Skirting.... yet again.

Started by NM_Shooter, April 13, 2012, 09:18:28 PM

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NM_Shooter

I thought I would whack on this horse a bit more.

Got a very, very dry year at our property.  Normally we have equivalent of 30" of moisture in the snow pack, and as of today we have about 9.6". 

I'm worried, as my cabin is directly up hill and down wind of a large meadow.  Any fire at all is going to run right up to my cabin.  First, I am going to clean all the lumber out from under and store it in the woods.  Then I think I will weed-whack all the weeds down to oblivion.  But I really need a skirt.

I'm not too worried about aesthetics.  I'm thinking metal roof material.  But trying to figure out how to frame it up will be a challenge.  I may have to frame using PT 4x4 posts, and cross brace with non PT2x4.  Keep the horizontal 2x4 above the ground, and run the metal roofing material down to within an inch of the soil.  Then fill in along the bottom with gravel. 

Thoughts?
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

alex trent

I, for one, don't think metal roofing material looks all that bad. Paint it he right color and keep the finish dull.  Sure makes it easy to do.

You did not say how high the skirt is. If it is 2-3 feet, I think you do not even need 4x4..PT 2x4 will word fine as the veritcals.  I think you are better with 2x4 closer spaced than 4x4 farther apart...makes it easier to adjust for the irregularites in the ground slope.


NM_Shooter

My cabin is on a bit of a slope.  The low side will need 5' of skirt, the high side of the hill only needs 18".  I think the good thing about using metal is that I can get the local shop to cut the panels to rough length, and then I just need to trim one side off.   
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

alex trent

Easy to trim yourself with tin snips or aircraft shears.  Wear gloves.

Redoverfarm

#4
Frank sounds like a fairly easy project.  Just frame in with either  PT 2X4 or 2X2 ( no less than 2'oc).  Find a metal roofing dealer and they often have cut off pieces or seconds in colored or galv finished.  Attach with regular roofing screws.  If you want to get fancy make a door out of one panel width and use gate hinges to gain access underneath.  If you have a long span just drive short pieces of rebar in the ground next to the sheeting and use electrical conduit clamps to secure the panel to the rebar.  I think I would do this anyway in mid span of the panels.  I might have to go back and look at your build but I know you are pretty resourcefull and it will go easier than trying to get rid of your neighbors. ;D

OK I went back to your original build.  You have a rim joist which could be used to anchor the top of the panels using 2X4 letting them sit back far enough that the water would drip onto the face of the underpinning.  The corners could connect the panels or partitions together. Just attach everything together with deck screws including the attachment to the house.  Using the rebar/clamps would hold the bottom secure.  That way you would not have to work around the peir beams and block.  I don't believe I would run the metal all the way to the ground.  I am sure that before long it would rust up.  Allow the PT bottom plate their and raise the sheeting  mid ways of the plate. A little bit of gravel on the outside to keep it from splashing mud up against the panels and your set.


alex trent

Also wear gloves when you get rid of you neighbors

MountainDon

At least one of the brands of metal roofing that Lowe's sells will be cut to whatever length you want. No minimums like some. We have a bunch that we bought to skirt our cabin for the same reason; fire. During last years fire a couple of the fire fighter pros suggested that skirting would help prevent firebrands from being wind swept up the slope if there was a ground fire.

I pan on using PT 2x4 at the bottom between the piers. The top plate will be a std 2x4 nailed across. Then vertical PT pieces as needed to secure the panels to. I haven't figured exactly on the venting; but then I've only had all winter.   d*
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

Redoverfarm

Quote from: MountainDon on April 14, 2012, 05:43:38 PM
At least one of the brands of metal roofing that Lowe's sells will be cut to whatever length you want. No minimums like some. We have a bunch that we bought to skirt our cabin for the same reason; fire. During last years fire a couple of the fire fighter pros suggested that skirting would help prevent firebrands from being wind swept up the slope if there was a ground fire.

I pan on using PT 2x4 at the bottom between the piers. The top plate will be a std 2x4 nailed across. Then vertical PT pieces as needed to secure the panels to. I haven't figured exactly on the venting; but then I've only had all winter.   d*

Don't see why regular automatic crawlspace vents wouldn't work Don.

NM_Shooter

I have a friend who lives in a very rural area, and oddly, they don't go out of their way to protect their home from fire.  He told me... if the forest catches on fire, who would want to live here anyway?  Let it take the house.  Odd philosophy.

Red, I had wondered about the skirting all the way to the ground.  I'd like to have it sealed though, and the thought of a concrete footing below the skirting does not appeal to me from a labor standpoint.  Are you thinking that I should put gravel down at the base, to seal it off, or what did you have in mind?

I am thinking about putting in a vertical 4x4 post every 5' along the perimeter, and having this notched to accept 2x4s that run horizontally.  I'll try and work up a sketch later. 

Of course before I do all this, I need to get the last of my bracing in place.  The good thing about this skirting is that it will keep my piers dry.  Many of the concrete blocks that are on the ranch for awhile show pretty serious signs of decay.

Thanks for the input.
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"


Redoverfarm

Quote from: NM_Shooter on April 15, 2012, 12:48:39 PM
I have a friend who lives in a very rural area, and oddly, they don't go out of their way to protect their home from fire.  He told me... if the forest catches on fire, who would want to live here anyway?  Let it take the house.  Odd philosophy.

Red, I had wondered about the skirting all the way to the ground.  I'd like to have it sealed though, and the thought of a concrete footing below the skirting does not appeal to me from a labor standpoint.  Are you thinking that I should put gravel down at the base, to seal it off, or what did you have in mind?

I am thinking about putting in a vertical 4x4 post every 5' along the perimeter, and having this notched to accept 2x4s that run horizontally.  I'll try and work up a sketch later. 

Of course before I do all this, I need to get the last of my bracing in place.  The good thing about this skirting is that it will keep my piers dry.  Many of the concrete blocks that are on the ranch for awhile show pretty serious signs of decay.

Thanks for the input.

I don't think that you will completely be able to seal off the crawlspace unless you go rigid and that would not be a very good idea.  With the cabin's coming and going as most structures do something will have to give.  The idea of the stone would be to both provide a base for the sill plate of the partition to sit on and also keep the dirt from splashing up against the skirting from the rain/roof run off.  But then again It could be used to semi-seal off that void if it were small enough such as crush and run. 

You are probably not talking that much weight in short sheets.  Again make it with some flexibility so with expansion/contraction can occur w/o damaging your structure.  Thus  the conduit clamps and rebar.  It would allow it to raise and lower as needed not to mention it would prevent the wind from putting stress on the horizontal force.