the ins and outs, pros and cons of better bellies
Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2016 2:47 pm
ok, i am a new member and new to mobile homes and new to repairing anything. about the most i've done before is paint, hang drapes, etc. due to life-long apartment living (yech!). just to get that out of the way.
we have somewhat inherited my spouse's father's mobile home (a 1997 some brand or other single wide) which is in probably not the worst condition anyone here has ever seen, but it isn't looking good, either. a few years ago, the house sprung leaks everywhere and the piping had to be replaced. of course, they tore out the soaked insulation and ripped up the belly to do these repairs, and probably didn't patch anything under there, although it is hard to see due to the masonry block skirting his father built himself (master mason) and the metal support structure and pier-type support blocks obscuring the view.
so, i have been and will continue to be reading up on this here, and all over the internet. it seems that there are a few ways of going about reinsulating and redoing this belly, and i wanted to know what various people have tried/used and how much success they have had with it, not only in application but also in the end result (saving energy on heating/cooling and keeping out moisture, right?).
we were looking into that radiant bubble-wrap type insulation that staples in and seals with tape. i have also read good things about using foam boards, also sealed with tape, in regards to some Building Science studies done in hot, humid southern climates (we're in Alabama). my thinking is either to do these alone over the very bottom of the joists, as the radiant barrier needs airspace around it, or to add infill insulation and i have no idea which would be best.
another item of concern is critters--we are on an old farm which has returned to wilderness and there is everything out there, including gators, snakes, and a lot of rodents and insects. I was thinking hardware cloth over the whole of the underside, or soffit venting but i have no idea if this effects the moisture level or insulating qualities of whatever it is put up against.
needless to say, i will be caulking and liquid nailing like mad, as we are also redoing the subfloors throughout at the same time and i want to make good air seals everywhere possible. i know that one of the most important things is to make sure all the ducts and piping is inside the insulating layer. aside from a having a discussion about the various ways to insulate a belly, am i forgetting anything?
we have somewhat inherited my spouse's father's mobile home (a 1997 some brand or other single wide) which is in probably not the worst condition anyone here has ever seen, but it isn't looking good, either. a few years ago, the house sprung leaks everywhere and the piping had to be replaced. of course, they tore out the soaked insulation and ripped up the belly to do these repairs, and probably didn't patch anything under there, although it is hard to see due to the masonry block skirting his father built himself (master mason) and the metal support structure and pier-type support blocks obscuring the view.
so, i have been and will continue to be reading up on this here, and all over the internet. it seems that there are a few ways of going about reinsulating and redoing this belly, and i wanted to know what various people have tried/used and how much success they have had with it, not only in application but also in the end result (saving energy on heating/cooling and keeping out moisture, right?).
we were looking into that radiant bubble-wrap type insulation that staples in and seals with tape. i have also read good things about using foam boards, also sealed with tape, in regards to some Building Science studies done in hot, humid southern climates (we're in Alabama). my thinking is either to do these alone over the very bottom of the joists, as the radiant barrier needs airspace around it, or to add infill insulation and i have no idea which would be best.
another item of concern is critters--we are on an old farm which has returned to wilderness and there is everything out there, including gators, snakes, and a lot of rodents and insects. I was thinking hardware cloth over the whole of the underside, or soffit venting but i have no idea if this effects the moisture level or insulating qualities of whatever it is put up against.
needless to say, i will be caulking and liquid nailing like mad, as we are also redoing the subfloors throughout at the same time and i want to make good air seals everywhere possible. i know that one of the most important things is to make sure all the ducts and piping is inside the insulating layer. aside from a having a discussion about the various ways to insulate a belly, am i forgetting anything?