Underpinning a doublewide..Need help/suggestions

[Unclebuck257]

Does anyone have any experience with replacing the underpinning for a doublewide? Possibly that fake brick or stone kind. Where can it be bought? How hard is it to install? Any suggestions for custom underpinning, maybe the kind you make yourself? I was originally going to have it bricked up, but those plans are on hold now due to expense. The original cheap underpinning vinyl gets torn up with every wind and I'm tired if fooling with it, so I'm looking into what else I can do.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bird]

The old mobile home I bought had corrugated steel skirting that had been painted. Otherwise, all my experience has been with the vinyl skirting. By laying a "foundation" of landscape timbers, anchored with rebar, all the way around the perimeter to attach the bottom rail to, I had no problem with the vinyl, and that kept me from damaging it with a string trimmer. However, for what you're talking about, you might find this site interesting.

 

[Buckcreek]

Bird i just used a table saw and cut a groove in the landscaping tempers and used them for the track. it worked really good and saved money by not having to buy the track. i know the track isn't that expensive but ever penny helps.

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Possibly that fake brick or stone kind. Where can it be bought? How hard is it to install? )</font>

Jim, the fake rock type panels and I think also the brick type can be purchased at Lowes. I've seen it there several times. If you get that and install it like Bird said, you should have no problem. Landscape timbers on the bottom and a few vertical 2x4s is all you'll need.

I had a tennant in a mobile home park I used to own who made underpinning out of old wooden fence sections. When it was finished and painted, it looked pretty nice. I've forgotten just how he sealed between boards, but I do remember it was airtight. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bird]

Buck, I don't see why the groove in the landscape timbers wouldn't work just fine. The only thing I'd wonder about is if more water gets into the grooves, will it cause the landscape timbers to deteriorate faster? I don't know whether that would make a difference or not. In my case, I was re-doing existing vinyl skirting, so the lower track was already there and it didn't cost anything extra to use it.

 

[Phils]

Hey UncleBuck,

I used discarded/defective garage door sections. They were free and just took some cutting/fitting to make them work acceptably.

The bottoms are screwed to treated 2x6s that are anchored to the ground with rebar. The tops are screwed to the lower part of the mobile. As you can see, the horizontal panel sections are installed vertically.

I'm happy with the way it all turned out (it's probably been at least 15 years since I installed them all). The attached photo is two years old.

I can provide more details if you like.

Phil

 

[GaryM]

That looks pretty good. Almost like big concrete blocks.

 

[JJT]

I've seen folks do board and batten, looks pretty sharp, and you have a very solid skirt. Stain or paint to match or contrast the house. I priced rough cut pine a few weeks ago - $.50/board foot.

 

[Buckcreek]

Bird , I never thought about that. But i'm bad not to think to far ahead any way.LOL . I hope to have a house built befor i have to replace it , but at the rate things are going , i just dont know. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Unclebuck257]

First, let me say Thank You to those of you that have replied with suggestions to help. Believe me, I really appreciate the suggestions!!

When I had this doublewide set approx 6 years ago now, I wanted to not only have it qualify for "regular" site built homeowners insurance, but also wanted it to be as safe as possible. As a result, I had the ground dug out that was to be underneath the home to about 2 feet deep, and then had 53 piers drilled on which the frame of the house would sit. When I had those piers drilled out, they were 18 inches wide and 5 feet deep, and when I poured the concrete into them, I also then had steel put into the wet concrete. When all was dry and the home was set onto the top of thso piers, the stell was then welded to the frame of the home. At that point it qualified as a site built home for insurance reasons. Since I live right in the middle of the Barnett Shale, that means I have a lot of fractured rock on certain areas of my place and my home is right on top of one of those areas. By digging down that 2 feet initially, I basically eliminated the fractured rock from under my home and I was left with nothing but solid rock under and immediately around the edge of my home now. It is great for safety reasons, ie; the piers, welding etc, but severely limits other things such as anchoring any "normal" track for the underpinning. Basically, that's why I've been having so much trouble with this lousy, cheap, vinyl underpinning like I've been having. The bottom track can't be anchored very well in the solid rock and keeps coming up, thus allowing the underpinning to get torn apart with any wind whatsoever. I'm only mentioning this to further explain my situation and possible problems .

Bird,
Thank you for your suggestions and that site location.

jinman,
Jim, thank you for that info on Lowe's. I'll go check them out and see what I can find.

Phils,
I saw how those disgarded garage door panels looked and honestly, you did a real fine looking job.

JJT,
I'll check on the price of that rough cut pine too!

In general, my problem will still be anchoring, on the bottom, whatever I decide on to use as an underpinning material. The groove cut into the landscaping timber is a great idea, and I hadn't even considered that until y'all suggested it here. I can't use rebar because in order to get the rebar into the ground far enough to hold, I'd have to use a "puff drill" for every rebar piece. The only alternative to that I can see is to use something on the bottom heavy enough to hold, without the rebar having to hold it in place. I'm not sure those landscape timbers would be heavy enough. Possibly combined with a heavier underpinning material, like one of those already suggested, it might just work. I need to go check it out at Lowe's and see.

I REALLY appreciate each of you taking the time to reply with your suggestions as I was getting frustrated with the present situation very quickly!! I'll let you know what I find!!

 

[Unclebuck257]

Bird,

I checked out that site and even gave them a call for some additional info. Very nice folks and very willing to take all the time needed to go over various things. They'll ship anywhere from their place in Alabama too. Thanks for that info!!

jinman,

Jim, I went over to Lowe's yesterday and I think they have changed what they carry for this, from when you were in there last. At this point they only have the cheap vinyl underpinning that breaks and blows easily, or now they carry the Hardiboard panels that they say are being used more and more for underpinning. That Hardiboard is good, strong, stuff and in fact, the woodgrain Hardipanels are what the siding on the house is now. I'll check out Home Depot too, but I don't think they have much fdor this sort of thing.

I'll have to do some measuring, money figuring, talk to Momma, and go from there. Thanks again to all for the replies and the help!!

 

[BobReeves]

Think someone has already said this but if the vinyl is installed properly it will hold up to anything except a direct attack from your weed eater. I installed our skirting when we moved the house last year and this past weekend we had sustained 60 MPH winds. We are out in the open on a slight hill with nothing to slow the wind down. Not one problem with the skirting, Lost the TV antenna, a tree and curled a couple tin sheets on my shop roof but the skirting wasn't effected.

A round pin with a flat top called a "wind rod" and using all the screws that come in the kit is the key. Wind rods are an accessory that lock the skirting to the top rail. Always run at least one screw per panel into the bottom rail, I used two.

 

[Bird]

Bob, I'd never seen or heard of the wind rods; had to google that and find out how they worked. So I learned something. And of course everyone with any mobile home experience has seen what weedeaters do to vinyl skirting. The mobile home park we recently moved from found a simple solution to that problem. When they install one and install the vinyl skirting, as you know there is an inner and outer top rail, and then the track for the bottom end of the panels. Just use an outer top railing to insert into the bottom track. That makes the top and bottom look alike, and the weedeater won't damage that. And you won't need nearly as many, if any, screws either.

 

[ToadHill]

I used 1/4" cement board and it has lasted over 20 years. I put down a treated wood base with a groove in it and slid the cement board under the siding and into the groove. It was also easy to slide out a piece if I needed to get under the trailer for something.

 

[Lucky1]

I own several mobi;e home parks, the newest thing in my areas is to build a frame work and cover it with cement board. A thin coxting of cement is then applied /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gifver it, looks just like a concrete foundation.

 

[Unclebuck257]

Lucky1,

I've recently seen a couple doublewides around here apparently done like that too. Looks sharp!! Thanks for the reply!!

 

[smrobinson30]

I own several mobi;e home parks, the newest thing in my areas is to build a frame work and cover it with cement board. A thin coxting of cement is then applied /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gifver it, looks just like a concrete foundation.

Great suggestion,but what did you use for framework?

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

We have the rental next to us. It has the vinyl stuff and yep I've mess it up with the weedeater. About 3 years ago I replaced quite a few panels and need to do it again. I'm thinking of something heavier after reading this. The cement board would be nice, but I'm thinking it might be hard for me to cut. Have to ask hubby, the vinyl is real easy to cut, slip the old out, and pop the new one in. I like to keep it looking nice. Some good information, thanks.

 

[Pete Judd]

When I put in ours, I pored a full slab out to the edges, and did the skirting with cinder blocks. I then back filled around the house. I know that it was not cheap, but my inlaws have a triple wide on my property, with the plastic and every one that has weed eatered to it has torn it apart. I took pavers and went around the place 2 feet out and 8 inches up from the ground and then use round up to keep the stuff down.

Hope this helps.

 

[Kays Supply]

When we did my son's skirting, we put landscape timbers about 2' out all the way around his skirt. We then put mulch in. That way no string trimmer problem. You might be able to add a row to attach the skirting to and use the mulch some how to help as an anchor. With that much rock freeze lift probably isn't a factor, but here it is. Be sure and leave slack in the top flap for it, if it is a concern.