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Manufactured Home Mould
[Aug. 31, 2003]
Q.
I recently (~9 months ago) purchased a new manufactured home (my first one).
Last week we had an unusual rain storm and rain entered the vent
on the outside wall of the garage. The rain seeped down through
the insulation and drained on the floor of the garage. I'm
concerned that we may be at risk for mould. We are still under
warrantee and the manufacture said that he would probe the wall to
see if the insulation was still wet. My question is, will this
probe suffice or does this require additional inspection/action?
A. I
hope you have corrected whatever problem was wrong that enabled
water to enter through the vent. A probe inspection is inadequate if it
does not enable the inspector to use fiber optics to see inside
the walls and ceilings. The inside of walls, ceilings, and
floors that got wet for more than 24 hours need to be inspected
visually for mould growth with a fiber optics inspection device.
In addition, air samples for mould testing purposes will need to
be taken from [drawn by air pump] all affected interior wall,
ceiling, and floor cavities. You need the services of a
Certified Mould Inspector [
Mould
Profession
]. If you value your family's health, do not accept a
second-rate inspection by the manufacturer of your home.
You also need to know
how seriously and where your home is mould contaminated. Your
first step to solve the problem is to mould test the air of each
room, basement, crawl space, attic, and the outward air flow
from each heating/cooling duct register for the possible
presence of elevated levels of airborne mould spores, in
comparison to an outdoor mould control test. Elevated mould levels
signify a possible serious mould infestation problem and health
threat. To use our do it yourself mould test kits, visit:
Mould Mart. To
know how to do mould remediation safely and effectively, please
visit:
Mould Removal
[June 15,
2003]
Q. About 10 years ago my elderly parents had a modular home installed
on their property and within 4 years mould started appearing on the ceilings and
medicine cabinet. Ten years later it is terrible. One room had a ceiling that is almost black. I had
no knowledge of this until March when my terminally ill sister was moved there.
When she died in May my mom gave me some of her things, which I put in the
garage. Yesterday I went out and was going to sort them and the mould smell was
terrible!! What should I do to help them...seems they haven't done anything
about it, even though everyone is telling them it is deadly! Is this going to
contaminate my garage. Also I have a TV I loaned
my sister to use. Should I keep it out of my house?
A. You need to find a mould safe place for your parents
to live temporarily while their home is completely mould inspected and mould remediated. With the large
amount of visible mould,
the house probably contains even more mould hidden above the
ceiling, in walls, floors, heating/air conditioning ducts, crawl
space beneath the home, and in their personal possessions. Do
not move any of their possessions or clothing to their temporary
residence until all such items have been effectively mould
decontaminated in accordance with the very precise instructions
provided in our book Mould Health Book.
As far as the items received that belonged to your deceased
sister, leave them in the garage until they have been safely and
completely mould decontaminated---or throw them away. After you
have moved your parents to mould-safe quarters, hire a Mould
Professional.
to completely inspect and mould test the home. With as much
visible mould as there is already in the modular home, and the
extra difficulties of removing mould from a modular home, it is
very possible that mould remediation can cost more than the home
is even worth.
[Jan. 23, 2002]
Q.
We are in the process of purchasing a
pre-fab mobile home. It is a wooden structure that sat on a lot for 5 months in two pieces before it was moved to our property. We have discovered that the house is infested with carpenter ants and there are large water stains under the carpeting. Would this be evidence of black mould? We are scheduled to close on the house and need to make sure we are protected.
A.
The mobile home's water stains are an indication of a possible serious water problem, and, therefore, of a possible of a potential mould infestation. You should have the water stain tested, the air inside the manufactured homes, the heating and
air conditioning system inspected and inspected by a Certified Mould Inspector. Don't close on the purchase of this manufactured home without knowing whether you are buying a manufactured mould hell.
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