The skirting on mobile homes/manufactured homes performs a number of critical functions, and that’s why you should keep it in good repair.
Your mobile home skirting hides the not-so-attractive lower structural elements protects water lines from freezing temperatures provides a barrier against animals and pests and keeps the heat both in and out. The skirt on your Tucson mobile home also adds a nice finished look and saves you money on utility bills. It’s not an afterthought or a nice optional addition—it’s a necessity. Because regular maintenance, then, is so important for this essential part of your mobile home’s exterior, let’s take a look at to fix your mobile home skirt.
When to Repair/Replace Skirting on Manufactured Homes
The first step is to determine whether and when to fix (or even replace) your Tucson, AZ, mobile home skirt. And this, of course, begins with a careful examination of the skirting.
The time to inspect manufactured homes’ skirting is after an event or season when damage is most likely to occur. Some of the typical inspection times would be after a severe storm and after a particularly harsh winter or brutal summer.
Some of the signs that indicate repair is in order are:
- Peeling/cracking paint
- Dents and/or scratches
- Cracks and holes
- Loose or warped panels
- Missing parts or panels
- Stains indicative of water damage
- Musty odor
In addition, you should keep a close eye on your utility bills. If your mobile home skirt isn’t up to snuff and so is allowing too much air in or out, it will cost more to heat and cool your home.
Determine Your Type of Mobile Home Skirting
The next step involves determining exactly what kind of skirting you have in order to know how to make the needed repairs. Maintenance and repair methods will need to be adapted to the particular type of skirting material.
Common types of skirting include:
- Vinyl – Probably the most common because most affordable, but typically less durable than others
- Metal – Usually aluminum and more durable, but susceptible to dents and scratches
- Brick/concrete – The most durable option, but more difficult to repair
- Wood – Not as common as the others and requiring more maintenance
Steps to Fix Mobile Home Skirt
Once you’ve determined the skirt material, you’ll be able to know precisely what materials you’ll need and the strategy to adopt to perform the repairs. But regardless of the material and repair method, there are some common steps to be taken . . .
Inspection
As we mentioned earlier, the first order of business in fixing your mobile home skirt is to inspect it for damage. And if possible, you should inspect it from both the outside and the inside, from under the home.
Cleaning
The nest step before the actual repairs commence is to clean the skirt. Cleaning will not only make repairs easier and more effective, but will also remove anything (such as leaves and other debris) that can trap moisture under manufactured homes.
Filling Cracks and Holes
Cracks and holes in skirting, especially in vinyl skirting, are the most common problems that demand repair. There are several ways you can tackle this problem, but one of the easiest and most efficient is with the use of weather-resistant tape. (Read on for more on this.)
Replacement
It may turn out that a simple repair won’t do the trick if larger sections of the skirting are damaged or in bad shape. The best solution here is to replace the damaged panel or panels.
Here’s something to consider, though, in this case. Major skirt replacement can run into several hundred or even a few thousands of dollars. It might be a good idea, then, to take some time to consider whether you’d be better off money-wise selling to a reputable Tucson mobile home buyer. (The best of these can even help you sell your Tucson mobile home fast if that’s what you need.)
How to Repair a Hole in Your Tucson Mobile Home Skirt
Vinyl skirting is the most common on mobile homes, and the most common repair is fixing holes caused by string trimmers and rocks thrown by lawn mowers. That’s why we now want to take a closer look at the steps involved in repairing these holes with weather-resistant tape.
1. Check the Weather
You certainly don’t want to try to fix your mobile home skirt when it’s raining – the tape won’t stick. But you should also avoid doing it during very hot or very cold weather, either of which will also decrease the tape’s adhesive qualities. So check the weather forecast and plan to do this job on a suitable day.
2. Prep the Area
Next, you should prep the area around the hole by cleaning it thoroughly, removing anything that might cause the tape not to stick. Most experts advise not only cleaning the dirt off with a rage, but also using a quality grease cleaner on the area. If there’s any tar on the damaged area of the skirt (which often occurs as an unintended result of roof repairs), a mixture of three parts baking soda to one part water will help get it off.
3. Apply the Tape
Now, it’s time to get to the actual repair . . .
- Measure the hole, both length and width.
- Using scissors, cut an appropriate-sized piece of weather-resistant tape—that is slightly larger than the hole.
- Peel the backing off the tape and apply it over the hole, making sure enough of the tape extends beyond the hole all around so that it adheres well.
- Press the edges of the tape down firmly with your fingers.
And if you have to use more than one piece of tape to cover a larger hole, be sure to work from the bottom up and overlap each successively higher piece of tape over the top edge of the one below. You want to achieve an effect like you see in shingles on the roof to keep water out.
Don’t Forget Ventilation
It may seem counter-intuitive, but you seal up the skirting too tightly. Yes, you need to keep the cold and critters out, but it also has to breathe. Without some venting, moisture can build up under your home, which often leads to mold and mildew.
Moisture rises from the ground, so if your skirt isn’t properly vented and/or can’t breathe, you’ll have a petri dish growing under your mobile, even a Tucson mobile home where the climate is pretty dry. Industry experts recommend about one foot of venting for every 150-250 square feet of floor space.
A Better Alternative?
So there you have it: how to fix your mobile home skirt. But before jumping into a major repair project, ask yourself this critical question: Is it really worth it? That is, you need to determine whether the value of your mobile home actually justifies all the time, effort, and money you’ll have to sink in the repair job.
If the answer is “No,” there’s a better alternative.
That better alternative is to sell your mobile home to a premier mobile home buyer in Tucson – one that guarantees a fair offer, allows you to choose the closing date, and pays the costs involved in selling. And if you want to sell our Tucson mobile home fast, this just may be the best alternative.
To discover more about how to easily sell your manufactured home – and for cash – just call 520-413-1314 or fill out the easy form below.