What to use to replace skirting of Mobile home

[Freedom6178]

 



This mobile home came with the property (its in poor shape but it's a roof over our heads for now), plan on building some day but we need to replace the skirting that is falling apart and don't want to spend a lot of money. We were thinking of using plywood but not sure what type size etc.. to use cause what ever is on there now cant be the right stuff? or does anyone have any other suggestions for materials?

Once this project is done the GF wants some kind of deck/patio  :

[Chuck White]

I would use 3/8 or 1/2 inch treated plywood!

Get it down into the dirt so that it is sealed against drafts and critters!

[jdtuttle]

If the framing is still good try calling a few siding contractors for used vinyl siding. They usually throw it away. Make sure you put a couple vents in to let moisture out too.
jim

[ely]

i used metal signs to underpin my trailer. then after the fire i got to sell all of it for scrap.

[pineywoods]

Vinyl soffit material run vertical. The U channel that is used to install it on houses works well. Fasten a run to the ground with metal spikes, another run to the bottom of the trailer with roofing nails. Cut pieces to length and just snap into place.

[red oaks lumber]

pole barn steel, cut and installed vertical comes in any color.

[shinnlinger]

I'm thinking along the lines of red oaks.  You might find HD sells vinyl roof panels even less than steel in a few colors.  install it vertically and I don't even think it will look that bad.

[SPIKER]

Not sure if you have any in your area but around here we have 3 different places making garage doors, insulated steel panels that work great.   lightweight yet air tight & insulated cut them with jig saw to side and click them together vertically is what is pretty common around here.   We also use them as barn siding or partition walls in side of barns.   costs are cheap to near free at times if ya have some connections.

mark

[Freedom6178]

Thank you all for your suggestions.. Not exactly sure which way we are going to go until we tear off the old stuff.  Headed up there this weekend for the first time in 4 months. Gotta make sure the place is still standing first :D ... Will let you all know what we chose..

[Troublermaker]

You can go to Lowes or Home Depot and get skirting for house Trailers. It come 8 feet long and 16 inches wide. You cut it to the length that you need.You need a U channel that you lay on the ground heal in place with long nails. Then cut the skirting to length and screw to trailer with small screws. Or you can go to a trailer place and get a kit to fit your trailer. When I was doing that kind of work I would get the supplies from Lowes or Home Depot. That way if I ran short I could all way get what I needed.

[RPF2509]

Try corrugated fiberglass or metal roofing - comes in 2' x8' lengths.  Usually its pretty cheap and easy to cut.  Try the galvanized metal if you want a longer lasting skirt though rust will start where a cut edge contacts the ground

[Busy Beaver Lumber]

How about surrounding the trailer with 300 to 400 copies of Obama's economic recovery plan. Might as well see those printed documents go to some good use and the smell of manure they emit should help keep unwanted solicitors away :D

[beenthere]

Busy B
That aughta get this thread inta the restricted board.  ;)

[Don_Papenburg]

 Naw, busy beve  was stating facts  nothing political there.

[Freedom6178]

I actually kinda like Busy Beaver Lumber's idea... smiley_clapping

[Bibbyman]

I've had a number of trailer owners on a tight budget come look through our slab pile for under pinning.   Said they wanted the "rustic look". 

[thecfarm]

A friend of mine went the corrugated fiberglass.I think he used green. He said it let some light in and grass grew under the trailer.

[Bobus2003]

Get ahold of the railroad. If they've torn out or repaired any of its line they prolly have lots of used railroad ties and most of the time they give them away.. It what my dad used on his double wide.. Made it surprisingly warmer under the house afterwards.. and now it build hella heavy duty  :D or they can be had at Lowes or Menards for about $5-6 a tie

[Freedom6178]

 



UPDATE: Removed all of the old skirting this weekend and found that the framing wood was rotten too, that will have to be replaced as well  :-\ ... Heading back up there next weekend. Gonna make a trip to Menards in Escanaba to price some of the ideas posted.

[RPF2509]

I personally would not go the railroad ties route.  In warm weather the creosote begins to stink to high heaven and can make you sick.  A coat of paint will solve the light seepage issue with the corrugated fiberglass

[gunman63]

Sounds like  your in MI, so if your using this year round, dont forget  about  frozen pipes in the  belly, Im in MN, so we know about the  cold, I would use 1" or 2" pink or yellow styerform(sp) under  what ever u use for skirting, its well worth the cost, keeps the floor warmer,. just compare the costs of steel siding and the regular skirting  in  your area, the  steel u  can use length wise and use longer sheets, looks like u can use one sheet for  height, about 36", and  can always use it after u build for someting else, a wood shed or the like, the trailer skirting is pretty much a throw away after u use it, but u wll need to  vent it on each end, and cover the vents in the  winter.

[ksu_chainsaw]

I have used metal siding run longwise down the trailer- less seams, and there are not the small holes to fill in where the steel meets the trailer.  I dug a trench into the ground so the wind would not blow up under the siding.  To re-inforce the skirting, I used some commercial metal studs that were in the same scrap pile as the siding- recycling at its best ;D

Benefits that I saw:

1. Cheap
2. Easy to replace if it rusts out
3. No rotting of the framing.
4. Limited air movement with less seams in the siding.

Charles

[inspectorwoody]

We have the vinyl skirting on ours.

It wouldn't be so bad if they installed it different.

Our vinyl track the skirting sits in, is just held to the ground with some ground spikes.

If it isn't kept tight and snapped together well, the wind will tear it apart.

My neighbors either have the metal or the fiberglass and it has held up well.

If we stay here long enough where I have to redo the skirting, I may look at using metal or fiberglass. Vinyl is nice for some things but IMO, it has no place as skirting.

Get your self some heat tape for those pipes. You'll be glad you did. 

[Freedom6178]

   Finally making slow progress on this project  ;). Seems every time we were up there it was really cold or raining. took some much needed Vacation time had 5 days up there this last weekend it was awsome. We relaxed but also worked on this a few hours each day except Tuesday where it was on/off rain most of the day and the day we had to head home  :'( . We went with all treated lumber 1/2" ply, 4x4 runners spiked into the ground, 2x4 (turned flat) vertical at the seams. only got 4 sheets up. We are burying the boards as deep as the ground will let us by hand ALOT of big rocks and stones really hard to dig :( also hit some hard clay about 4" to 6" down. Hope to do another section this weekend. we arn't to sure how to work around the stairs but I'll do everything else till i figure a way :-\ thinking pulling it away with the truck tho not sure how to put them back. Or maybe pull em away and build that small deck she wants  :




Here is how it looks before back-filling.



Will supply pic's as we slowly progress
Mike

[jim king]

As said above be sure there are no holes in the belly board and the heat tape is good on the water pipes and leave a good size access door.

What brand is it  ?  When I was young I sold hundreds  of mobile homes.

[Larry]

Vinyl breaks/cracks the first time it gets hit with a weed eater.  I would use barn tin but that would be a hard installation.  Aluminium soffit would work well, but might be a bit pricey.  The aluminum is easy to cut with circle saw or snips and snaps together.

In any case go to a wholesaler and forget about Menards.

[Ron Scott]

Yes, don't forget the heat tape and a good access door for pipe maintenance even though you are located in the U.P.'s banana belt at Escanaba. ;)

[Freedom6178]

Just a note, we don't have a well yet and I don't plan on hooking up a water supply to it :
Jim
its a 1971 HOMETTE that's pretty much all the info we have. ;)