Around The Corner

cottonlily · Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:07 pm

It's freezing cold and wet outside but I'm all in gear thinking about spring projects. I can't wait until it gets warmer and dries up to get to work!

We want to try the front porch project out. That's our big deal this year. I also really need to do some work around the base of our house. We have vinyl skirting which hubby likes to slice and dice with the weedeater. I'm thinking maybe just a simple weed barrier and mulch bed until I get a consice idea of what I could do differently. I'd also like to have some deck flower boxes and a fire pit. I could go on and on, but that's probably all I'll honestly get around to this spring/summer.

Anyone else have plans?

curlylocks · Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:53 pm

have afew visting cats and i have seen where they have pulled the insulation down under my home ... gonna have to get under there and seal that up, i cant rememberr what you call that covering for the underneath of the trailer but apparently they have made holes under there

garrett_reukauf · Wed Jan 02, 2008 10:59 pm

Heres what my grandfather did to their skirting. He took the skirting off all the way around the trailer. Then marked on the ground where the bottom track went. You can use either marking spray paint or other means. Then remove the bottom track. Then where the markings were he dug a trench approximately 3" deep and 5" inches wide, again going all the way around the trailer where he marked the location of the trench. He then layed a row of 3" x 5" treated landscape timbers in the trench, all the way around. (you can get these at Lowes (click) or Home Depot or any other landscape place.He drilled 1/2" holes in each timber about 2.5' apart then took 1/2" rebar about 2' in length, or something similarand drove them down into the holes on the first row all the way around. He then put a 2nd row on top of the 1st, but instead of using rebar to secure this row he used spike nails, again about every 2' foot. Also, he put some construction sealant or silicone in between the 1st and 2nd row, this can give it some added durability, plus can also keep grass, weeds, and bugs from get in between the two rows. When he had the 2nd row complete, he then took the skirting track and secured it on top of the 2nd row. I think he used deck screws for this. Then he reinstalled the skirting. He had to shorten the height of skirt by about 5" or so. It looked really nice we he was all finished, and when he would go around with the edger he didnt tear up the vinyl skirting, and also the lawn mower wheel wont run into the skirting and damage it. It turned out really nice and I am thinking of doing this to the MH I live in when I redo the yard this coming spring. I wish I had some pics of it I could post so you all could see what I was talking about, but he passed away a few years ago and I dont think the current owners would think too kindly of me sneaking over and taking pics of their house, LOL.

Yanita · Thu Jan 03, 2008 7:33 pm

Hi,

Sounds like the finished project looked good. But I would like to remind southern folks that this "might" encourage termite infestation.

We bought this home 2 years ago this May, thankfully some distance from the house they used landscape timbers to border out a small flower bed, well went I went to ripping this stuff apart it was infested with termites...

Again, not saying this will happen, but is a possibility...

Yanita

Harry · Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:09 pm

Hi Yanita

Around here no wood product is safe on or in the ground.

We had a planter made with railroad ties and the bugs ate it.

I suppose I could put down a lot of poison but then it would leach into the aquifer ....and I'm on a well.

Harry

StillKavey · Fri Jan 04, 2008 10:28 pm

I did the landscaping ties thing on my last MH.
Lets clarify here.. railroad ties are not wulmanized. They will get bugs. If you go to lowes and buy the "landscaping timbers" these are wulmanized.. no bug would eat them more than you would eat rat poison. I did this over a year ago to my last MH and it still looks great and has had no bug issues. You just have to make sure you get treated lumber. Its treated for this and many other purposes. I didnt do two layers of ties or the rebar or anything but it turned out great. The reason I did this is the previous owner weedeated along the edge of the vynil skirting and there were holes every two inches along the bottom.. this bought me 4 inches that I could cut off the bottom of the skirting and reinstall it and it look new (with some paint) If you have to weedeat around your home I advise to put landscape timbers below your skirting to keep the skirting in good shape and give you a solid base you can weedeat on. Even if they only last a few years the timbers only costed me about 45 bucks for a 14X70 home so its still worth the cost. But to date these still look brand new

Yanita · Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:41 am

Hi Kavey,

Not to argue here, but,I have bought many,many landscape treated timbers from Lowe's...trust me when I say that the ones that were here were termite infested...and I do not eat rat poison, LOL. BUT, I did have to pay a pest exterminating company alot of money to inspect the home and do preventative treatments.

I no longer have any landscape timbers in or on my property, but the next time I go to my sons house I will certainly show you pics of his bug eaten landscape timbers.

Like I said this may only be an issue IF you live in the south, I have no idea where you reside...

Yanita

Harry · Sat Jan 05, 2008 7:33 am

Hi

My 2 cents.

Railroad ties are treated with the preservative creosote.

No wood is safe in or on the ground down here. My theory is that the chemicals leave the wood over time. The more moisture .... the faster this process takes place.

Harry

PS: Most rat poisons contain the blood thinner warfarin as the active ingredient. I take warfarin everyday.

jhow · Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:31 am

What we did here was to drop by Lowes and pick up a a pack or two (can't remember how many - cheap if I remember right). Lay the shingles directly on the ground with the tabs to the inside and the sticky strip where the ground rail will be. Each shingle strip will cover three feet of ground (overlap them a bit of course). Drop the ground rail right down on top of the shingles. You should have about a three to five inch dead space now between grass and underpinning. You'll never weedeat again.

Looks a bit rough to begin with but as the grass dies and the shingles settle flat it looks very neat - almost as if the home is setting on its own asphalt patch.

Yanita · Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:23 am

Hi,

We did this at our last home. Your right, they don't look bad and do an excellent job at keeping the weeds away and keeping Hubby from whacking the vinyl skirting. I did find that they break down much quicker on the ground then they do on the roof.

Once in place do not step on them or they will crack. I used to get packages of new but damaged shingles at Lowe's. Generally during shipping a bundle will get dropped or the corners pretty damaged. I would add a new layer about every spring. Never had a problem with bugs either.

To help camouflage the appearance I planted my flower beds in front of the shingles.

Yanita

garrett_reukauf · Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:51 am

My new MH just got set up on a new lot about 3 months ago, my yard is nothing but dirt w/ some clay and when it rains its just a big mud pit out there, cant wait till I can put some seed down. Heck at this point I would love to have grass growing up the side of my skirting, LOL.... Think next weekend I may go get a truckload of hay and lay down on the whole lot, hoping maybe it will help the mud situation temporarily, and maybe cut down on the erosion. We get much more rain than what we have got already, I may not have a yard to seed, HEHE!