A Comprehensive Guide to Manufactured Home Skirting

Manufactured home skirting offers both style and functionality, with prices varying based on square footage and style preferences that complement your home. This guide explores various skirting ideas and options to help you add the finishing touch to your manufactured home.

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Understanding Manufactured Home Skirting

When customizing a manufactured home, buyers can choose individualized interior and exterior elements. This includes roofing, shutters, and, notably, skirting. Much like mobile home skirting, manufactured home skirting involves materials that fill the space between the home’s base and the ground. Skirting serves the dual purpose of securing this space and enhancing the home’s curb appeal. As such, skirting options combine functionality and style, providing manufactured homeowners with several benefits.

Benefits of Manufactured Home Skirting

The cost of skirting is significantly outweighed by the functional advantages it offers:

• Protection against rodent infestations beneath your home.
• Shielding pipes and other underpinning elements from the elements.
• Stabilizing home temperatures by enclosing the space beneath your home.
• Preventing moisture buildup that can lead to hazardous mold growth.
• Ensuring the safety of inquisitive children by securing the space.
• Potentially reducing insurance costs.

These functional protections make manufactured home skirting a wise investment from a financial standpoint. On the aesthetic side, skirting options provide substantial benefits.

Curb appeal significantly affects home values and listing prices, according to real estate experts. Your home’s impression on friends and neighbors when they see it for the first time can have a lasting impact. Knowing that your home is admired instills a sense of pride and accomplishment. Homeownership is often the most significant purchase for families putting down roots, so your home’s appearance holds great importance.

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Manufactured home dealers offer a wide selection of materials, designs, and skirting options, understanding the significance of visual appeal to homeowners.

Options for Manufactured Home Skirting

Choosing the ideal home skirting option can be intricate, so prospective buyers should work closely with manufactured home professionals. Skirting materials are diverse, each with its pros and cons, and different materials offer a variety of styles. Here are some options to consider when customizing your manufactured home’s exterior:

1. Vinyl Skirting: One of the most popular choices, vinyl skirting is budget-friendly and visually appealing. Installation is relatively straightforward, which helps lower labor costs. It typically involves panels, a ground track, top back, and top front. Vinyl skirting is eco-friendly compared to some other materials.

2. Simulated Rock Skirting: Made of durable plastic, this option emulates the appearance of real stones, such as granite and sandstone. It is relatively easy to install, which reduces labor and costs. Simulated rock skirting is sturdier than vinyl.

3. Faux Stone and Brick Panel Skirting: Manufactured from polyurethane, these panels convincingly resemble real stone and brick. Installation requires framing with 2×2 or 2×4 lumber, offering enhanced insulation. While this option may be costlier, it provides exceptional curb appeal and weather resistance.

4. Cinder Block, Brick, and Concrete Skirting: Though more expensive, concrete and block skirting provides durability and a sense of permanence. They offer superior strength, similar to a poured foundation, and are suitable for various climates. Precast concrete skirting options can help lower costs, but they may not meet permanent building installation requirements.

5. Metal Skirting Options: Tin and steel skirting materials are available in various patterns and designs, elevating their aesthetic appeal. Installation is cost-effective, making them an excellent value for homeowners. Brick-stamped metal skirting is especially popular among manufactured homeowners.

6. Foam Skirting: Also known as “rigid foam,” foam skirting is known for reducing drafts and maximizing energy efficiency. It minimizes energy loss through air penetrations and comes in various textures, resembling pebbles, stones, or brick. While it may be pricier and sold by square foot, its insulation benefits can be significant.

7. Wood and Hardboard Skirting Options: Plywood and wood-based composites require basic carpentry skills to install. However, they can be vulnerable to weather-related damage due to swelling and shrinking. Weather coatings are generally not effective.

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8. Other Innovative Skirting Ideas: Some homeowners opt for unconventional skirting ideas, such as using railroad ties or repurposing old barn tin and corrugated fiberglass. When considering unique ideas, factors like security, cost, energy efficiency, and curb appeal should be taken into account.

Selecting the right manufactured home skirting option is a crucial decision that should align with your home’s aesthetics, climate, and budget. Working closely with professionals can help you navigate this selection process effectively.