You’re walking up to your home and there it is—that ugly, gaping void between the bottom of the house and the gravel. It’s like wearing a tuxedo with flip-flops. Honestly, it’s the first thing people notice, and if you're living in a manufactured home, you've probably realized that your choice of skirting is basically the curb appeal "make or break" moment. While most folks run straight for the cheap vinyl stuff at the big-box hardware stores, there's a reason a lot of us keep coming back to wood skirting for mobile homes.
It just feels more real. Solid.
But look, I’m not going to sit here and tell you it’s a walk in the park. If you treat wood skirting like a "set it and forget it" project, you’re going to be replacing rotten boards in three years. I've seen it happen a hundred times. Wood is organic. It breathes, it swells, it shrinks, and bugs think it’s a buffet. Yet, when you handle the installation with some actual foresight, it offers a level of customization and structural "heft" that plastic just can’t touch.
The Reality of Choosing Wood Skirting for Mobile Homes
Most people choose wood because they want their mobile home to look like a "stick-built" house. That’s the goal, right? You want that seamless transition from the siding to the ground. Vinyl looks like plastic because it is plastic. It rattles when the wind kicks up. It cracks if a stray rock hits it during mowing. Wood? It’s tough.
But you have to consider the "ground contact" factor. This is where most DIYers mess up. You cannot just grab some interior-grade plywood or standard pine 2x4s and call it a day. You need Pressure Treated (PT) lumber, specifically rated for ground contact (UC4A or higher). According to the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA), using the wrong grade of treated wood in contact with soil is the number one cause of premature failure in outdoor structures. If those boards are sitting in the dirt, they need to be chemically beefed up to resist fungal decay and termites.
Cedar and Redwood: The High-End Alternative
If you have the budget, cedar is the gold standard. It has natural oils that repel bugs. It smells great. It looks incredible with a transparent stain. However, it’s expensive. Like, "maybe I should have just bought a brick foundation" expensive. Most homeowners end up going with T1-11 siding. It’s a plywood product with vertical grooves that mimic the look of individual planks. It’s relatively affordable, easy to cut, and takes paint like a dream.
Ventilation is the Secret Sauce
Here is the thing nobody tells you until your floor joists start sagging: your house needs to breathe. If you seal up that crawlspace airtight with wood skirting for mobile homes, you are creating a literal swamp under your feet.
Moisture rises from the ground. It hits the bottom of your floor, condenses, and stays there.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) actually has specific rules for this. Generally, you need one square foot of free vent area for every 150 square feet of floor area. If you’re in a humid spot like Louisiana or Florida, you might even want more. I always tell people to stagger their vents. Don't just put them all on one side. You want cross-ventilation. You want the air to actually move from one end of the home to the other.
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- Use galvanized hardware cloth (mesh) behind your vents.
- It keeps the raccoons out.
- Trust me, you do not want a family of raccoons nesting in your insulation.
- It gets loud. And smelly.
The Maintenance Debt
Let’s be real for a second. Wood is a commitment. It’s like owning a boat or a high-maintenance dog. You’re going to be staining or painting this stuff every 3 to 5 years. If you live in a place with heavy snow, that moisture is going to sit against the wood for months.
You have to check the "kickplate." That’s the bottom-most board. It’s the one that takes the most abuse from weed whackers and rain splash-back. I usually recommend installing a sacrificial pressure-treated board at the very bottom, separate from the main panels. That way, when it eventually rots—and it might—you just swap out one board instead of the whole skirting section.
Termites and the 6-Inch Rule
In the South, termites are basically the neighborhood welcoming committee. They love wood. Even treated wood can sometimes be a bridge for them to get to your main structure.
Expert installers, like those often cited in Family Handyman or professional mobile home renovation circles, suggest leaving a small "termite inspection gap" or ensuring that the wood doesn't directly touch the rim joist of the home without a flashing barrier. Ideally, you want to see what’s going on. If you see mud tubes, you have a problem.
Also, keep your landscaping back. Don't pile mulch up against your wood skirting. You're just building a highway for pests. Keep a 6-to-12-inch "dead zone" of gravel or river rock between your skirting and your garden beds. It looks cleaner anyway.
Cost vs. Value
Let’s talk numbers, but keep in mind these fluctuate wildly based on where you live.
To skirt a standard single-wide (roughly 14x70), you’re looking at:
- Vinyl: $600 to $1,200.
- T1-11 Wood: $1,500 to $2,500.
- Cedar or Premium Hardwoods: $4,000+.
Is it worth the extra $1,000? If you’re planning on staying in the home for more than five years, usually yes. It adds actual value to the property. It feels more "permanent." When a bank appraiser comes by, a well-executed wood skirting job looks a whole lot more like a "real" foundation than flimsy plastic panels that are bowing in the sun.
Framing it Out
You can't just nail boards to the side of the house and hope they stay vertical. You need a frame.
Usually, this involves a "top rail" attached to the home's perimeter and a "bottom plate" secured to the ground with rebar stakes or treated 2x4 stakes. You basically build a mini-stud wall. Space your studs every 16 or 24 inches. This gives the wood panels enough support so they don't warp or "cup" over time.
If you're in a frost-heave zone (looking at you, Minnesota), you have to be careful. The ground moves. If you anchor your skirting too rigidly to both the ground and the home, the ground will push the skirting up and buckle it when it freezes. You need a "slip joint" or a bit of play in the attachment points to allow for that seasonal movement.
Why Some People Hate Wood
It’s not all sunshine and cedar smells. Some people despise wood skirting because of the "cumbrous" nature of it. It’s heavy. It’s harder to remove if you need to get under the house to fix a leaky pipe.
If you do go with wood, make sure you build in at least two access doors. Big ones. Not little tiny crawl holes. Make them large enough that a plumber with a tool chest can actually get through without losing their mind. Use heavy-duty outdoor hinges and a latch that won't rust shut.
The Myth of "Pest-Proof" Wood
People think "treated" means "invincible." It doesn't.
Chemicals like Alkaline Copper Quat (ACQ) make wood less tasty to bugs and fungi, but over time, those chemicals leach out. You still need to seal the wood. A high-quality oil-based stain is usually better than paint because it doesn't peel. When paint peels on skirting, it looks terrible. When stain fades, it just looks "weathered." There’s a big difference in the vibe.
Actionable Steps for Your Skirting Project
If you’re ready to pull the trigger on wood skirting, don’t just wing it.
Start by measuring the "average" height from the ground to the base of your home. If your lot is sloped, this is vital. You’ll need to "scribe" the bottom boards to match the contour of the land.
Step 1: Calculate your linear footage. For a 14x70 home, that’s 14+14+70+70 = 168 feet.
Step 2: Buy your pressure-treated 2x4s for the framing. Use the "ground contact" stuff for the bottom plate and "above ground" rated stuff for the vertical studs.
Step 3: Choose your face material. If you're using T1-11, remember it comes in 4x8 sheets. You'll be cutting those down, usually into thirds or halves depending on your home's height.
Step 4: Treat your cut ends. This is the "pro" move. When you saw a piece of pressure-treated wood, you’re exposing the untreated interior. Get a little can of wood preservative (like copper naphthenate) and brush it on every single cut you make.
Step 5: Install a vapor barrier on the ground before you put the skirting on. Six-mil black plastic sheeting. It keeps the moisture in the dirt, not in your wood.
Wood skirting for mobile homes isn't the "easy" way out. It's the "I care about how this looks" way out. It requires a bit of carpentry, a bit of sweat, and a commitment to maintenance. But when you stand back and look at a home that looks like it’s actually rooted in the earth rather than just parked on top of it, the effort pays off.
Keep your vents clear, keep your stain fresh, and keep an eye on those termites. Do those three things, and your skirting will probably outlast the roof.
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Next Steps for Implementation:
- Check Local Codes: Before buying lumber, call your local building department or park manager. Some parks have specific rules about what materials you can use.
- Order a Vapor Barrier: Get enough 6-mil polyethylene plastic to cover the entire footprint under your home. This is the single most important thing you can do to prevent rot from the inside out.
- Rent a Miter Saw: If you don't own one, rent a 12-inch sliding miter saw for the weekend. It makes the hundreds of framing cuts significantly faster and more accurate than a circular saw.