How to Skirt a House

Most house skirting comes in kit form with installation instructions and all the required pieces. Use manufacturer's instructions for the best use of material and to avoid mistakes.

1. Get the ground under the mobile home ready. Pull out any grass and weeds from around the perimeter of the house. Level out any humps or holes with the ground around them using the shovel. Place the sheeting under the house to prevent the buildup of humidity after adding skirting to the house.

2. Place the baseboards under the edge of the mobile home. Lay out the boards around the perimeter of the house. Use the plumb bob to center the baseboards by hanging it from the house to find the center of the baseboards. Cut four stakes from the baseboard material to create stakes for the house corners. Set one stake at each corner to prevent the skirting from being moved.

3. Place the ground rail material around the baseboards. Keep the front edge of the material even with the outer edge of the baseboards. Form the corners in the material according to manufacturer's instructions. Use the tin snips to cut the material. Use the ground spikes to attach the baseboards and ground rails to the ground. Set the spikes in the holes of the ground rails. Hammer these firmly into the ground.

4. Set the top trim in place around the house. Use the measuring tape to find the height of the skirting from the bottom of the mobile home to the baseboards at each corner of the mobile home. Mark the height needed on paper for both sides of each corner; they will most likely not be the same for each corner. Drill screws into the trim, according to the manufacturer's instructions, to attach the top trim.

5. Set the chalk line at one corner and extend it down the side of the house. Snap a line on the ground to give you a good guide to follow for the skirting. Do this for all four sides. This will help keep the skirting lined up.

6. Use the saw to cut the skirting to length. Make sure the saw has the fine tooth blade set on backward so you get an even, clean cut. Use the proper weather marks on the top trim depending on the temperature. Cut the length shorter for cold weather installation and longer for warm weather installation; this allows for expansion and contraction of the skirting.

7. Stand up the first piece of skirting at one corner. Use the edges on the skirting panels to lace the skirting together from the starting point. Cut and set the skirting one section at a time until you have worked around the entire mobile home.

8. Snap the trim front into place along the top trim. Overlap the trim front 1 inch at the ends. These do not need further fastening.

Check out this related video from Homesteady on Youtube.