Can we do this, will it work?

[roxanne13]

My husband has this idea to dig a foot deep trench around our mobile home and lay cement to level cinder blocks, start laying the cinder blocks around it to brick it in ( the colored ones), and frame around the windows and doors, than put up one of those colored tin roofs, this is to make the mobile home stronger ,we can not offord a home or even an already built one so we are doing what we can with what we have. Please any ideas welcomed and if it cant be done for some reason please let me know. I need all the help we can get befor we start something that may not work,,thanks Roxanne

[Yanita]

Hi,

Are you asking if you can safely enclose your home in brick?

~Yanita~

[roxanne13]

I guess what Im asking is does anyone see why this may not work or anyone with experience bricking think this WILL not work for any reason. Looking for any input OR advice, sorry I should have made myself clear. Roxanne

[Maureen]

Hi Roxeanne,

I'm sorry, but you're still not being very clear.

Are you trying to speaking of the skirting around the home, or the whole home?

If you're talking about the whole home, I'd recommend hiring an engineer to see if this is even feasible! It ll depends on your set up and the exterior walls you have. You can't construct brick walls as high as a mobile home walls (that's including skirting), without making sure that it will hold up structurally.

We need more details before we can give any advice. What part of the country do you live in and all about your home.

Maureen

[roxanne13]

We live in Hattiesburg Mississippi,the mobile home is a 1988. The outside is I guess tin, it dents very easy.We are talking about from ground up than putting a tin roof on it. (not just the skirt area) From a foot in the ground to the roof. I need to know if anyone knows of any reason why this wont work, and any advice also.. Thanks Roxanne

[Sylvia]

I think they want to reside thier home in brick. No, I doubt it would be a great idea. MH's need to be periodically releveled and you need to get under them. If you enclosed your home with bricks it would be impossible.

[Brenda (OH)]

are you worried about high winds? if so, isn't the area to look at the tie downs and the piers? (underneath the home)

if it is up grading the appearance and insulation, maybe re-siding the home? BB

[Yanita]

Hi,

I am with Maureen on this, you would need to consult with an engineer.

That is an awful lot of weight for a mobile home. I know you are thinking that the weight of the brick will be on the ground, but they still are anchored to the sides of the home.

You will also have the issue of doors and windows being recessed and the eaves of your home not being long enough to overhang the sides. This would cost alot more money then simply residing your home with vinyl.

Also regardless of the bricks being laid on cinder blocks in the ground your home itself will/does move from season to season. This factor alone will be compromised with brick siding. Could cause an awful lot of damage.

I would guess to venture that you could get the metal roof, new vinyl and brick underpinning for less than bricking around the entire home.

Please consult with an engineer before proceeding.

Look forward to your future post.

~Yanita~

[roxanne13]

I see what you mean, The cinder blocks are the bricks, he would be using them NOT actual bricks, so it would look like a block house.( we would paint it) and he was leaving places to get under the mobile home. He was not going to anchore the cinder blocks to the mobile home at all..they are going to be next to it like closing it in. this is something we would do a little at a time because we are on a low budget with bad credit, so a loan is out. he dont want to get a co signer for a house because he is 51 years old and cant work long enough to pay it off, so we would end up losing the house if we did that. the doors and windows he was framing around. It does have alot to do with high winds, I have bad panic attacts even when I see a cloud,Im on meds for it now but I feel safe when we leave the MH. I mean I really get sick at bad weather even just rain. And its a big pain to leave in the middle of the night with 2 kids that have to get up for school. Thanks Roxanne

[Yanita]

Hi,

I can understand panic attacks during thunderstorms and even hurricanes.

In your first post you said the home is a 1988. If the home has been where it is at that long then rest assured you should be fine.

If uncertain then make sure that your tie downs under the home are secure and the blocks/piers that your home is on are in good condition as well.

Regardless of what type of siding your home has hurricane strength winds can and will cause some damage. To say that block or brick siding is better I feel is not completely true. Brick/block are very porous substances and they can break also. I know certainly not as quickly as metal siding and aluminium but still nothing is fool proof when it comes to mother nature.

Even with your explanation of using the cinder block I still do not see this application as a good idea. The block would still need to be supported.

I get the feeling you want this done for bad weather purposes. You could probably build yourselves a small fall out shelter for severe weather proposes. Do a google search and see if there is something that would fit your needs.

~Yanita~

[roxanne13]

Hi, Thats not a bad idea to look into,thanks Ill see what I can find out , and maybe it would be cheaper!..Roxanne

[JD]

Just my thoughts on the cinderblock. To have a cinderblock wall that tall, you would need a huge concrete footer. Without it, I would say you would be in more danger in high winds. I think tall cinderblock walls will also have heavy rebar running through the block and then the cavities filled with concrete. Makes for a very expensive wall.

Then there is the issue of those building inspectors. They see something like this going up or built without a permit, they will make you take it down. At least there is no doubt about it in my area. But then again, this is California where we are micro managed by every level of govt.

JD

[Greg]

Personally to me it seems like a LOT of work to go through and you would still have a mobile home, just bricked faced and that could make it harder to work on in the long run. Greg

[Sylvia]

It would be more expensive than buying a new mh. From my experience with our basement and block walls I'd say it would at least run 25k to do such a thing.

As JD said, it would likely be more dangerous than it would be safe.