How to Shade a Mobile Home

There are better ways to keep your mobile home shaded and cool without raising your utility bills.

1. Add curtains to your windows. The most common way to provide shade in your mobile home is with the use of curtains. If the curtains you currently have up are not providing adequate shade, purchase curtains made from thicker material or ones that are of a darker color. Blinds can be added to your windows to provide more protection from the sun.

2. Purchase retractable shades. Retractable shades allow you to control when you want to let sun in and when you want shade. They are weather-resistant and will last for years. For a cheaper solution, install non adjustable shades.

3. Plant trees to provide shade. Choose trees that lose their leaves in the fall to cut both cooling cost in the summer and heating costs in the winter. Plant a tree so that it will shade the east and west windows of your house. As the tree grows, it will provide shade for your roof as well.

4. Use vines to shade windows. Grow vines on a trellises in front of your window or have them grow up the side of your home. This is a quick way to provide shade to your mobile home using landscaping methods.

5. Purchase shrubs to plant along the sides of your mobile home. Shrubs are typically fast growing and will fill in within a few years, making them a faster choice than trees for shading. Shrubs will also act as windbreakers, helping to slow the speed of heavy wind.