Water Running under mobile home...

[dsimms]

My mobile is not up on a hill, but rather at the bottom of the hill, guess
who catches all the water? Water has been draining up under my mobile home, so yesterday, I had someone come out with a backhoe, and bobcat...they fixed the ditch that was draining water right up under the home; He extended the ditch straight past the home, so at least 90% of the water will drain that way, not an issue, he also placed dirt next to the mobile at an angle/slope so rain water would backwash back into the yard, rather then under the mobile.

Problem: what he did not do is protect the skirting when he put dirt around the mobile; It rained last night, now you can tell the dirt/mud is now weighing on the skirting, now I have to dig up all the dirt that he placed around the skirting before the dirt/mud caves the skirting...

Question: Is there anything made that I can place along side the skirting, then put dirt down so that it does not cave in the skirt? i was thinking bout ply-wood, but overtime that will surely rot out, and then I would be back where I started again...

Thanks for your help.

[Greg]

Hi & welcome. Once again metal pole barn steel siding to the rescue. I personally feel that it is one of the best skirting materials made. See "a better skirting idea" in the articles section of the site.

Greg

[Mark440]

I had the same problem...and when that skirting finally caves - you will have one big mess to clean up. Not only is the skirting ruined...but there is the tendency for the cave-in to occur while it is pouring rain. End result is a mud slide under your house. (In my case, the water also took out support piers.)

I'm with Greg on the steel skirting. I've completely replaced one side and am fixing to do another.

FWIW - you can either order the metal pre-painted or buy it off-the-shelf bare and paint it to whatever you want. Use vinegar to 'etch' the surface, then apply primer and paint. Don't scrimp on the primer!!! XIM from Sherwin-Williams is absolutely incredible stuff!

[Greg S]

Your other option if you do not want to replace your skirting is to dig a trench along the side the water comes from, throw down a length of Big O (perforated drainage pipe) and direct it into the ditch they dug. Place landscape material over the pipe to keep out dirt and fill the trench to ground level with pea gravel. No water will be able to get under your home with this in place assuming you have the slope to drain the Big O into the trench or otherwise away from under the home.