Skirting Installation for Homes & Decks, East Texas

Skirting is the wall that closes in the open space under a raised structure: a deck, a pier-and-beam house, a mobile or manufactured home, a shed or a cabin on blocks. It keeps animals and wind out, keeps pipes warmer in a freeze, hides the underside, and finishes the structure so it looks settled on its lot instead of perched. We build skirting around Lake Livingston in wood, metal, vinyl, lattice, brick and CMU block, with vents and an access panel so the space underneath stays dry and reachable.

What gets skirted

Decks, so the space under the boards is not a visible storage pile. See deck construction.
Pier-and-beam houses and lake cabins, for looks, pipes and pests.
Mobile and manufactured homes, often in vinyl or metal.
Sheds, workshops and outbuildings set on blocks.

Materials

Material	Good for	Notes
Wood boards	Decks, cabins, next to a wood fence	Treated or cedar; needs stain like a fence
Lattice	Decks and porches	Framed in solid wood; airflow built in
Metal panel	Sheds, shops, mobile homes	R-panel in roof colors; very durable
Vinyl	Mobile and manufactured homes	Economical, standard look; vented panels available
Brick or block	Houses and cabins	Longest-lasting; built with vents and an access door

How we build it

Skirting is a short fence with extra rules. It needs a frame or a track fastened to the structure, a bottom edge that meets the ground without rotting or letting animals under, vents so the crawl space breathes, and an access panel big enough for a plumber. Wood and lattice skirting get a treated frame with the bottom plate off the dirt on a gravel or concrete base. Metal and vinyl go on a track or a frame with the bottom edge buried a few inches where animals dig. Block and brick are laid on a footing with vents built in. On sloped lake lots the skirting steps with the grade so it looks even from the yard.

Deck with rail and steps, with the space below ready for skirting — A deck before skirting

Skirting with other work

Most skirting goes in with a new deck, a fence or a staining job, because the crew is already there and the materials can match. A lattice privacy screen and lattice deck skirting look like one design when they are built together. Tell us on the estimate and we will price it as one visit.

What affects the price of skirting

Linear footage and height, then material. Vinyl and metal are the economical end; framed lattice and wood are more; brick and block are the most. The ground matters: a level slab base is quick, a sloped lot that needs the skirting stepped and a trench for the bottom edge is not. Vents and an access door are built in on every job. We price it on site and usually with a deck, fence or staining job so the trip is shared.

Repairs and replacement

Skirting takes hits from mowers, trimmers, animals and water, and the usual failure is a section pushed in, a rotted bottom plate, or vinyl that has come off its track. We replace sections in kind, reset frames on a gravel base so they stop rotting, and replace skirting that has reached the end with a longer-lasting material where the owner wants it.

Frequently asked questions

Does skirting need ventilation?

Yes. The space under a house or a deck has to breathe, or moisture builds up and rots the framing. We build vents or leave gaps into every skirting job and keep them clear of the ground.

What skirting holds up best?

Metal and block last longest and take weed trimmers and critters best. Vinyl is economical and common on mobile homes. Wood and lattice look best next to a wood deck or a cedar fence and need stain like any other wood.

Can skirting keep animals out from under the house?

That is half the reason for it. Skirting set tight to the ground, with a buried or aproned bottom edge where armadillos and dogs dig, keeps the crawl space from becoming a den.