Doors & Windows

Replacing a door or window in a mobile home sounds like it should be simple. Measure the opening, buy a replacement, install it. But anyone who has tried to fit a standard door from a hardware store into a manufactured home opening knows it's not that straightforward. Mobile home doors and windows are sized, mounted, and sealed differently than those in site-built homes. A standard 36-inch exterior door from a home improvement store won't fit a mobile home door opening without modification, and a standard window won't match the frame depth, mounting flange, or dimensions of a manufactured home window opening.

Murray Mobile Home Services installs and replaces doors and windows for manufactured homes across Florida. We source manufactured-home-specific products that fit your openings correctly, seal properly against Florida's weather, and don't require cutting, shimming, or retrofitting your walls to make them work.

Why Mobile Home Doors and Windows Are Different

Manufactured homes are built to HUD code, not the International Residential Code (IRC) that governs site-built construction. The wall thickness, framing method, and mounting systems are different. A typical mobile home wall is 2x4 framed (3.5 inches deep) compared to the 2x6 framing (5.5 inches deep) common in newer site-built homes. This affects the jamb depth of doors and the frame depth of windows. A window or door designed for a site-built wall simply won't seat correctly in a manufactured home wall.

Mobile home exterior doors commonly come in 32-inch and 34-inch widths, compared to the 36-inch standard in conventional construction. Some newer manufactured homes do use 36-inch or 38-inch doors, but older homes almost always have narrower openings. The hinge placement, lockset height, and threshold style also differ. Interior doors in mobile homes are typically thinner and lighter than their site-built equivalents, with different hinge spacing.

Windows in manufactured homes use a flush-mount or nail-flange system that attaches to the exterior wall surface. Standard site-built windows are designed for a different installation method and won't mount correctly without modification. Mobile home windows also come in sizes that don't match conventional dimensions. Common manufactured home window sizes include 30x60, 36x54, and 36x60 inches, but many homes (especially older models) have non-standard openings that require precise measurement.

When Doors Need Replacing

A mobile home exterior door takes more abuse than almost any other component of the home. It's opened and closed thousands of times a year, exposed to Florida's sun, rain, and humidity on one side, and air-conditioned interior air on the other. Over time, the combination of use, weather, UV exposure, and the home settling on its foundation takes a toll.

The most common issue is the door no longer fitting squarely in its frame. As the home settles or shifts on its foundation, the door opening can go slightly out of square. The door starts to stick, drag on the threshold, or fail to latch. Many homeowners assume the door itself is the problem, but in some cases, the real issue is the home's level. If multiple doors and windows are sticking simultaneously, it's worth having the home checked for leveling before replacing individual components.

Beyond alignment, exterior doors deteriorate from weather exposure. The bottom edge is especially vulnerable, absorbing moisture from rain splash and dew. Metal doors can corrode at the base. Fibreglass and composite doors hold up better but still degrade at seals and weatherstripping over time. A door that's drafty, doesn't seal against rain, or has visible damage at the base is costing you energy and compromising security.

Interior doors in mobile homes are often hollow-core and lightweight. They're prone to damage from everyday use, and the thinner material doesn't hold up to the same wear as a site-built interior door. Replacing a damaged interior door is straightforward as long as the replacement is sourced in the correct size and hinge configuration for a manufactured home.

When Windows Need Replacing

Mobile home windows degrade in ways that are partly visible and partly hidden. The visible signs are obvious: cracked or foggy glass, frames that are warped or corroded, hardware that's broken or seized, or screens that are torn. The hidden signs show up on your energy bill and in your comfort. Older single-pane windows and jalousie windows (the louvred glass slat design common in pre-1976 mobile homes) are extremely inefficient. They let heat in during summer and conditioned air out year-round.

Drafts around window frames are another common complaint. Over time, the putty tape and sealant that seals the window to the wall deteriorates, creating gaps that let air, moisture, and insects in. In Florida, where air conditioning runs heavily for much of the year, every gap in the window seal is money leaving the home.

Condensation between the panes of a double-pane window means the seal between the glass layers has failed. The insulating gas between the panes has escaped, and the window's thermal performance has dropped significantly. Once the seal fails, the window needs replacing; it can't be resealed.

Water staining on the wall or floor below a window indicates that the window seal or the flashing around the frame is allowing rain penetration. This is more than a window issue. Water running down from a failed window seal can reach the subfloor at the base of the wall and cause the same kind of moisture damage that a plumbing leak causes. If you've found soft spots near a window, the window's seal may be the source.

The Measurement Problem

The single biggest mistake homeowners make when replacing mobile home doors or windows is ordering the wrong size. It happens constantly, and it usually happens because they measured the visible opening from inside the home rather than measuring the actual frame dimensions the way a manufactured home product requires.

Mobile home windows are measured from the outside, across the full width and height of the window frame, excluding the nail flange. Interior measurements, frame-to-frame inside dimensions, and rough opening measurements used for site-built windows don't translate to mobile home ordering. A window that's even a quarter inch off won't fit correctly, won't seal, and will either need to be returned or shimmed into place with compromised weatherproofing.

Doors have the same issue. The door unit (slab plus frame plus threshold) needs to match the rough opening precisely. Mobile home door frames are built to specific dimensions that don't align with standard home improvement store products. This is why ordering from a manufactured home supplier, or having someone who works with mobile homes handle the measurement and sourcing, prevents costly mistakes.

What We Handle

Our door and window work covers the full scope of what a manufactured home typically needs:

Exterior door replacement: removing the old door unit (frame, slab, and threshold), fitting and installing the new manufactured-home-specific door, sealing and weatherstripping the unit, and ensuring proper operation and lockset function.

Interior door replacement: replacing damaged or non-functional interior doors with correctly sized manufactured home doors, including hinge alignment and hardware.

Window replacement: removing old windows, installing new manufactured-home-specific replacement windows, sealing with putty tape and silicone, and verifying proper operation and weathertightness.

Storm damage repair: replacing doors or windows damaged by storm events, including any related wall or frame damage around the opening.

Upgrading from jalousie or single-pane windows: replacing outdated, inefficient window types with modern double-pane vinyl or aluminium windows that seal properly and reduce energy costs.

Doors, Windows, and Your Home's Foundation

This is something most door and window companies won't tell you, because they only see the door or window, not what's underneath the home. If your doors and windows suddenly start sticking, binding, or refusing to latch, the problem might not be the door or window at all. It might be the foundation.

When a mobile home settles unevenly, the rigid steel frame tilts. Every door and window opening in the home shifts with it. The openings go out of square, and suddenly hardware that worked fine for years stops functioning. Replacing the door in this situation fixes the symptom temporarily, but if the home continues to settle, the new door will start sticking too.

We check for this during every door and window job. If the opening is out of square and the cause appears to be the home's level rather than the door or window itself, we'll let you know before you spend money on a replacement that won't solve the underlying issue. In those cases, leveling the home first and then assessing the door or window afterward is the right sequence.

Ready to Replace a Door or Window?

Whether you've got an exterior door that's seen better days, windows that are drafty and fogged, or storm damage that needs addressing, give us a call. We'll take the measurements, source the correct manufactured-home-specific product, and handle the installation so it fits right, seals properly, and lasts.