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spcampbell
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# Posted: 11 May 2026 11:47am
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I am winterizing a 50 yr old cabin that us built on ~ 16 piers and would appreciate ideas on best wall/ceiling insulation and skirting methods .
The cabin had simple horizontal siding attached to the exterior of the studs. There is no plywood or other in between. I’m concerned about trapping moisture in the walls once a Vapor barrier and internal paneling is applied .
Re skirting , I’m leaning towards framing between the exposed piers leaving 2-3” open above the ground to plug with compressible foam. Is that enough to allow for frost heaving to not damage the frames? Any other ideas
Thank you!
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rpe
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# Posted: 12 May 2026 06:59am
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For skirting I built fence board panels that hang on french cleats fixed to the support beam. The bottom of the panels is kept several inches above summer ground level. In our Ontario waterfront property, frost heave can be 4-6" in places, buckling previous skirt attempts. The french cleat idea makes these panels easily removable for quick access to the inevitable collection of items that end up stored underneath.
Funny story - neighbour stored his ATV under the cottage, as it fit with a few inches clearance in the fall. In early spring he tried to remove it, and found frost heave had pinned up hard up against the floor joists. He needed to wait a few weeks for frost to leave before he could extract it!
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wilsonkyler
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# Posted: 24 Jul 2026 08:34am
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I like the removable panel idea. I'm actually planning to stop by Home Depot this weekend because I need to pick up some rigid foam insulation, treated lumber, and fasteners for a similar project. Being able to take the skirting off for inspections or repairs sounds a lot more practical than building something permanent, especially if frost heave is common.
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DRP
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# Posted: 24 Jul 2026 07:55pm
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what happens if you use foundation form stakes and a treated 2x6 fastened to that, build a form outside of the panel. It would block the lower gap and move with the heave but is not attached to the panel.
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rpe
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# Posted: 26 Jul 2026 10:16am
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Quoting: DRP what happens if you use foundation form stakes and a treated 2x6 fastened to that, build a form outside of the panel. It would block the lower gap and move with the heave but is not attached to the panel.
That might work. I've seen similar skirting for mobile homes that has telescoping panels that are interlocked. This is supposed to allow for frost movement while keeping the critters out. I know on my property this solution would be a struggle, as the ground has veins of clay that promote lots of frost heave. Some areas will rise only an inch or two, and others nearby will move double or triple that amount.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 28 Jul 2026 08:25am
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Dont skirt. Just insulate the floor. Your floor will be alot warmer and not have to mess with frost against your skirting or moisture problems.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 28 Jul 2026 08:48am - Edited by: gcrank1
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And critters wont take up residence
You will have a good view of how thing are going under there too
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DRP
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# Posted: 28 Jul 2026 02:23pm
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And you will have lost another opportunity to brace the piers.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 28 Jul 2026 04:14pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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If you have concerns about surviving a wildfire you may want to skirt with proper ventilation.
Our fire marshall and the hot shot wildfire crew chief both said that one reason, of many, that our cabin survived the wildfire that swept through our mountain property in 2022 was that the cabin was skirted with metal (ribbed roofing panels cut to fill in around the full perimeter). We have lots of venting that is screened with wildfire approved metal mesh. The floor is insulated. The skirted crawl space is free of all moisture. The framing was constructed to be not touching the soil and there is metal mesh that blocks the space between the shear wall bottoms and the soil.
The fire marshall had advised skirting some years after we built, as did another hotshot crew chief a few years later. So we added the skirting.
Other protective factors include, metal roof, cement fiber lap siding, cement fiber trim boards, fascia and soffits, no brush within 30 feet. Three outbuildings that were not built with the same attention to fire resistance burned. They were 20 feet to the east and west of the cabin.
A neighbor with the same skirting also had his cabin survive whereas two other neighbors without fire resistant skirting lost their cabins.
And my piers are well braced with PT framing and PT plywood shear walls between piers in both the length and width orientations. Short (in height) walls, blessed by an engineer, although not officially endorsed and stamped. I think the blessing included a better than nothing clause.  . The shear walls were added post-construction after talking with the engineer.
I do think about wildfires more than some folks do, but then since 2008 (the year of the cabin build) we have experienced 5 fires that came too close for comfort, including the 2022 fire that swept right through our property. Make that 6 if we count this June, but that was 3.5 miles with a good fire buffer between us and it.
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wilsonkyler
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# Posted: 3 Aug 2026 07:40am
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Quoting: wilsonkyler I like the removable panel idea. I'm actually planning to stop by Home Depot this weekend because I need to pick up some rigid foam insulation, treated lumber, and fasteners for a similar project. Being able to take the skirting off for inspections or repairs sounds a lot more practical than building something permanent, especially if frost heave is common.
If anyone is interested, before my trip I found Home Depot coupons on this site.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 3 Aug 2026 11:18am
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Who said you needed to brace the piers? It could still be done any way.
Metal skirting isnt insulation and could still be done with an insulated floor. We dont get fires here but if I did I would use metal skirting.
The benefits of insulating the floor is you get warm floors, you doing trap moisture or cold, and if done right will out live skirting that typically gets banged up.
I hear it many times that you need to skirt the piers to keep the heat in. This dosnt work as your still loosing a ton of heat through the floor into the ground under the building.
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spencerin
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# Posted: 7 Aug 2026 09:58pm - Edited by: spencerin
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Where are you planning on putting the vapor barrier? It sounds like underneath the interior siding, but it should be underneath the exterior siding, no?
My skirting is ag panel siding, and where I am is subject to frost heave. I haven't had the heave buckle the skirting. But, what you want to do should still be sufficient, just wondering if it's necessary. It may be depending upon on the material your skirting is made of.
What are you peers made of? PT wood, or concrete? Mine are PT wood and I think that the skirting provides some protection for the piers against moisture, accidental lawn mower damage, etc. If your piers are concrete, skirting wouldn't make a difference in this regards, and you'll be better off just insulating the floor only as previously suggested. Yes, you do have to concern yourself to a degree with moisture management, and possibly critters, if you have skirting. But also, skirting can complement floor insulation because it lessens airflow under the structure so in cold temps it's warmer in the crawlspace due to geothermal heat than it is outside.
As far as the best insulation? All methods have their pros and cons. What's your budget, and what are your expectations?
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