Concrete Skirt

[Justy404]

I am a newbie here on the forum.

What I am working on is, recently purchased a module mobile home that's in good shape. However, the cement skirt is buckling. The top of the slabs slid out from under the house and is leaning. I would say the slabs are 6 inches wide and 2 foot long. They are stacked two high under the house. I'm not sure if the MN frost heaved it or if over the years the house settled pushing them out.

I've done construction years ago, mainly decks and roofing. But the skirt deal, how it's put together is new too me. Looking under the house, it appears the slabs are not attached to anything. One guy said, I should take the skid loader and push the skirt back under the wall. But I would thing that may hurt the vinyl siding along with bottom of house. Only fix I can see is, either dig under the slabs so that they fit under the house. Or get under the house and jack up the edges and try to set it back on the skirt.

How are these skirts attached under the house? Mine looks like it's pinched between the house and the ground. What would be best way to fix the concrete skirt?

[Greg]

Can you post some pictures so we can see what you are up against? What is the home set on? Below frostline piers? just blocks? How is the home anchored? Those are all factors that will effect the skirting.

Greg

[Greg S]

First thing you need to do is level the home. I would remove all the existing skirting and build a proper frame work to support it. I attach mine to the floor joists of the home and extend it down to 3 1/2 inches above the ground. I drill a hole in each metal outrigger to screw a brace from there to the bottom of the framing. This holds the skirting hall in place and verticle. I build everything from 2 X4s with a vapor barrier on the inside, water proof insulation (including between bottom of frame and ground) and typar on the outside. Make the vapour barrier long enough to extend down into a trench below the skirting.
My skirting is then rigidly attached to the framing and extends at least 4" into an 8-10" deep trench filled with pea gravel.
The space under the framing and the pea gravel trench allows for frost heave.

[Justy404]

I'll take some pictures and post them what it looks like. I noticed recently looking over the house that. There is no rain spouts (rain gutters) around the house. It may have contributed to the leaning cement skirting. Looks like the rain might have undermined it some and began to lean. Sure is strange though that the skirt appears to be not attached to anything. Being the house has been sitting in the same spot for 12 years.

[Greg]

It may not be attached to anything. I plan to bury mine in the ground and bring it up to the rim joist using a metal stud as a track to hold the top.

Greg