mobilehomerepair.com

Hi. I'm now the owner of a 1997 Clayton repo mobile home with some issues unknown before purchasing.
The home I bought had the underpinning strip nailed about 5 or 6 inches up on the vertical siding. Over the years, I think this is the reason the band board rotted out in so many places from the water and ice getting behind the siding.
Where do you anchor the vinyl starting strip to underpin a mobile home? Doesn't it go below the vertical metal siding or does it attach to the metal horizontal strip around the bottom of the mobile home?
I've taken the underpinning all off so the water and ice melt can drain from behind the siding and caulked the nail holes in the siding.

Hi & welcome. 5-6 " sounds a little high to me, you may want to check to see if there is a reason that it was attached there. Make sure that there is something solid lower to attach to.
I would reccomend Mark's (site owner) book on mobile home repair, written for the DYI people. It covers about any type of repair you may have. Greg

Hi

Mine is secured to the rim joist aka band board.

I had to replace the back side of rim joist due to rot.

Harry

I will almost always install the skirting to that 4"-5" trim. I install it 1/4" below the top bend of that aluminum trim piece. This way I can keep my skirting trim straight, when sometimes the horizontal aluminum trim is not. By installing the vinyl top trim over the bottom siding trim, you won't end up with two pieces of mis-matched horizontal trim running side by each at the bottom of the siding. Also, by installing the skirting here, you are usually about 3" from the bottom of the door. This will allow you to build a landing or deck with an extended lip to eliminate the gap between the deck and the door (where the keys like to drop to).

JMO
JD

Thanks for your replies. The only reason the underpinning was up so high was because the home owner installed it himself and maybe he didn't know what he was doing. Is this the reason the band board rotted? I have seen a few other homes in the park that are underpinned the same way.

JD, thanks for posting the picture. I can see where it should have been installed.
Harry, is that the reason your band board rotted too?

Hello,

I've seen this problem many times and 99% of the time it is on homes with metal or wood/t-111 type siding. There is nothing to stop the water from getting behind the top track backer plate and weeping into the nail holes. This is usually not as much of an issue with vinyl sided homes as you can tuck the top track under the projection on a course of the siding.

On a home with metal siding you can back out the lower screws on the vertical siding. Using a brake, bend some z flashing and tuck it under the siding and re-install the screws. This will give you a drip cap, much like some people use on ledger boards for decks. (for site built homes) This will work and look much better than silicone, as I've seen some people do. I'll post an image of z flashing below.

Here is the HUD code on skirting installation on a Manufactured Home.

[Skirting (Section 3285. 504)

If used, skirting must be of weather-resistant materials and must not allow water to be trapped between the siding and the trim. It must also be attached in a manner that would not impede contraction and expansion of the home’s exterior.

Since this code change (2007 I believe) some companies have come out with installation clips. Again post an image below.

Personally I don't like the clips. A pain to install and the I don't believe the install is as secure.

Hi,

Personally I think you need to address the rotting sill plate (band board) before you continue with installation of skirting. The sill plate is an integral part of the structure of your home.

Yanita

Yanita is certainly correct, repair any damage first. I thought it would go without saying but I re-read your post and caulking the holes is probably not enough.

I hope for your sake its just the rim joist AKA band board. If its also in the sill than you will have it in the floor decking and possibly the bottom of the wall studs as your sill plate sits on top of the floor decking and your studs on top of that. This could be possible considering your skirting was nailed so high. Hope not.

Good Luck
Rod

Yes, we are checking and repairing the rest of the band board and the floor joists...not just caulking the nail holes.
Most of the floor rotted out in the laundry room and we found the rotted band board when we took up the floor to replace it.
The kitchen has some rotten and weak spots that we have to repair also. At the time, we thought the floors were damaged due to water leaks inside the home itself.
I have a feeling we are going to find more problems than anticipated.

Please take some time to look at the posts concerning replacing the subflooring. Greg