Metal Skirting Project

We recently had our mobile home installed and before we could get it skirted, we became overwhelmed with interior renovations. However, the insurance company and the quickly approaching winter season, were pushing us to get it done, pronto. I knew I did not want to use vinyl, due to the fact that it does not hold up very well. Vinyl also does a poor job of insulating the underside of the home and keeping out pests.

After considering cement board and plastic imitation rock, we decided to go with sheet metal. The only problem, was a lack of information and material. .

 After calling every mobile home supply company within 500 miles and getting nowhere, I started my online search. The thing that kept me from doing this first, was freight charges. Fifty sheets of the skirting is over 150 pounds,so the shipping charges were outrageous. I finally found the sheeting at Lowes, and had it shipped site to store, at no charge to me.

The next hurdle was the installation. I could not find any step by step instructions, on how to install the stuff. The sheets are extremely thin, it is so thin, that it needs a solid structure to attach too.  A site called www.dmaskirting.com gave me the initial idea, and had installation pointers but no pictures. Using this sites recommendation, I built a 2x4 frame. I initially tried to build the frame, like a frame in a house, but the houses metal support structure was preventing it.  I instead build the frame without a cap board, the individual studs were then toenailed into the bottom 2x6. The frame has 3 stud boards, for every piece of sheeting, giving it plenty of support.

I then drilled 1 inch holes into the bottom board every 5 feet and drove 2 foot pieces of rebar into the ground. This kept the frame from moving laterally. The house previously had vinyl skirting and the vinyl top track was still on the house. Once this track was removed it revealed the factory metal track. This was carefully removed to be reused once the skirting was in place.
Once the factory metal top rail was put back on, it covered up the top of the sheeting, giving it a clean look. Here is a picture of the frame attached to the bottom 2x6.











Here you can see the frame

attached to the mobile homes bottom 2x6, and the rebar driven into the ground.

  Same area from the outside

As you can see from the photos, there was a gap between the bottom of the frame and the ground. This is a desired effect and necessary to account for future settling and frost heave. The frame is free to travel up and down, without causing damage to the structure.

 I initially purchased 50 sheets from Lowes, I used approximately 40 sheets, leaving plenty of sheeting to fill the gaps. We dug a ditch around the perimeter approximately 6 inches down. The sheets were then cut wide enough to fill the space between the bottom of the frame, and the bottom of the ditch. The ditch was then backfilled on both sides. If the house does settle of heave from frost, it will only do damage to a few inches of metal, rather than the entire structure.

I still need to seal up a few holes and paint the skirting and the exterior of the house, but the end result is much more appealing than vinyl. Overall the project cost me about $900.00. The sheeting was $800.00 with tax, and the lumber and fasteners cost around $100.00. Feel free to ask me any questions by posting them in the comments, if you decide to do this yourself.