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How can I install Hardiboard (vertical siding) as skirting on my mobile home?
I have a mobile home that sits on cinder blocks as support. I have to put skirting around it and have considered several options. I would like to use Hardiboard (vertical siding) as a skirt. what is the best way to install it though?
The cinder blocks are only as support under the mobile home, but they are not close to the edge.
Answer: Steel pole barn siding works very well. It comes in long sheets and does not require the supports that other systems do It can be dug into the soil about 3 inches and fastened to vertical supports on about five foot increments. These are fastened to the rim joist but the frost does not have enough area to push up on them hard enough to affect the home structurally.
Using hardy board would be unusual.
For the hardy board install dig a trench about 3 inches deep and make up a "F" channel from two pieces of 1"x1" angle tacked about every two feet to set the bottom of the siding in. at the top I would have "U" clips made of at least 14 Gage sheet metal with 3" legs and a 5/8" channel width about 2 inches wide. Drill a hole in the bottom of the channel and screw this to the rim joist with the legs facing down. the top of the hardy board will be captured in the upside down "U" at the top. leave at least 2" clear between the top of the hardy board and the rim joist. space the clips about every two feet. frost pushing the skirting up into the rim joist can make doors inoperable and can cause permanent damage also. to cover the splice between panels make a batten about 2 inches wide and use adhesive to fasten it to only one panel. cover over the gap at the top of the whole affair with steel fascia fastened to the rim joist through the existing siding and caulk the top edge to the siding letting the bottom edge float. This is similar to what is done when installing "stoneskirt"
