your place.

While replacement windows are often touted as a DIY project, it may be best to have a window professional like Jerry Newman Roofing & Remodeling, Inc. do the job. You'll get a warranty with the work against problems like leaking, and you can have the remodel done expediently and with a minimum of time on your part. In a matter of a few days, you can take your mobile home to a much more attractive and functional level with new windows.