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Manufactured Home Exterior Transitions 01: Skirting | TMH 012


In this post I am going to talk about Skirting on manufactured homes (MH). This is the first part of a three part series to be followed by Steps and then Decking, and will primarily focus on aesthetics and appropriate and germane materials.


MH Skirting serves a few key function: It prevents wild animals from taking up residence below the MH, in certain parts of the country in can help to insulate the mobile home, it can provide a storage space, it hides the structure of the MH, and it may be required by law. It does not in any way classify a MH as a permanently installed home - that has to do with the way in which a MH is anchored or if its axles have been removed.

MH skirting comes in Vinyl (and other plastics and resins), wood, metal, and other unconventional materials not sold as skirting per-se. There are three consideration when choosing skirting:

1. Budget

2. Insulation needs

3. Aesthetics

Consideration 1.) and 2.) from above are choices that will be entirely dependent on the personal circumstances at the given time, so I’m going to talk about aesthetics here.

The primary aesthetics consideration when it comes to skirting is what is the existing siding on the MH? If the existing siding can be matched, by all means it should be carried down to the skirting. If it can’t be matched, it is time to introduce a new language. A transition from lap siding to a different lap siding, or to board and batten siding is not a considerate choice.

A new language for skirting should take the form of foundation, which skirting can be a visual stand in for. Some appropriate choices of siding to create the effect of a foundation material are:

1. Faux Brick Panels from Texture Plus. They have a nice crisp edges, and comes in a number of colors and finishes including white, and primed-ready-for-paint.

2. Faux Cinder Block Panels are also from Texture Plus. One of my personal favorites, and it comes in concrete grey, white, and primed-ready-for-paint.


3. Lava Rock, Woven Lava Rock, and Woven Quartz Wall Panels from Buy Faux Stone. This product was mentioned in my last blog post - Manufactured Homes and Germane Materials 03: Wall Covering Materials, so check it out there.


I would like to mention at this point that I have not used any of theses materials or products at this time, I cannot vouch for quality, nor am I in contact with the manufacturers, sellers or distributors.

Lastly, I want to mention a consideration when it comes to replicating the foundation of a conventional home. The foundation of a conventional home is planer with the wall that it built above it, therefore when the siding is applied to the exterior of that wall it make that wall stick out from the foundation below it. So, the skirting should not stick out as much, or more than, the siding above. Also, I don't have any problem with "faking" a masonry foundation - it comes with the MH territory, so to speak.

If you are looking for something less traditional than what is normally used for skirting, take a look at this redwood slat screen porch from The Brick House. Image that running around the bottom of your MH!

A thoughtful integration of skirting is what makes a “trailer” into a Manufactured Home...

for some further information on skirting, please see these articles:

 

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