How To

How to Install Skirting for a Mobile Home

Contributor
By Kendra Dahlstrom
eHow Contributing Writer
(7 Ratings)

Mobile home skirting serves many purposes: rodent and weather protection, insulation, and aesthetic appeal. The skirting is the material that surrounds the bottom of the trailer and touches the ground. If you find yourself in need of replacing or installing skirting on your mobile home, look no further. You can complete the job yourself. There is no need to hire an outside contractor. This guide was designed to show mobile home owners how to install mobile home skirting by themselves.

Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • 3-1/2 inch galvanized screws
  • rubber washers
  • J-Channel
  • Wood stakes
  • Pressure treated 2X4's
  • Self tapping screws
  • corner channel
  • vents
  • Drill
  • Steel Ribbed Sheets
  1. Step 1

    Measure 4 inches above the bottom of the mobile home. Screw the J-channel along this straight line. You can use the bottom trim as your guide. Go all the way around your mobile home. This will be the top track of the skirting.

  2. Step 2

    Hang a plumb-bob from one of the corners of the mobile home. Pound a piece of rebar in the ground where the weight hangs. Repeat this step for each corner of the mobile home.

  3. Step 3

    Tie string around one of the pieces of rebar. Walk around the trailer, making sure the string goes around each piece of rebar at every corner. Pull the string tight. The string marks where the bottom track will lie.

  4. Step 4

    Lay your treated lumber all around the perimeter of the mobile home. Make sure the lumber sits on it's edge directly behind the string line. Every 5 feet, pound in wooden stakes behind the 2X4's.

  5. Step 5

    Lift the lumber with a partner about an inch off the ground. Secure the 2X4's to the stakes with the galvanized screws. Make sure not to screw too tightly.

  6. Step 6

    Measure the distance between the bottom of the 2X4 and the top track every 3 feet. Elevations can change quickly, so you will need to measure often. Cut the ribbed steel to fit these measurements and screw to the outside of the lumber. Also, make sure to add 1 self tapping screw to the middle of each seam. Once you get to a corner, add the corner channel for a more pleasing appearance.

  7. Step 7

    Decide how many air vents your skirting will need. For every 150 square feet of floor, you will need 1 square foot of air vent in the skirting. Once you have determined how much venting you need, cut your determined amount of 1 foot squares around the skirting. Screw your vents over the holes.

Tips & Warnings
  • If you live in an area with cold winters and warm summers, pea rock makes great filler underneath the skirting. It keeps rodents away while still allowing some give if the ground shifts.
  • Siding does not need to be removed before installing the top track. If you have hardboard trim, however, you should take it off before screwing the J-channel to the home.

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