Too low to go under

[creekside]

The one end of my trailer home addition outside beam is actually sitting on the ground. Not to far along, it starts to clear. At the present time, i can straddle the floor joists and stand on the ground. What suggestions are there out there for securing a new underbelly sheeting (what material) from the "inside" ( got that visual?) and lay in insulation as I move along the joists. I can barely get under at the other end which is the higher end. No I cannot raise the trailer. Now is the time to secure while the floor is up.

[Greg]

You really won't like my suggestion, but....

Your home needs to be above the ground, not on it. The reason is simple, moisture. It will cause the joists to rot as well as the potential for a mold issue.

Since you have established that the home can not go up, that only leaves 1 choice. The ground has to go down. It is not a fun job but it can & has been done.

I know of a large camp in the Adirondacks that was ground level and the owner had a full basement hand dug under it. since you only need a section done it should not take too long and solve the problem.

Greg

[creekside]

i'm straddling the joists and standing on the ground...i can start digging away the dirt from the one end of the trailer out from under the beam. Seeing as it clears not too far later down the side beams, and the corners have supports, then i don't need to provide an extra support for the end beam. how many inches would you say? i know i couldn't level the ground the whole way down the length of the trailer but i can dig away for now. Don't tell me a foot...how about 4 inches or so...would that do? then i would have room to attach my underbelly plastic barrier to the underside of the beam that the insulation would lay on right? while i am here, where exactly would the edges of my sheeting be attached? to the bottom of the beams or up and around the outside of the beams? thanks

[Greg]

Honestly, I would make enough room to allow you to work under the home if needed. I would go at least 2'. If you have water lines in the floor in the area, sooner or later odds are that you will need to get in there to do a repair.

To attach the belly material you want it to lay like a big blanket under the joists to allow for some air movement between & under the joists. In cold areas this helps keep the floors a little warmer and pipes thawed. It can be a major pain working around the frame rails (I beams) since they are bolted to the joists. Just do the best you can.

Any moisture barrier will be a good thing, Access if you need it is better!!

Greg

[creekside]

I dug a dirt out from below the lowest outside beam that used to sit on the ground. Still there is dirt against the beam facing the "outside". I would have to go outside, remove the skirting to clear dirt built up against the beam. Good idea to do this? This is a living room with two heater ducts only. No pipes. So the underbelly wrap is not to be taut and attached to the joists? Should the wrap be attached along the outside beams which allows it to hang naturally? By the way, it would lay on the ground as it is so close to it. It would not hang freely. If it does "hang", then the insulation is to lay low due to hanging? Or should I install slatting to the underside of the joists for the insulation to hang on? Is insulation to come flush with the top of the joists? Hope igot the visual across..thanks

[JD]

Obviously it would be better if the bottom of the I beams were at least 16" or so off the ground. It promotes air circulation, better protection against moisture and is enough room for most workers to crawl under. Digging out would require the entire grade to be changed, needing taller piers. There is also a code issue of major disturbing of dirt and no compaction test. (Probably more an issue here in Cali with inspectors than a lot of other places).

Another idea would be to lay out 6 mil plastic on the ground as far and as completely as you can, to prevent as much moisture as you can to start with. Then apply Tite-Seal window flashing (or Flexmend underbelly tape) on the perimeter joists where your underbelly will fasten. This will protect that wood from moisture. Tape the stuff on, press it in real hard with a terry cloth rag, then I would staple it too, to make sure it stays there. Then you could install your underbelly from the top by bending the underbelly up the inside of the joist, where the excess Tite-Seal will be. To be sure the underbelly doesn't pull loose from the weight of the insulation, I'd use spray adhesive and a thin but stout wood strip, like screen trim, and staples, 1 1/4" x 1/4" 16ga type.

You will also need to secure the original underbelly where your new section meets it. The spray adhesive would work in this area with a large and clean overlap.

[creekside]

I'm at the bottom of the learning curve here so bear with me. Having cleared dirt to free up a buried rear exterior beam, the soil if moist of course and now so is the beam. Is it possible to prime a "damp" beam as needed to ensure the Tite-Seal will adhere or is the primer and/or tite-Seal merely locking in the existing moisture. or do I need to put a fan on the beam and dry it first (which i believe would take an unsurmountable amount of time having been buried so long). Excuse my ignorance but the Tite-Seal will go on the "bottom" of the beam". the floor joists deny a clean wrapping around of the Tite-Seal. I would be slatting the underside of the floor joists to only "help" hold the insulation. I was going to attempt a "taut" as possible underbelly wrap. It will sag due to its size. I was going to staple (?) the sag to try to get it off the ground and nestled up against the slats. I envision the insulation nestled closely between the subfloor and underbelly wrap. Am I on the right track here?

[JD]

Yes, if the joists are saturated with moisture, that can create a problem. Without seeing it myself, I am not sure how much of a problem. But to answer one of your questions, there is Geocel Instant Roof Repair, which can be applied to wet roofs, so maybe it would work on wet wood. I am not sure. But I would also be concerned about trapping in moisture.

The actual problem is the grade of the lot, which sounds like it may create chronic issues. So sometimes you may have to use less than ideal repair methods and maybe receive less than ideal results.

Here is a drawing of my idea. Again, without seeing it, this is just an idea to work with.

[creekside]

Got it! Xxxxxxxxxxx

[creekside]

...and yes, today is perfect.

[creekside]

...and thanks to you too Greg for your time and expertise..appreciated

[JD]

Actually, if you cut into the existing underbelly right, you could wrap the old underbelly around the joist instead of using the Tite-Seal stuff. The wood strip would hold them both.

And everyday is perfect. We just have to be willing to accept it.