Mobile home underbelly repair and full replacement
A torn or sagging belly lets the insulation fall out and the animals in. We patch what can be patched and replace what can't, end to end if it needs it.
What the underbelly does
Under the floor of a mobile home there's a sheet of material stretched across the bottom of the floor framing, called the bottom board or belly. It holds the floor insulation up against the floor, keeps out moisture, insects and animals, and in many homes it also wraps the heat ducts and water lines that run under the floor.
When the belly is torn or sagging, the insulation drops out, pipes are exposed, and animals have a way in. Nothing about it shows from inside the home until the floors get cold, a smell shows up, or something starts living under there.
Signs your underbelly needs work
- Belly material hanging down or sagging between the beams
- Insulation lying on the ground under the home
- Floors that feel cold, or a power bill that crept up
- Musty smell, or droppings and nesting under the home
- Water dripping or staining on the belly
- A hole left open after a plumber or AC tech worked underneath
Repair or full replacement
Adam's focus is getting this right the first time, so the answer depends on what we find:
- Repair. Small tears and openings, with dry insulation behind them, get patched and sealed.
- Section replacement. When one area is damaged, we cut out the bad section, replace the wet or missing insulation and close it up with new material.
- Full replacement. When the belly is torn in many places, sagging down its length, soaked, or full of nesting, we take it all down, replace the insulation, and put up a new belly end to end.
While we're under there
Belly work puts us under the whole home, so we'll also look at the piers, tie-downs and floor framing and tell you what we see. If the floor above is soft, that's a subfloor job. If the home is out of level, see releveling. Every underbelly repair comes with our 1-year warranty.
Questions about underbelly work
What's the difference between the underbelly and the vapor barrier?
The underbelly, or bottom board, is the sheet stretched across the bottom of the floor that holds the insulation up. A vapor barrier is usually plastic laid on the ground under the home to keep moisture from coming up. They do different jobs, and a home can need either one.
Can you just patch a tear?
If the tear is small and the insulation behind it is dry, yes. We patch and seal it so it stays shut. When the belly is torn in many places, sagging along its length or soaked, patching just hides the problem, and a full replacement is the better fix.
Why does my floor feel cold?
A torn or sagging belly lets the insulation fall away from the floor, so the floor loses its insulation. That's often the first thing people notice in winter.
Will animals get back in after you fix it?
A sealed belly is the main thing that keeps rodents and other animals out of your floor. We close the openings we find, and if there's skirting damage letting them under the home, we'll point it out.
A 1-year warranty on every re-level, underbelly and subfloor job.
Every re-level, underbelly repair, saggy floor and subfloor job we do comes with a 1-year warranty. If you have a question about the work afterward, you call Adam directly, not a call center.
Belly torn or hanging down?
Send Adam a photo by text and tell us where the home is. We'll come take a look, and the estimate is free.