Mobile home insulation

Cyngbaeld · #1 04/12/07, 05:21 PM

I need to remove the insulation under the mobile home. It is pretty nasty (I bought the mobile home used). I really don't want to put more of the pink fiberglass under there. I live in the country and possums and other critters like to tear the stuff down and nest in it. What would be a good replacement? Would it be better to just skirt the house and put foam boards on the inside of the skirting?

dk_40207 · #2 04/12/07, 07:10 PM

FYI ours has the insulation underneath AND the thick foam boards on the inside of the skirting. Probably need both if it gets cold often there.

SteveD(TX) · #3 04/12/07, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyngbaeld

I need to remove the insulation under the mobile home. It is pretty nasty (I bought the mobile home used). I really don't want to put more of the pink fiberglass under there. I live in the country and possums and other critters like to tear the stuff down and nest in it. What would be a good replacement? Would it be better to just skirt the house and put foam boards on the inside of the skirting?

Do both. In Texas you need that to keep it cool in summer, esp. if you have floor vents. Ask me how I know.

Dianol · #4 04/12/07, 08:33 PM

I'm not sure if it's cost effective in a floor or not, but you may want to check into the Icyene spray in/on insulation. It's the two part foam. I think it's on the expensive side, but it seals every crack and seam.

Might be worth a phone call.

Good luck

Dianne

Junkmanme · #5 04/12/07, 08:40 PM

Contractors can spray polyurethane insulation on the undercarriage of your mobile home. Be sure to get "bids"...lots of variables on price on this.

You could spray it yourself with the small cans from Hardware/Lumber Co. , but It would take a lot of those small "spray-paint sized" cans.

you could probably save a little by using that "blue-colored" insulation board right under the floor. (I think it comes in 1 inch or 2 inch (?) thicknesses)(it's like styrofoam)

I used that spray polurethane foam insulation on a well-house at my last place and it worked very well. (Also provided an amazing amount of sturdiness to a somewhat "flimsy" well house.)

just thoughts...
Bruce

Cyngbaeld · #6 04/12/07, 10:33 PM

Does that spray on stuff have an odor? I've thought about that, but didn't know if I could handle the smell.

It really doesn't get very cold here. I have floor vents, but all that is going. It is open somewhere, and the cat comes in thru the vent. NOT a good thing! LOL I'm going to have the duct work taken out since I don't use them.

comfortablynumb · #7 04/12/07, 10:42 PM

For what its worth, I had to do just that job last spring on the trailer next door.
we stripped off the belly board [fiberboard] and all thee rotten insulation. then we replaced the belly board with 3/8 plywood, and replaced the insulation with attic bats.
[high R pink insulation]. by the time we got from one end to the other the bottom was totally sealed up with sheet metal screws and seam boards.
Not even a mouse caan get in now, and no coon or possum can claw thru the plywood to get in via a new hole.

it was hard but its now pretty much done forever.
and the belly board can be removed in sections if need be.

it was nasty dirty work, but youll have it all stripped out anyway, use playwood and regular pink attic bats.

Cyngbaeld · #8 04/12/07, 10:56 PM

I'm not sure what you mean by 'bellyboard'? There is a heavy plastic cover holding the insulation in place and that is what is torn. What I can see of the insulation looks bad. It smells bad too.

Junkmanme · #9 04/13/07, 05:14 AM

The 'spray-on insulation' does emit an odor as it dries and cures. Not noticable after a couple of days.

doohap · #10 04/13/07, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyngbaeld

... It really doesn't get very cold here. ...

Believe me, if it gets AT ALL chilly in your area you will regret not having any insulation in the flooring ... mobile home flooring, or the flooring in any home up off the ground (on piers) is going to be mighty uncomfortable to bare footsies in the winter. Also, you'll see a big jump in your utility bills both in winter AND summer.

In my humble opinion, SOME sort of insulation and skirting are the answer, and I'd personally go for the spray on kind ... as stated above, it seals all the crevices and has the added benefit of keeping out bugs.

Smiles,
doohap

Heidi Overbeek · #11 04/13/07, 06:38 PM

We're in the same situation. We pulled out the carpet and the particle board subflooring and replaced it w/ plywood. This Summer we will pull off the belly wrap (special oil impregnated paper they use under mobile homes to keep rodents out.) Check out www.mobilehomerepair.com . Thanks for everyone's suggestions - I hadn't even thought of the spray on stuff!
Heidi

comfortablynumb · #12 04/13/07, 09:05 PM

mmmm old trailers have a solid belly board where you see plastic sheeting.

replace the plastic sheeting with plywood, screwed to the metal rails.

with new insulation.

"bellyboard" was made like hardboard cardboard stuff, in time it sagged and critters clawed holes in it.

they only use plastic sheeting now?
yikes.

DayBird · #13 04/13/07, 10:49 PM

The undercovering on our singlewide isn't torn anywhere but if I were in a similar situation to yours, I'd skirt underneath with insulation on the inside of the skirting. Unless it is wet and a possible mold/rot hazard, I'd leave alone what's underthere now, including the duct work. It won't hurt anything having it there and it will be there should you ever decide you need it in the future. At the very least, a blower would help distribute air during very hot days.

I've thought about trying to use the ductwork under the house to vent air out of the house. I know heat rises, but the ductwork is already there and mobile homes don't have attics. Instead of having a blower to recirculate air that's already in the house, use it to pump fresh air in from outside or to pull stale air out of the house with fresh air pulled in from the windows.

I'd skirt under the trailer with metal roofing. That's what we've done. It's more costly than the vinyl skirting but it'll last alot longer. It'll also certainly keep the cats and coons out. Put in a door and slide in your rubbermaid storage boxes for extra storage. Insulation on the inside will help keep your floors warm in winter.

chris30523 · #14 04/14/07, 07:17 AM

Ours is older too and we were considering something this gives me some ideas.We had the cat problem too. When we first moved in I kept hearing something under the bath tub and shower.I told my husband it had to be bigger than a rat.(He of course thought it was a mouse) One night we hear crying behind the dryer we pulled it out and loosened the vent and there was a cat head sticking through my floor.He was getting between the floor and that plastic stuff and crawling around looking for a way in the house. He has found a new home.

ldc · #15 04/14/07, 09:26 AM

I've seen new insulation on the bottom side) of trailer floors protected by Tyvek, and then hardware cloth to seal it off from animals. Hope this helps. ldc

Cyngbaeld · #16 04/14/07, 05:21 PM

Thanks for all the ideas. Yes, I was planning to use metal roofing to skirt and prob sheet insulation behind that. The present insulation has to go. It stinks.

CN, I'll have to see if I can find someone that will do that. I can't crawl under there myself. Not physically able.

Chris, I'm afraid my cat will get trapped in the duct work too!

fordy · #17 04/14/07, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyngbaeld

Thanks for all the ideas. Yes, I was planning to use metal roofing to skirt and prob sheet insulation behind that. The present insulation has to go. It stinks.

CN, I'll have to see if I can find someone that will do that. I can't crawl under there myself. Not physically able.

Chris, I'm afraid my cat will get trapped in the duct work too!

...........You can think of the belly board as an equivalent of decking on a flat roof except it would be below your flooring . I would think you'd have some kind of wooden floor joists running from side to side and the belly board would be on the bottom side of them then your wiring and plumbing would be run ion top of the belly board but below your flooring . Plus , the belly board is what holds up the pink insulation(UP) in the space below the flooring . If , I'm wrong i'm sure CN will correct me . , fordy...

fordy · #18 04/14/07, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyngbaeld

Thanks for all the ideas. Yes, I was planning to use metal roofing to skirt and prob sheet insulation behind that. The present insulation has to go. It stinks.

CN, I'll have to see if I can find someone that will do that. I can't crawl under there myself. Not physically able.

Chris, I'm afraid my cat will get trapped in the duct work too!

...........You'd want to get your subflooring\bellyboard repaired BEfore you have new skirting added to your trailer !!! fordy...

Cyngbaeld · #19 04/14/07, 09:49 PM

Yes, I plan to have it repaired first. There is nothing on the bottom of the floor joists besides the plastic and the insulation.

primal1 · #20 04/14/07, 10:06 PM

Just going to put this idea out there because I had been toying with it when i was looking at a mobile to buy. I have since decided mot to buy it and don't know how hard this idea would be but here it is anyway.
Because I am extremely interested in strawbale building, the idea was to strap bales on the underside of the mobile. One idea I had for finishing it was to use metal sheets, don't know what they call the stuff but it looks like venting used one roofs. This would prevent rodents getting in the straw. then sealing it with stuco type stuff.