How to Skirt a Mobile Home
A mobile home is an economical way to move onto your own piece of land quickly. Prefabricated, and sometimes furnished, mobile homes come in many sizes, colors and designs. Dropped off and hooked up, your mobile home is ready to live in. After you get moved in and settled, you may want to landscape or do some cosmetic improvements to the outside of your home. Skirting is a quick, economic and relatively easy way to greatly enhance the outside of your mobile home. With only a few tools, some know-how and an afternoon, you can have a whole new look for your home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Screw gun
- Self-tapping screws
- Framing hammer
- 6-inch galvanized decking spikes
- Shovel
- 4-foot level
- Tin snips
- Vinyl J-channel
- Tape measure
- 4-foot by 2-foot vinyl vented soffit pieces
- Drill with 1/4-inch bimetal bit
Instructions
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Attach the vinyl J-channel to the underside of the bottom edge of the trailer. Use your screw gun and self-tapping screws to hold the J-channel to the bottom edge of the trailer. Set the long arm of the J-channel flush with the edge and pointing down. Run a screw through the bottom of the J-channel and up into the trailer frame. Space the screws every 18 inches.
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Slide your next piece of J-channel under the first and overlap them by 1 inch. Continue attaching them with self-tapping screws spaced 18 inches apart. Keep the long arm of the J-channel on the outside flush with the outside wall of the trailer.
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3
Use your level to determine the line of your ground J-channel. Press your level vertically to the edge of the outer wall of the trailer with the bottom of the level a fraction of an inch from the ground. Mark this spot. Continue marking your plumb spots all the way around the trailer at 5-foot intervals.
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Use your shovel to dig out your plumb line. The trench does not need to be level, only flat. If it runs downhill that will work as well. You just need to cut each vinyl soffit piece at an angle to custom-fit.
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Lay your J-channel into your trench with the long arm facing out. Overlap the pieces by 1 inch. Drill holes into the J-channel every 18 inches. Secure the J-channel to the ground with your hammer and galvanized spikes.
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Measure between your J-channels starting at one of the corners on the front of the house. Cut your soffit piece to fit between the channels. Slide the first piece into the channels. Continue cutting and inserting soffit pieces all the way around the trailer. Snap the pieces together as you insert them.
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Tips & Warnings
Take your time and measure both sides of your soffit pieces to get a quality, custom fit.
Power tools can be hazardous. Please read and follow all of the manufacturer's recommendations.
