Mobile home skirting is used to seal the area of the mobile home near the ground that is open. Typically made of light-weight aluminum or tin, mobile home skirting is held in place by sheet metal screws at the top and nails and a lumber frame at the bottom. The vast number of mobile homes are sitting on top of cement blocks, and the entire bottom of the chassis, complete with running gear and tires, are exposed without mobile home skirting.
In cold climates, mobile home skirting allows the home to be much warmer. By blocking out the majority of cold air and wind contacting the underneath of the floors, mobile home skirting creates an area of still air that can be managed by the home's furnace. Often animals seek out shelter underneath a mobile home that is not sealed closed by skirting. These animals can do extensive damage by ripping into any insulation that is under the home. Often, water lines and electric wires are also damaged by animals chewing on them.
Occasionally, a mobile home will be placed on top of a concrete foundation—in this case, mobile home skirting is not needed since the home is placed tightly on top of the foundation. Another popular method of sealing the elements out of the bottom of a mobile home is wood. In many instances, rough-sawed plywood is cut into small squares and placed around the bottom of a mobile home. This rough-sawed mobile home skirting can then be stained or painted in a complementary color to the mobile home. The plywood, often pressure-treated against rotting, lasts for years in most climates and adds a finished look to the mobile home's appearance.
Many mobile home parks and communities have ordinances in place that require one type of mobile home skirting or another in order to have a home in the park. Even with the wheels removed, a mobile home has an unfinished appearance without some type of skirting around the perimeter of the home. When a system of ties and cables is installed to protect a mobile home against tornado or straight-line wind damage, the skirting hides the cables from view and maintains a neat appearance.
An added benefit in installing mobile home skirting is that it provides an element of protection for under-trailer storage. Often an access door is installed in the skirting to allow the homeowner to store yard tools and children's toys out of the elements. In most cases, the skirting also tends to add a bit of style to the mobile home.
