Mobile-Home Skirting Instructions
A mobile home doesn't look "finished" without proper skirting covering the gap between the building and the ground. Many mobile home parks require trailer skirting to be made of vinyl. Vinyl skirting is made from the same material as residential vinyl siding so it's sturdy and looks great. You can install skirting on a prefabricated home in an afternoon. Does this Spark an idea?
Attaching the Top Rail
Vinyl siding attaches to the mobile home using a rail attached to the exterior wall. Select a point to attach the inside top rail, below the bottom edge of the existing siding. Mark the point and use a chalk line and a line level to mark the attachment point around the sides of the of the home. Secure the rail using galvanized nails or screws. Vinyl expands and contracts with temperature changes so allow 1/16 of an inch gap between the head of the fastener and the wall. Leave a 1/2-inch gap between sections of rail. At corners, cut through the top locking system and bend the rail around the corner.
Preparing the Lower Connection
The siding attaches to a second rail attached below ground level. Dig a trench about two inches below grade and six to eight inches wide below the outer walls of your mobile home. Lay metal flashing or landscaping fabric into the trench to prevent weed growth. Use a plumb bob to mark the point directly below each corner of the mobile home and snap a chalk line between the points. Mount the lower rail to treated two by two lumber with galvanized fasteners if the soil has been recently excavated or spike the rail directly into the ground with six inch wire spikes every 19 inches. Cut a 45 degree notch into the vinyl rail at corners.
Skirting Installation
Skirting panels are 16 inches long and snap together as well as into the top and bottom rails. Measure from the base of the bottom rail to the inside of the J-channel of the top rail and cut each section of panel to fit. Cut vinyl with aviator shears or a circular saw with a blade installed backwards. If the ground around the building slopes, you'll need to cut the panels at an angle to fit neatly into the bottom rail. Prepare nine panels and punch tabs every four inches along the top of the panel with a tool designed for the lock system of the top rail. Lock the sections first to the bottom rail, then to each other and finally into the top rail. Bend a panel on a table to fit around a corner. Fill your trench with soil inside and out as you work. Use a commercial cover to allow crawlspace access or build a hatch. Snap the trim rail to the top rail to finish the job.
Tags: mobile home, bottom rail, around corner, chalk line, into bottom, rail attached, rail corners
