Buying and installing mobile home skirting is an absolute necessity for a manufactured home. However, there is so much to know about buying mobile home skirting. How much skirting do I need? What kind of skirting is best for my home? Isn’t vinyl skirting always the best choice? Why should I consider faux rock skirting? To make an informed decision, we’ve put together ten important questions about mobile home skirting to help you make the best choice.
Related: 14 of our best mobile home exterior makeover ideas.
Besides making your home look complete, skirting offers protection for the plumbing to keep the pipes from freezing. It prevents unwanted animals from making the space underneath their home and can even give you a place for storage under porches and decks. In short, you need skirting for your manufactured or mobile home.
First, you need to calculate the linear footage of the mobile home. It may sound complicated, but it isn’t. Calculating the linear footage means merely adding together the length and width of all the sides of your mobile home. This will include all additions, decks, and porches on the mobile home (that skirting is to be installed on). The total amount will be the amount of boarding, channeling, and footing for the skirting to attach to or if it’s vinyl siding, the back, top and ground tracks.
Next, you need to figure out the height, or how much skirting it will take from the bottom edge of the home to the ground. This isn’t complicated either. You’ll merely measure the height of the four corners of your home, adding about 2″ for the bottom of the siding to attach to the bottom edge of the home. Next, go to the middle of the length of the home (the long sides) and measure that height. You’ll do this on both the front and backside of the home. Finally, you will add all those measurements together and then divide by 6, the number of times you took the measurements. That’s going to be your average height in inches. With these two measurements, you now know the amount of skirting you will need to buy.
There are many types of mobile home skirting. We have put together a list of the most popular:
One of the most significant factors, of course, is cost. You want to be sure that you keep the price of the mobile home skirting within your budget. But, another factor in deciding on a type of skirting is the climate where your mobile home is located. If you have super cold winters, you are going to want something that offers excellent insulation. If you are in a warmer climate, then you may want to just invest in a simple vinyl skirting. Also, is your home set-up permanently? If so you may want to consider concrete, brick or cinder block skirting.
Once you have decided the type of mobile home skirting you are going to go with its time to shop. Make sure you comparison shop for the best deal. Specialty stores such as Mobile Home Parts Store(affiliate link) may offer a better discount then a larger chain home improvement store. Just like with any purchase you want to be sure you get the best deal.
There is a lot to be said for vinyl skirting. The cost is very affordable, it is easy to install, and it makes an attractive looking home. However, there are also some reasons that vinyl skirting may not be the best choice. It is not as sturdy as some other choices when it comes to high winds and storms. Also, if you weed eat around the home, it is difficult to keep the string from damaging the skirting.
Reil rock or Faux rock mobile home skirting can offer excellent protection from the weather. Also its available in a variety of looks which makes it easier to match it to your home’s colors. They are a bit more expensive then regular vinyl skirting but cheaper than real stone and requires much less work to install.
It’s a common misconception that the type of mobile home skirting you use around your home determines whether it is permanently installed on your property or not. The truth is that the way it is anchored or tied down and if the axles of the home are removed is what determines if it is there to stay or not.
Related: The Ultimate Manufactured Home Installation And Setup Guide.
There are some other options available to use as mobile home skirting different then what we have already discussed. You can use metal roofing, corrugated fiberglass, even railroad ties as a type of mobile home skirting. The primary objective of any mobile home skirting is to make sure that it creates a barrier from weather, animals and is secure around the whole exterior of the home.
This could be a DIY project if you are up to the task. Making sure you have the proper tools for the job and having a helper that can help you place the panels is very important. Keep in mind that if you are working with brick, concrete or cinder block, you may want to consult a professional to be sure that everything goes seamlessly. Also, keep in mind that you will need mobile home vents in the skirting as well as an access panel to be able to access the home if you need to.
We hope that answering these questions about mobile home skirting will help you to make an informed decision regarding which mobile home skirting is right for your home. Have more questions? Comment below, and we will try and get answers for you.
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