[Lifechangedbymold]

Hi everyone,

After everything is done with my law suit, I would like to build a new house. I know that you can not make the house mold-free but I would sure like to try to have it built with as little mold as possible. Does anyone know where I can get a book or some resources on how to build this type of house? Thanks so very much!!!

[linday]

If you are involved in a lawsuit then you should have PLENTY of time to do research on how to build a healthy mold free house. I know they make sheetrock now that is suppose to be mold resistant, you can use those metal things to frame instead of wood, there's something called AgION
that you can supposedly coat things with so they don't mold, don't put carpet in your basement, make sure you have really good exhaust fans in your bathrooms, I don't know. I doubt there is really anyway to have a mold free home but I am sure there are things that can be done to help. When we rebuilt our hall bath, we put ceramic tile in it and even put the tile under the tub and vanity and we tiled the inside of the vanity on the base part and then one layer of tile around the inside. I figured that way if it ever leaked it wouldn't be touching the wood. There is a book called "My House Is Killing Me" by Jeffrey C May that has some good suggestions in it for a healthy home. I had started trying to figure out how to build a new healthy house but then realized that I will probably be dead before our lawsuit is over so I stopped researching about it. Take Care, Linda

[Lifechangedbymold]

Thanks so very much!! I was doing some research and I was wondering about steel framing and concrete. I know a local buider that can build a home with concrete. He uses styrofoam forms and pours concrete in them. He told me that he could take to walls right up to the roof. If he then uses steel studs and mold resistant sheetrock, could this help against mold?

Thanks again!

[Toxic]

Absolutely. I remember in Asia they used styrofoam insulation. I have it in one of my homes here and it is mold free. By the way, it it insulated very well and I have had a few contractors do work on that particular house and they said it was one of the best built homes they had ever seen.

Cheers,
Susan
_________________
The information on this website is strictly layman's advice and should not be construed as professional information. For more information, please view our online resources at www.mold-help.org, www.mold-help.com, and www.mold-survivor.com before posting your question. Additionally, for a small donation we can call you for assistance. See front page of www.mold-help.org for more information.

[pkropp]

Just a hint about concrete.

Use 5500 PSI concrete or higher. And if you really want to stop moisture use good quality concrete sealer also. (Not something you buy at Lowe's or Home Depot) Use a Monolithic pour for your entire slab and don't let them put an acrylic anything on the slab.

Have them put rebar on 9 inch centers. This will greatly reduce cracking.

My boss used 8000 PSI concrete on 9 inch centers for his new bathroom. it took the 4 hour to jackhammer a floor drian. Very hard and very dense.
_________________
Paul Kropp
Endur-O-Seal USA, Inc.
http://www.concretesealers.com

[Toxic]

I agree with Paul. Enduro-Seal has some great preventative maintenance products that you may seriously want to consider. I don't endorse anything unless I absolutely believe in it, and I love these products. At the risk of sounding cliche, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; and I think anyone on this board would agree with me.

Cheers,
Susan
_________________
The information on this website is strictly layman's advice and should not be construed as professional information. For more information, please view our online resources at www.mold-help.org, www.mold-help.com, and www.mold-survivor.com before posting your question. Additionally, for a small donation we can call you for assistance. See front page of www.mold-help.org for more information.

[witsend]

Not sure if it was pkropp who mentioned something about a coating for concrete. We have completed remediation and are waiting for re-building to begin. We have a cracked slab foundation. I would be interested in knowing if there are any products that would reduce moisture. I have been trying to convince my husband to give up on the idea of carpeting - I am worried that it is a resevoir for mold. He wants to carpet the family room (30x30). We went to a home show and found an insulation product that claims to be mold resistant. Our hygenist says it is only resistant until the boric acid loses effectiveness. We are stuck with this house - no other financial means to move or tear down. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[pkropp]

Witsend,

You can e-mail or call me through the website that is in my signature. Ask for Paul. We have epoxy for the crack and sealers for the concrete.
_________________
Paul Kropp
Endur-O-Seal USA, Inc.
http://www.concretesealers.com

[Moldergeist]

Visited this board many times when going thru mold nightmare with home years ago (bad aspergillus/penicillium & other molds). Home is now gone & I've been continuing to fight to get health & life back. Only wasted 6 yrs of life so far & lost horrendous amounts of $$'s and belongings - like many other mold victims. Nonetheless am lucky to be alive (this web Mold Help helped a lot) and able to at least work part time.

Have moved literally over 300 times (if you count all the different local hotel rooms, apts, rooms for rent, etc. I've tried) in last 6 years. Am on 2nd mold doc (went to Marinkovich this time & no doubt he is good). Both docs said "get away from the stuff". Great advice, but finding a healthy place to live in central Texas is like wining the lottery. Having the wherewithall to magically not cross contaminate a clean place (if you find one) when you are sick every night & day is like winning the lottery twice in one month (and buying one ticket each time). Note the treatments (sproanox et al) work great if you can get away from the stuff, but I've been completely unable to do this for sustained period - just one week in brand new hotel while on business trip 4-5 years ago.

Have know for years that eventually I'll need to have something custom built, but when sick & fighting to keep job and continuing to look for new place to live it's impossible to do this in timely manner. I've done extensive web search and info on building a mold free home is non-existent. I read some of the sick home books a few years back so I know basics - i.e., no carpeting, use metal ducts, leather furniture (vice upholstered furniture, etc.) but that's about it.

A year ago I tried CPAP system (with bacterial filter) & thought I had at least found a way to get clean air into my nose & lungs at night time (which is when the symptoms always come with a vengence so I'm dead tired all day). The CPAP with bacterial filter worked unbelievably well for a few nights, but was never the same again (danged mold got into in). I tried rigging a small HEPA filter (from small vacuum cleaner) with plumbing & duct tape to keep bad air out of the device but no such luck. I know my rig job was not HEPA quality, but when you are sick all the time you can only do so much.

I'm willing to spend time in hospitals if I could find someone who could help me get into a clinic that has clean air. In addition, I've read about croup tents for chronically ill patients & wish someone would design something like this for mold patients (that you can fit a bed in) so we can have a decent place to sleep while trying to find long term healthy place to live.

At this point I'm looking to get a used mobile home and trying to renovate one bedroom and make it mold free. Planning to purchase top quality IQAir home filtration system, install metal ducts, hardwood flooring, etc. Can anyone provide advice on what to do regarding walls, flooring, ceiling materials & insulation (planning to tear out existing interior walls & insulation to make sure nothing is behind them).

Sorry for long post. The "finding a clean place to live" or even a way to get clean air into nose & lungs at night (I've tried all the best air filter systems to no avail) is the hardest part of getting well.

[Moldpro]

To prevent mold growth in any structure you need to control moisture. Without excess moisture mold wont' grow.

Pick products that are not made with cellulose components. In most homes the drywall has cardboard, insulation has paper backing. You can find alternative products that do not use chopped up wood bits in their construction.

Cabinetry should be kept up off the floor, and at a minimum get melamine coated boxes and solid wood frames and doors if not some other type of non-wood products.

Air flow is important in eliminating dead areas where dampness can sit and cause growth on clothing or laundry.

Use top quality plumbing parts, lots of nail blocks, and put catch basins and floor drains in areas with washing machines and water heaters. Around the ice maker line too.
_________________
General Building Contractor, Formerly IAQA Certified Mold Remediator, RE Broker, Formerly IESO Certified Residential Mold Inspector.
Richard's office # 858-279-7800
Keep it clean and dry!

[Moldergeist]

Moldpro, thx - your first line reminded me about rumors of new HVAC systems that control humidity levels as well as home temperature. Must look into those kinds of systems.

As for the "non-cellulose" products these seem hard to find without a bit more info. Can you pls give an example of a wall panel and/or insultation substitute that can be used in lieu of drywall/standard insulation that is "without cellulose" (name would help speed up internet search & I'll report back what I find)? In addition, do you know of any wall/ceiling materials that can be used without paint (e.g., something like hardwoord flooring, but used for wall covering - I'm guessing the acoustics will be atrocious, but health is primamry concern now)?

Thx again.

[Dee]

Moldergeist: You said you were in Texas, have you been to the EHC (Dr. Rea) I was wondering what you thought of the air quality there. Thanks Dee

[Moldergeist]

Dee: Marinkovich mentioned Dr. Rea during one of my appts. I was planning to set up appt in next few months. Will report back on what I find (including air quality).

[Moldergeist]

Dee,

Thank you for Dr. Rea tip - some very good info on EHC website including a book on Designing and Building a Healthy Home or Office. In years of "Googling" I never saw this before.

In addition, I was shocked to see they have an eco-friendly village (clean air, water, etc. type rooms) for patients to live in (something I've also been looking years to find).

[suggi]

What is ECH??

[Moldergeist]

Sorry still too much "brain fog" I've edited my previous post - should have been EHC for Environmental Health Center in Dallas, TX (not ECH that I had incorretly typed).

[Moldpro]

Sorry to be so slow to reply, been busy around here. Instead of standard sheetrock, new types are out there now. I believe its called Dense Armor, or Dense shield. Additionally there are cementious based products like Hardibacker panels.
_________________
General Building Contractor, Formerly IAQA Certified Mold Remediator, RE Broker, Formerly IESO Certified Residential Mold Inspector.
Richard's office # 858-279-7800
Keep it clean and dry!

[GoTimothy2]

I think that we are supposed to live in houses of clay. Mold cannot grow on clay There is no money in clay, there is more money in wooden houses from the logging industry. You can make a house out of animal mineral or vegetable. The best house is made of mineral. If you want to make your house of of dead animals or rotting vegetables, that is your choice, but a house made of mineral will last thousands of years. Houses in the Arizona desert are made from clay and some of them are 500 years old or older. Its not just the mold. Rotting wood has hundreds of microorganisms living in it.
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Copywrite 2005 By Timothy Allen Campbell

[neeterb]

I did much research into getting my mom a trailer, it's just too risky. I don't want her to end up in the same situation that she was in--mold in over 55% of her trailer. You couldn't even see it. It was in the walls, floors and ceiling. She bought it new, when they were moving it, apparently they broke beams in the ceiling and walls, the company she bought the trailer from (Oakwood) sold her loan to another co., which in exchange, changed her insurance policy-that they didn't cover any damages that may have occurred while the home was in transit. 12 yrs. of paying insurance, down the drain-claim denied. I've talked to many contractors, got labor and materials quotes. For a 1b 1b stickbuilt home-760 sq. ft. dried in, labor and all-$$8,000.00, finished$13,000.00 It seems building a home instead of getting a pre-fab trailer is the best way to go. This way, you know what you're paying for, with accountability. Something that is much more reassuring than a pre-fab trailer. My advice, stay away from trailers new or used. You can spend the same amt. of $$ either way, but with a stick built home(NEW) you know what you're paying for. You just have to seeto it that accountability is practised. Another lesson I've learned is not to do business with non-christians. It's about accountability. Chrisitians answer to a HIGHER AUTHORITY. That you can count on! Compassion and mercy is a key to recovery. The LORD will build my momma a house. FAITH...FAITH...FAITH I trust our Heavenly Father! Thru tribulation we find truth.
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God works in mysterious ways. Everything happens for a reason. Our Heavenly Father has a devine purpose for each of His Children. You need to stay in His Word and discover yours...