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Using Ozone to Clean up Toxins

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Effectiveness of Ozone Generators 

Ozone kills mould on surfaces, eliminates many VOCS and odours such as perfume. It can also remediate smoke smell in certain materials. It is most effective at high levels which people refer to as "shock treatments".

I'm using the PT101-2K Ozone Generator (covers 3500 sq. ft. for odours, 400 sq ft for mould) which I recommend. 

My Camplite trailer became contaminated when the countertop went mouldy. I washed down the walls and aired it out, but porous materials including the bedding and flooring were still a big concern of mine. 


The floor and plastics also still gave off a chemical smell. 

Other sensitive people were reacting to the chemical smell. 


My Results


- Chemical smell in trailer reduced after a few treatments

- Can go into trailer without any reaction now but there was also lots of airing out for months
- Smell removed from funky smelling fabric (towel that had a smell that washing would not remove). - Gave some fabrics like wool and cotton a strange smell. 

Results From my Network on Healclick and Facebook:

One Healclick user found it really useful in the car. She says: "I was reacting very badly to the car and it smelled like perfumed cleaning chemicals. I just couldn't be in the car unless I really had to. Now the smell is gone." I have heard the same experience on Facebook as well - ozone helping a lot with fragrance in a car. Two other Healclick users found it useful to shock a room or tent, and to "flash" belongings before any toxins could take hold. These two Healclick users I know well and they are extremely reactive to mould. 

I think this is very useful if fragrance and smoke smell are your big concerns. It is very good to clean up some VOCs as well. I wish I had this when I first bought the Camplite to get rid of the new chemical smell and could have made it usable a lot sooner. I will also continue to use this on funky smelling clothing, to flash the trailer after people use it, and on friends cars and trailers as needed. I will update the post as I continue to use it.


You have to be sure you are using it safely and understand the limitations -

Safety


- Ozone is a toxic gas. People and pets should not be in the building when an ozone machine is on
- Ozone cannot remove carbon monoxide or formaldehyde (EPA)

- Ozone needs to be 5-10 x above safe levels for humans to impact bacteria and mould (Shoemaker)
- The place should be aired out after using ozone to make sure that the gas is not inhaled. Ozone is unstable and will quickly dissipate. If other VOCs form (see below) then it is necessary to air out the place for a while.
- One reason government health sites do not recommend the machines is that the shock treatment used to get rid of toxins is a very harmful level if inhaled. Even the low levels recommended by some manufacturers is probably harmful to anyone sensitive to toxins. So there is a risk if someone does not know how to use it safely. It is possible they are also wary because of the negative reaction outlined below. In many conventional houses, it might not be possible to avoid all those reactions.

Limitations

- It cannot get into porous materials to remove mould or chemicals (EPA)
- It will not help with chlorinated hydrocarbons (vinyl, plastics etc.) (EHC)
- Some say 
it kills mould spores but does not denature the toxins (EHC). Thesetwo studies show it can denature the toxins. It can still be a good idea to HEPA vacuum after ozoning (note: you can also add a HEPA filter to a shop vac).
- May not work on clothes and shoes (Shoemaker)

Negative Reactions

Ozone reacts negatively with some compounds creating more VOCS. Some of the substances it reacts to are:
- New carpets (EPA)
- Active tobacco smoke (EPA)
- Terpenes (to form formaldehyde) (CDH)
- Styrene (EHC)
- Floor finish that contains pinine (Shoemaker)

Side Effects 

High doses of ozone used to really clear out toxins will also degrade or harm certain materials such as:
- Plants
- Rubber
- Coating of electrical wires
- Fabric
- Some Artwork
(EPA)

Sources:

EPA: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html
CDA: http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/environmental_health/eoha/pdf/ozone_generator_fact_sheet.pdf
EHC: http://www.environmentalhealth.ca/summer96ozone.html
Shoemaker: http://www.survivingmold.com/legal-resources/environmental/ozone-generators-and-interior-mold-remediation-a-recipe-for-disaster

Modular Tiny Homes for the Chemically Sensitive

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Here are some simple, small modular homes or shelters for the chemically sensitive.

Metal Yurts


http://cleanairyurts.com/our-yurts/yurt-homes/
The metal yurt from Clean Air Yurts is 18 ft in diameter. The shell is made of galvanized steel coated in zinc. The door is metal as well.

You would need to build a foundation and choose materials for the exterior and interior, provide insulation and wiring and plumbing (if desired). Though you could just leave it as a steel structure. The yurt can be assembled in one day and can be taken down and moved if needed.

The cost of the metal yurt is 10K




Grain Bin Home 

http://www.sukup.com/Buildings/144/Safe-T-
These Grain Bin Homes are also 18 inches in diameter and made of galvanized steel. There is room for a loft and it has louvers that can collect rain water if desired. Other options include solar panels. It does not come with options for interior/exterior or foundation, so those would be up to you.

The homes are around 10K but there is a big discount for non-profits who are purchasing them.



SIPs Prefabricated Dome 

ecobuiltsystems.com
Eco Built Systems makes these really promising little MgO based modular homes. The walls are SIPs made of MgO, basalt, glass fibers and mineral foam. They claim they give off no VOCs. Because these are prefabricated homes they reduce construction time compared with a tiny home. They claim they cut down on construction time by 40%.

They are being manufactured for distributors now. So you will have to find a distributor to order on. The 20 ft dome is 38K.




Wooden Treehouse

http://treehouses.com
From Out N' About, a company that rents out treehouses, sells plans and parts, this 16' Treezebo Hexagon could be a great non-toxic home.

The plans for the treehouse are $450 and that includes a 3-hour consultation. The metal parts are $2000-2500 and the wood would come to around 5-10k, not including materials for wiring and plumbing.






Arched Cabins


http://www.archedcabins.com
The basic kit for Arched Cabins includes floor plates, ribs, ridge beam, standard insulation R13, Super Span Roof Paneling (metal), trim and fasteners needed to assemble the cabin. This does not include the foundation, installation, interior, end caps, and delivery.

The 12x12 which has room for kitchen and bathroom is $2708. It includes the basic kit plus a fireplace thimble, Super Span Roof Panels color upgrade, and R25 insulation.

This is a simple, mostly metal kit that you could then customise to be chemical-free on the inside. 


Intershelter Domes


http://www.intershelter.com
These cool domes are easy to transport and assemble and have a lifespan of 30 years.

They are made of a fiberglass composite material which the company says does not emit an odour. Some sensitive people say fibreglass needs some time to offgas and others find it ok fairly soon after production. 

The domes start at  $7,500 for the 14' model.






Non-Toxic Grout and Thinset Mortar

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I just had the tiling done in my tiny house bathroom and in the process learnt a lot about chemical-free grouts and thinset mortars.

DITRA over the first layer of thinset
I used Custom building Products' Thin Set Mortar which is zero-VOC (and mildewcide-free). It had a bit of a smell when wet but seemed fine once dry. You want a water-based thinset that is not mixed with latex or acrylic additives. Avoid the toxic epoxy thinsets. Avoid mastics as well.

Another non-toxic thinset to try is C-Cure 911 which does not have synthetic additives

These non-toxic thinsets are more prone to cracking than ones with additives. 

Over the first layer of thinset I used Schluter DITRA, an uncoupling membrane that will help prevent cracking when my tiny house moves.

If you just need a waterproofing membrane use Schluter Kerdi. These are both made out of polyethylene and do not have a smell. They will act as a vapour barrier if your subflooring is toxic.

My completed tiled bathroom!
I used this grout, the same brand as the thinset, which is also zero-VOC and contains no mildewcides or antimicrobials. It comes in sanded and unsanded and in different colours. It barely had a smell, though it does have polymers (probably latex) which may not be tolerable to some.

If that one is not tolerable, Hydroment is recommended for people with sensitivities. However, it has a small amount of latex additives and contains mildewcide. You can make your own with Portland Cement (no additives) mixed with sand, lime and water for a totally chemical-free grout. Here are the ratios.

Sanded grout contains silica (the same substance as glass) which is harmful to breathe in when in dust form. Use a N95 mask (or better) when mixing it until it is fully mixed. This is completely safe when it is no longer in dust form.

I used concrete tiles from Morocco. For more on choosing non-toxic tiles see my post on bathrooms.

I sealed the concrete tiles and grout with AFM Safecoat Penetrating Water Stop. Grout is porous and should be sealed regularly to prevent mould. If just sealing grout (and not tiles) use AFM Safecoat Grout Sealer.



How to Bring Down Chemical and Mould Sensitivities

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This post will be a short detour from building material to talk about detox. It can be much easier to bring down sensitivities then to try and avoid all toxins. Even if you are not extremely sensitive you may want to build more resiliency and do more out there in the real world. Everything on this list is something that has helped me or people I know to bring down chemical sensitivities. 
source: http://healthactivity.net

I brought down my sensitives quite a bit with the following methods: first I removed my amalgams at a biological dentist. Then I started gently with chlorella and some activated charcoal. Of course, I was in my non-toxic tiny house with good outdoor air so it was the perfect environment to detox in. 

I then started a full Shoemaker course of Cholestyramine. Which was intense but immediately brought down brain fog and increased my energy. My sensitivities came down by the end of the course. I then brought in  Alpha Lipoic Acid which helped my sleep quite a bit. 

The next addition was Bulletproof Upgraded Glutathione Force which brought down my sensitivities some more. Currently, I have added Liposomal Vitamin CMolybdenum and CBD oil and my sensitivities to chemicals are still improving. That is what worked for me, but there are a lot of different ways to approach detox. 

The best approach is probably to try something from each category. The people doing well often used binders, antioxidants, and sauna or coffee enemas. Being in a non-toxic house first does seem to be very important before starting any of the more intense detoxification methods.

Here are of some of the options:

Antioxidants:

Alpha Lipoic Acid - An antioxidant that also assists in heavy metal detox. User accounts say wait until you are detoxing well and are not getting backup symptoms like fatigue, headache, or queasiness before starting.

Liposomal Vitamin C - Vitamin C helps detox the liver of free radicals.

Bulletproof Upgraded Glutathione Force - Helps your body remove toxins, including environmental toxins such as mould. Also assists with heavy metal detox. 


Binders: 

Different binders pull out different toxins. Many people use 3 at a time for intensive detox periods. If you are healthy and want to minimise heavy metals you can use the gentler ones for upkeep or when you are eating fish (like chlorella, pectin). If you are extremely sensitive you should start with those as well, since they are gentle. 

Activated Charcoal - Binds to a wide range of toxins including mould, but also binds to minerals so it is tricky to space out with food. Takesumi Supreme is a bamboo charcoal.

Bentonite Clay - Binds to a range of toxins including mould. 

Zeolite - A mineral that binds to a number of toxins and metals.

Chlorella - Binds to mercury, mould and other toxins. Does not interfere with nutrient absorption. I had trouble with the iodine content in it.

Modifilan - A seaweed extract, binds to heavy metals amongst other toxins. Also contains iodine. 

Cholestyramine (CSM) - prescription drug, promoted by Shoemaker for removing toxins including mycotoxins. The most powerful of the binders. Binds to a wide range of toxins and is especially effective for mould. Particularly ochratoxin.

Welchol  - The prescription alternative for those who cannot tolerate CSM. 

Psyllium - A fibre that binds to bile and the toxins contained within. 

Chitosan - Similar action to that of CSM, Welchol and Psyllium, in that it binds to bile, pulling toxins from the liver. It is made from prawn shells. Chitosan and Psyllium are less effective than the prescriptions. 

Modified Citrus Pectin - A likely very well tolerated binder made from pectin. Binds to heavy metals without interfering with nutrients.

Other:


toolsforwellness.com
Coffee enemas - Detox by producing more bile and stimulating glutathione. More info here.

Infrared Sauna - Toxins are released through the sweat. If you can handle heat, this is a low-cost high returns option.

Exercise - Detox through sweating and stimulating the lymph system.

Micro-Minerals - Having adequate minerals will prevent toxic metals from binding.

Molybdenum - A mineral extremely important for detoxification.

Calcium-d-glucarate - Helps more toxins to be excreted through bile. Noted to be helpful for trichothecene.

Herbal: 

The producer of Immunothrive claims that it helped her reduce her mould sensitivities. 

A herbalist well known for his treatment of Lyme disease provides this formula for bringing down mould sensitivities. 

Chelation:


Chelation IVs tend to be hard to tolerate for those who have MCS but there are a couple more gentler options:

DMSA and EDTA can both be taken by suppository. 

DMPS  and DMSA can be used with the frequent, low dose, oral chelation protocol by Dr. Cutler. Here is the protocol. ALA is also a used in this protocol. DMSA can be bought without a prescription. 





Methylation: 

Methylation is used for many functions in the body, including removing heavy metals, improving energy, and increasing glutathione. It is a protocol that should help the body rebuild its detox systems. The Yasko protocol is the most well known, and she offers her book for free online. There is also a forum that is very helpful, though this protocol is best done with a doctor because of its complexity. There is also a simplified methylation protocol.

Brain Retraining:

I'm seeing a lot a people make huge improvements with brain retraining. It seems that once one is in a non-toxic environment, and detox has been added, the brain can still overreact to very small amounts of toxins. This program seems to be helping to re-train the brain to respond in healthier ways. The Gupta programme is one of these programs that I have seen people do really well with.

Non-Toxic Furniture

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Non-Toxic Furniture

We will take a look at some non-toxic options for sofas, tables, chairs, desks and other household furnishings. Many of the same stores that offer sofas also offer a wide range of other home furnishings. For mattresses and bedframes see my post on mattresses and bedding


Non-Toxic Sofas and Couches


For upholstered furniture you want to look for:


-Natural cushion fill such as natural latex, cotton, down and wool 

-No chemical treatments on the fabric (such as stain and water resistant coatings)
-Solid woods 
-Zero or low-VOC glues
-No flame retardants 

If you want a simple bench see my custom made sofa here



urbannaturals.com
GreenSofas: Start at $1600

They have an option to use natural latex. They use solid woods and low-VOC glues. No flame retardants in the latex and Greenguard certified fabric protection.


Urban Natural: Start at $1700

Their most natural line features 100% natural latex cushions, organic wool, organic cotton, and natural fabrics. No flame retardants.


viesso.com

Elka Home: Start at $2000

They use natural latex, solid woods, organic GOTS fabrics with no added chemicals, zero-VOC adhesives, no flame retardants.

Viesso: Start at $2000

Natural latex and wood used, natural fabrics with no added chemicals, hardwoods, low-VOC adhesives. No flame retardants. 



ciscobrothers.com
Urbangreenfurniture: Start at $2500

They carry Cisco's sofas made with the Inside Green option which uses natural latex or wool, certified woods, organic fabrics, low-VOC stains, no flame retardants.

Cisco Brothers: Start at $2500

Have locations throughout the US and Canada. Any of their sofas can be made with the inside green option. You can also order online from some of the sellers.

Non-Toxic Tables and Chairs: 
Urban Natural


For chairs and tables look for solid wood (with zero-VOC stains and varnishes) and zero or low-VOC adhesives. For some people the terpenes in wood might not be tolerable. Low odour woods are preferable to pine, cedar and douglas fir. Avoid laminated wood, plywood and MDF board.

Many of the same companies above offer green furniture. For example:

Urban Natural use either natural oils and beeswax finish or a zero-VOC water-based catalysed varnish finish. The glues vary by manufacturer. One brand uses a Cradle-to-Cradle certified (toxicity level yellow) glue. 

UrbangreenfurnitureTheir wood furniture is treated with low-VOC stains. They use non-toxic, low-VOC glues.

Viesso - Uses low-VOC or linseed oil finishes. (Linseed oil has an odour that might not be tolerable to some). Low-VOC glues.


Vintage or reclaimed wooden furniture might be tolerable for some if you are sure it hasn't been refinished recently with conventional products, and it has not been exposed to chemical cleaning products, smoke, mould, or other chemical substances.




Here are a few ideas for alternatives to wooden tables and chairs:

Glass and metal are generally the safest options. Metal may need to be washed down in order to remove factory oils; powder coated metal is the best option. Hard plastics are fairly safe and are tolerable for most people. With marble tables keep in mind that a resin is used to fill in the fissures and a sealer is often used as well. There is no data on the VOC levels of those sealants.


Click on pics for links:


Non-Toxic Desks


Urban Green
Here are a few ideas for desks:

Solid wood desk (pictured) with a low-VOC finish from Urban Green. Solid wood desks from speciality stores tend to be pricey.

Here are some simple (and affordable) options: 

Solid wood, unfinished - Standard glue, but very little used. 

Metal and Glass, there are a few different styles of metal and glass desks on Amazon that are affordable. Look for powder coated metal. 

Zero-VOC Sheathing

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Here is an overview of low-VOC and zero-VOC sheathing and subflooring options.

Exterior Sheathing

A great option is Georgia-Pacific DensGlass, which is around 3 times cost of OSB. It is very low VOC; they are going for GreenGaurd certification. It is also a lot more mould resistant than OSB or plywood. Make sure with all materials it fits the codes where you live (in terms of high winds and earthquakes). Make sure it is also compatible with your exterior finish.

MgO board is now starting to be used as exterior sheathing. Another zero VOC option. It is heavy, structural and about three times the cost of drywall.

1-by lumber laid diagonally would is another zero-VOC option. This is not an airtight option so humidity and energy issues should be considered. Make sure to use housewrap. Consider double sided housewrap tape so that you get more of an air barrier.

Rigid foam can also be used as exterior sheathing without and ply or OSB. XPS is basically VOC-free but does contain a flame retardant. The other option is Polyiso. The Johns Manville brand does not contain a flame retardant. Here is some info on how to brace when using rigid foam as sheathing. This is not structural and should be checked against local codes.

Subflooring

Exterior grade plywood is superior to interior in terms of offgassing. AdvanTech Subflooring and Georgia Pacific DryGaurd also claim to be lower emitting than typical OSB.

It is possible to use structural cementitious sheeting board as a zero-VOC option however when I did this in my tiny house I needed additional framing support underneath. It worked out well for me. Here is an example of the support you need underneath. This is probably only suitable in a tiny house.

Another green option is 1-by subfloor laid diagonally to the floor joints. The subfloor could be planks or tongue and groove. Here is a little more info and a pic of planks. This is a zero-VOC option but it will cost you quite a bit more. Make sure you use a subfloor adhesive otherwise you will have a very creaky floor. Liquid Nails is the lowest VOC option I have seen at less than 20g/l.

Roof Sheathing (Decking)

Exterior grade plywood, AdvanTech Sheathing (very low emissions) are the best of the conventional options. If there is an air barrier in place the choice of sheathing will not be that important.

Purlins or skip sheathing can also be used as an alternate form of roofing which eliminates the need for solid sheathing and chemicals. This will only work with certain roof types (metal vented attic, in some cases cedar).

Another zero-VOC option is 1x decking butted up to each other. This is how roofs were built before plywood or OSB. This will allow for many types of roofing types over it.

Now Certified as a Building Biologist!

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Hi everyone,

I am now certified as a Building Biologist with the International Institute for Building-Biology and Ecology. The Institute's mission is "to help create healthy homes, schools, and workplaces, free of toxins in the indoor air and tap water, and electromagnetic pollutants."

This certification has helped me deepen my knowledge of how we can create homes that will aid in improving the health of its occupants.


I am available for consultations by phone and email and can assist you with the following areas:
  • Choosing zero-VOC materials for a new build or renovation
  • Selecting non-toxic materials best suited to a tiny house
  • Discussing common trouble areas and mistakes made in the build of tiny homes
  • Sourcing special order zero-VOC materials 
  • Remediating a home that is toxic or scented
  • For those wishing to go GreenGuard Gold, selecting conventionally priced materials that are very low in emissions
  • Working with you and your builder by providing ongoing materials selection and sourcing support throughout your build
  • Tips for building a mold-free home
  • Experience with which materials tend to work best for the most sensitive individuals
  • Selecting non-toxic furniture, decor, bedding and other household items for your home
  • Research into the toxicity profile of specific items or materials you are interested in using
You can also opt for a team approach with a Building Biologist and Engineer to help select the best non-toxic materials that fit the technical needs of your build.

The rate for consultations is $50 per hour. Feel free to email me here.

What Green Certifications Mean for Those With MCS

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Here are some of the most common certifications for VOC levels and what they mean for the chemically sensitive.


Green Label Plus - Certifies "very low" emissions on carpets. They test for 35 compounds listed under California Department of Public Health’s Section 1350. Each product category also includes additional compounds for certification, six for carpet, two for carpet pad, and seven for adhesive. They meet or exceed California’s indoor quality standards for low-emitting products used in commercial settings such as schools and office buildings. Here is the list of their levels of VOCs. I would find these levels to be too high for people with chemical sensitivities.





Green Seal - Follows CARB levels of VOCs (more on CARB below). For example, on paint, this is between 100-300 g/l depending on the type of paint. This is not a low enough level for people with chemical sensitivities.





GreenGaurd - GreenGaurd has two levels of certification, GreenGaurd - 500 μg/m3 total VOCs, and GreenGuard Gold - total VOCs 220 μg/m3. (GreenGuard Children and Schools which also measured for phthalates no longer exists). For reference, the average house has a total VOC level of about 200 μg/m3 and the outdoor rate is about 1/10th of that. GreenGaurd levels claim to keep VOCS below limits that would adversely affect health. However for extremely sensitive people the level in an average house is unacceptable, so GreenGaurd Gold level may not be tolerable. I recommend GreenGuard Gold for people who are healthy but I would always aim for outdoor levels of VOCs for those who are ill. Because it states that the levels are below the given threshold, you don’t know if the product is 220 or 0 μg/m3. You still have to contact the companies to find out what the VOC level is. Note: GreenGuard measures the emissions and not the content in the material so these numbers cannot be converted to g/l.


OSHA Guidelines - CA OSHA has the strictest government guidelines for VOCs in buildings. Here are their limits on VOCs. While CARB and OSHA are definitely steps in the right direction, they promote levels of VOCs that will not cause adverse effects in healthy people. These levels will not be acceptable for the extremely sensitive.

CARB - Establishes a maximum VOC-content for consumer products sold in California. These are not necessarily low VOC. For example, low-VOC paint means less than 50g/l, while CARB levels for paint are 100-300 g/l. (Note: zero-VOC means less than 5g/l)


Certi-Pur - Certifies polyurethane foam. All polyurethane foam can basically meet this level of 0.5 ppm (or 500 μg/m3 total VOCs). They would not give out info on how long it takes to completely offgas. While this certification provides a maximum level of VOCs, some polyurethanes can be as low as 72 μg/m3 which would be an acceptable level for many people. It also certifies that they are made without PBDE flame retardants (although they almost always do contain other flame retardants). They say the are made without formaldehyde but the limit for formaldehyde in the foam is actually 100 μg/m3 (compared to the GreenGaurd Gold limit of 9 μg/m3). They say made without prohibited phthalates (not free of all phthalates).

What Should the Chemically Sensitive Look For

I always choose zero-VOC materials when available. You can find zero-VOC options for wallboards, insulation, siding, sheathing, flooring, paints, sealers, caulking, grout, thin set, tiles, beds, furniture, flashing, windows, roofing, and underlayments.

Also, look for products without flame retardants, biocides, phthalates, and lead. (These are not listed as VOCs).

There are very few areas in which we have to use VOCs such as pipes, some glues, wiring, and appliances. Flame retardants cannot be avoided in appliances and electronics.



To support this blog please consider making your regular Amazon purchases through this link:

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An All Metal Tiny Home

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Here is the tiny house being built for my client right now by Tiny Green Cabins! The house is made with no wood whatsoever, including plywood and OSB! This is ideal for someone sensitive to wood or sensitive to mould. 

Here are the specs:

Size is 8’ x 20’ x 12’-5 1⁄2” tall, with an approximate weight of 9k GVW.

The trailer is a custom welded steel channel beam trailer.

There are options for the paint used on the trailer.

    The frame all ready to go! Photo: Tiny Green Cabins
    Steel Underbelly 2 x 4, 16 gauge joists.
    The cold-formed steel joists are bolted to the trailer frame.

    Walls are framed with 2 x 3 18 gauge cold formed steel studs @ 19.2 on center, fabricated with screws and welded connections. 

    Rain screen (furring) is made of metal (Rain screen in important in case moisture does get into the walls).

    Roof structure is 18 gauge cold formed stacking above joists, fabricated with screws and welded connections. No wood used!

    The loft has metal floor sheathing. Kitchen has a stainless steel sink with metal cabinets and countertops.  Other countertops options can be considered.

    For the bathroom there are different options - yu can have RV hook-ups or a composting toilet andgrey water system. (Nature's Head is the best composting toilet. Others like Sunmar have major issues.)

    There are a few options for windows. I prefer aluminum, but they cannot be sourced everywhere.There are other options  that people tolerate well. Typar zero-VOC window flashing is being used.

    Fabral smooth painted steel to wrap the exterior walls, and Fabral“w” metal roofing for the roof. Metal at walls is riveted and steel roof and trims screwed. Fabral should be tested first to make sure the paint finish is tolerable. Other metal finishes are available with different brands.
      Ceiling is corrugated steel.
      Interior walls are Fabral steel attached with screws.Interior comes in different colours, or can be painted later with metal primer and paint. Caulking is used to prevent water vapour from entering wall cavity.
      Metal flooring is 2 layers of 18 gauge steel layered. Foam is used as a thermal break and insulation.
        Doors are metal and glass.

        Insulation options are XPS foam or Johns Manville foil-backed polyiso (the only foam without flame retardants). Foam is being used as exterior sheathing/thermal break as well. Other materials could be considered for insulation but ridged foam is my top choice. Tyvek tape is used to seal the sheathing if tolerated (if not than Foil tape). I would also caulk the insulation on the inside side for an extra barrier to water vapour entering the walls.

        Heating and cooling a 12-15,000 BTU inverter heat pump, Daikin LV series or Mitsubishi hyper-heat models installed by a HVAC company is recommended. Other heating options such as wall mounted electric heaters or propane RV heater/AC combos (off grid) could be used.

        For a hot water heater we are usingpropane on demand. This is the best way to go for water to keep the house to 50 amps or less.
        Exhaust fans are very important in an all metal house to keep the humidity as low as possible. In the bathroom it should be exterior mounted as to not leak moist air into the ceiling. An ERV could be a good option if you have a composting toilet (this depends on your climate as well). In the kitchen the exhaust fan needs to vent to the outside. A dehumidifier may also be needed if condensation forms on the walls or the mattress becomes damp.

        For appliances, a propane fridge should be considered to reduce electricity needs (2-way or 3-way refrigerators can be good depending on your needs and if you are incorporating solar). An apartment sized stove can be used or else a small convection oven with a cooktop. If you can tolerate propane or alcohol stoves those can be considered for an off the grid house.

        Flooring can be left as metal. Tiles can be considered although this would add considerable weight.  Natural carpet or rugscan be considered as well to cover the metal.


        I can help you work with your builder to come up with a customised list of materials that will work for you and your tiny house. Please see my consulting page for more details and contact info. I recommend Tiny Green Cabins as they specialise in building for people with sensitivities. Thanks to Luke Skaff for help on the technical aspects.

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        Converting a Cargo Van - Chemical & Mould-Free Camper Construction

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        This post will cover converting a cargo van into a camper. I will focus only on a few key areas. The key factor here is insulting in a way that will not go mouldy - as metal walls are the trickiest thing to insulate because of the condensation factor. I will also look at MCS safe materials for the interior, and a few appliances that are recommended by others. Building a camper that will be both mould-free and chemical-free is tricky!

        Keep in mind a cargo van can be anything from a metal box with a bed to a fully decked out camper with a stove, fridge, sink, heater, AC, and even a full bathroom. 

        This will also be a review of the technical aspects of Camp Like a Girl and The Vanual

        Insulating a Cargo Van 

        The most important aspect of creating a mould-free camper is the insulation. Here is the key point: no water vapour can enter the wall cavity. With exterior metal walls, as soon as you are heating the van to the point where the exterior wall will be dewpoint, you have a serious risk of condensation and mould in the walls. So again, no water can enter the walls if you plan to heat your camper. 

        Ridged Foam


        The Vanual
        In Camp Like a Girl, Sara uses some XPS and some EPS insulation. XPS is a vapour barrier (meaning no water can pass through 1.5 inches), and EPS is not. So using XPS foam is one option to insulate your van.  XPS or polyiso with foil backing should be tolerable to those with MCS as they don't offgas. Johns Manville Polyiso is the only foam without flame retardants. 

        However, just the foam on its own will not be airtight. You can used canned spray foam to fill in the gaps if that is tolerable for you. It is not chemical-free but I have found it odourless once dry. Handi-Foam is the safest one, as it is GreenGuard Gold certified.

        If you are putting the plastic covers back on the walls like Camp Like a Girl, I would silicone/caulking around those to make it airtight. The most tolerable caulking is Eco-bond.

        Robert Lawson, another van owner, is trying this strategy to fill in all the gaps: he says: "I have 1-inch polyiso foam on the walls and ceilings. I plan to put Reflectix between the foam sheathing and the steel body so there will not be an air space where condensation could form. I will put another layer of Reflectix on top of the sheathing as well in order to cover all the irregularly shaped frame members."

        Camp Like a Girl also uses insulation in the bed platform to keep the bed warm. Here I would definitely go for insulation that doesn't have flame retardants instead of XPS. But still, I wouldn't recommend this strategy because the mattress should breathe.


        Spray Foam

        Spray Foam is going to be your safest bet for preventing mould, as the foam will get into every crevice and form an airtight layer that will prevent all moisture from getting into the walls. 
        alaskankerryblues.com

        The best spray foams are Heatlock Soy line at Demilic (GreenGuard Gold certified) and Icynene Proseal (GreenGuard Gold certified) (closed cell). Both are polyurethane foams, from reputable companies that are usually easy to source. It must be closed cell, which is a vapour barrier. I recommend these to healthy people who are set on spray foam. I don't usually recommend them to people with MCS because I have heard bad stories (and there are better options for most homes). However, I have an extremely sensitive client who can tolerate Demilic. It is worth considering in a van, especially if you are mould sensitive but not chemically sensitive. You can also then try and put a vapour barrier over this or use metal walls or the plastic coverings to prevent the offgassing from the spray foam from entering your space. 

        Walls and Ceiling

        Metal is your safest bet unless you are putting the plastic covers back on. This all depends on what kind of van, as they are all different. But if you can use metal walls that is your safest bet. For an extra layer of protection, caulk around the seams to prevent moisture from going in the walls. If you are not using spray foam or canned foam, then this caulking sealant around the walls is crucial.

        Sara used PVC ceiling tiles which are toxic, but real tin ceiling tiles could be used as a non-toxic alternative which add a fun look to your metal camper. 

        While The Vanual looks very pretty with its wooden ceiling, but I would avoid plywood as walls, ceiling or subflooring. There are just too many points where the wood hits the metal. If you are intent on getting this look, you would have to have lots of insulation at all the metal ribs to make sure dewpoint would never be hit. If that is possible, then you could use formaldehyde-free plywood with strips of wood over it to get the look in The Vanual. 


        Marmoleum floors
        Floors

        Do not use wood to raise the floor joists as the wood right against the metal will be a recipe for condensation and mould. Ridged foam may be your best bet for floors to solve the thermal bridging there. Or else spray foam between the joists and then use metal flooring.

        Different flooring materials could be considered - metal, which could be painted with different designs for a pretty effect, or covered with rugs, or Marmoleum (if you can tolerate the smell of natural linseed oil). You could also cover it with EVA mats. You could use wood if you are sure you have enough insulation underneath to prevent condensation from forming under the wood. MgO board could be used as subflooring here if you are using Marmoleum or wood. The MgO will crack though.


        Interior Structures: Bed, Cabinets

        The Vanual
        Sara and the Vanual used plywood for their bed bases which contains formaldehyde and also doesn't let the mattress breath. Mattresses are very susceptible to becoming damp in campers. It would be best if the bed base was made of planks that allowed some airflow. The bed should be flipped and checked often for dampness, especially if you cook or shower inside. 

        For cabinets, if you do use plywood, go for a formaldehyde-free plywood like Purebond.



        Ventilation

        You need fans that move air out - one above the shower if you have one, and one in the general space. My CampLite had two fans and we still have problems just with cooking humidity making the mattress wet. The standard camper fans are Fan-tastic.

        Appliances


        The Vanual has some cool tips for solar power, wiring and appliances. If you want to go off-grid you will need solar and you will need to tolerate a fuel stove. The Vanual speaks highly of Goal Zero solar systems.

        The other option is to wire the van to plug into a campground plug (or modify to plug into a house), this would allow you to cook on an electric hotplate and would allow an electric heater. Using an electric blanket or pad is  a good heating option to save energy.

        For off the grid heaters I would go with the rooftop propane heater/AC combo that many trailers have. Though extreme mould avoiders have said these can get mouldy. They do vent to the outside so you won't have to worry about propane smells.

        I would not use the stand alone propane heaters that go inside as they will not be safe for those with MCS.

        For cooking, if you are off the grid you will need to burn some fuel to cook. Cooking outdoors is safer. Alcohol burning stoves are safer than propane. Though this won't be tolerable for many.

        For a fridge I would go with a 3-way fridge that can run on propane solar or AC electricity. Propane fridges vent to the outside so should not be a problem for the chemically sensitive. The Vanual recommends running this fridge on solar or the car battery.

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        Mould Testing Overview - Pros and Cons of Different Methods

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        First I want to talk about the most reliable test which is how you feel in the house compared to other places. Unfortunately this is not always as simple as it sounds to execute. There are different ways to undertake this experiment. The simplest way is to stay in your backyard in a tent or all metal trailer without bringing any possessions from the house. The most obvious complication here is that you will need to go inside to use the washroom unless you get a porta potty! You may also be so sensitive that the house has contaminated the air outside (I have experienced being outside of a house and being able to smell the mould).

        The next option would be to stay somewhere where other people recovering from mould illness (and MCS) have felt better. This could be a campground, KOA cabin, Airbnb or other rental. I have a lot more details on this in my post on the Locations Effect and Mould Sabbatical.

        Once you have gotten "clear" and done some recovering you might be wondering how do you test a house to find out if it's good? Some people can walk into a house and know if it's good for them. But even the most sensitive people usually need to request to spend 3 nights trialling the house. This is not always an option, but you should ask. Usually people sleep better in a house that is mould free, but me and other CIRS patients have found that there is some mould that puts you into a zombie sleep where you sleep more (and then get sicker). So even a three-night test can be tricky.

        It is also good to verify the house is safe with mould testing. The most common test for CIRS (mould patients) is the ERMI. It is highly recommended by Shoemaker certified doctors as the test to use. The range of the ERMI scores goes from minus 10 to positive 20. You need a score or 2 or lower to be treated and recover from mould illness according to Dr. Shoemaker.

        Other types of mould tests can also be useful. A tape lift will get you definitive results on visible mould. I look at the options below. This is a very simple overview just to give you the general idea of what is out there in a way that is not overwhelming - you may want to look more into each of these different methods. Please note that my sources were biased towards mould advocates Lisa Petrison from Paradigm Change), Greg Muske from Biotoxin Journey, Dr. Shoemaker and Cheryl Ciecko, an architect who specialises in mould. I have attempted to cross-check their information. However, going with information from the companies that do house inspections can be biased and contradictory. (All sources at end of post, which you can read for more detail).

        ERMI

        Cons

        - Doesn’t work well in brand new houses.

        - You need dust that has settled for a while.

        - Having very little dust or a high amount of dust can skew results.

        - Having a high amount of outside dirt inside can skew results.

        - May not be an even distribution of spores throughout the house if mould is only coming from one place and the house is large.

        - It is known to miss major mould problems when people are very sick in their house. Similarly, after a remediation, a CIRS patient can still be sick from the mycotoxins left behind despite a low score.

        Pros

        -"Only the ERMI and HERTSMI have been associated with sequential activation of innate immune responses, not air testing.” Dr. Shoemaker. Meaning it is the only test that he found that is consistently in line with lab results for CIRS, despite its drawbacks.

        - It's pretty affordable at $300. You do it yourself. The lab recommended is Mycometrics.

        HERTSMI-2

        -Similar to ERMI but tests for a handful of moulds most commonly associated with water damaged buildings. It is cheaper than ERMI. I would go for the full ERMI and you can still calculate your HERTSMI value from that. Shoemaker certified doctors will consider your HERTSMI score as well as ERMI score.

        Tape Lifts

        Cons

        - You need to have visible mould.

        - It assists you with what type of mould it is and not how widespread the problem is.

        Pros

        - Tells you what kind of mould you have when you have a visible sample.

        - Allows you to know if this is a toxic mould.

        - You can do it yourself.

        I used this DIY Tape Lift to test a few areas in a house I go into often. The results came back showing me what type of mould it was. It confirmed that the mould was one that is toxic that comes from water damage. Though you need to get a decent amount of mould on the tape otherwise your results will just show scattered pieces.

        Spore Traps (Air Test)

        Cons

        - Needs to be taken near the source, so you have to know where the source is.

        - Shoemaker says: "The industry standard of sampling the air for spores is not an acceptable substitute for many reasons. One of the main limitations is that over 99% of the particles that carry the inflammagens from water damaged buildings are smaller than 3 microns. Spore traps can only detect particles that are larger than 3 microns and therefore, miss over 99% of the inflammagens.”

        - Spore traps identify round, intact spores. So they will not catch evidence of past problem that have left mycotoxins.

        - Can miss/underreport certain heavy species like stachy.

        - Expensive.

        Pros

        - The test is more standardised than tape lifts, swabs, cultures, and mould-dogs, they claim.

        - It is the most widely used mould test.

        - You can compare inside and outside air.

        Dishes

        Cons

        - Hard to know where to place the dish to get capture the mould if you don’t know where the mould is coming from.

        - Doesn’t get you an accurate relative reading since some mould is harder to catch and some proliferate faster in the dish than others.

        - Stachy is a slow grower compared to other moulds in the dish.

        Pros

        - Can be used in multiple places to compare and for general observation.

        - Can give you more details on the exact type of mould than other tests.

        - Inexpensive.

        Here is one you can do yourself.

        Mould Dogs

        Cons

        - Can only detect a handful of moulds.

        - Hard to know if they are well trained, look for good references of the company.

        - They can’t tell you if it’s high amount of mould or a trace from after a remediation.

        - The dog can only sniff in areas where they can reach.

        Pros

        - They are good at finding the source if it is within their reach.

        - The dog can smell both live and dead mould.

        - You can pinpoint the area where you need to do further testing.

        VOC testing

        Cons

        - There is controversy around the accuracy of this testing.

        - Not widely used.

        Pros

        - Test the levels of mycotoxins and other VOCs in the air.

        Here is a company that does this kind of testing that is recommended. It goes to an AIHA accredited lab.

        Sources:

        http://biotoxinjourney.com/mold-testing/
        http://paradigmchange.me/testing/
        https://www.nachi.org/tape-sampling-mold-inspection.htm
        http://healthybuildingscience.com/2013/02/14/mold-testing-air-quality/
        Public postings by Cheryl Ciecko (Architect).

        Building a Mould-Free Tiny House

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        Building a Mould-Free Tiny House 

        This article will discuss preventing mould in tiny homes that are custom built. Usually on wheels, but much of this could apply to lane houses and other tiny homes not on wheels (though I don't discuss foundation problems here). This will apply to some prefab but not all types.

        Major problems with tiny houses that cause mould:
        Re-doing my insulation
        • Very few people hire an architect, engineer or other building science expert to design the system.
        • Many tiny home companies are new and the builders lack experience or are not experienced enough in all aspects of building (from plumbing to roofing, to installing heat pumps, to insulation, and moisture management).
        • The DIY movement is a problem because the size of the home makes it seem like you can do it yourself, yet you still need all the knowledge of all the  contractors: electricians, plumbers, roofers, architects etc. to build a house. The size of it does not necessarily make it simple!
        • DIYers ofter learn from other DIYers via the internet, copying others' mistakes.
        • The movement is new and it can take 10 years for some mould problems to show up.
        • Most tiny homes do not need to follow building codes. Almost anything goes in most places, resulting in poor building practices.
        • Homes are built in one climate and shipped around the US and Canada to other climate zones where the moisture management system may not fulfil its function. Owners may also move the house to a different climate zone. 
        • Only one year warranty on many houses will not be long enough to cover mould issues. 
        • Many tiny homes I have seen have simply invented wall systems that would never be used in a regular house. 
        • I have seen major problems with the moisture management systems such as vapour barrier errors, and smaller but still problematic practices like lofts built with mattresses right on the floor with no ventilation, and inadequate exhaust fans.
        • Lack of attention to detail that comes from inexperienced builders or those not concerned about mould.
        • Building by prioritising non-toxic materials over building the correct moisture management system (because you remove or replace a part of the system with something non-traditional).

        Water on ceiling due to improper vapour barrier
        When I first set out to build my tiny house I was mostly concerned with choosing healthy materials that were 0-VOC. It was only after I took the house apart (almost completely) to fix the problems my builder made, that I realised the extent of knowledge needed to build a mould-free home. I thought you just leave the construction details up to the contractor, but my builder made almost every mistake in the book.

        From interviewing and working with dozens of contractors in my area, I have found one out of a few dozen who was knowledgeable and detailed enough to renovate the house in the correct way.

        The two most important aspects of designing a mould-free tiny house are:
        1. Have an architect (or other building science expert) who specialises in mould prevention design the moisture management system. This is everything from the wall system to the roof, the floor, and the ventilation. They will also need to take into consideration which materials you can and can’t use to design the system. Take the time to do this in detail before you hire your tiny home builder. I can also help with consulting on materials at this stage because the architect needs to know which materials can and cannot be used/tolerated.
        2. Extremely detailed supervision. I have fixed everything from my bathroom fan to my walls and roof. Taking my attention away from the project for more than an hour led to mistakes by the contractors who simply do not care about mould prevention. Even if you find a good owner, that person leaves the work to his labourers or subcontractors who are not well supervised. Here you can either hire someone extremely competent to supervise, or you can supervise yourself. If you supervise yourself, take the guidance from your architect, and learn the basics in order to follow those guidelines (or you will be calling him or her every few hours). Make sure the builders have a very detailed plan of how you want things done so that when you come into supervise you are staying on plan. There may be a clash of egos here, but you need your house done right and most contractors do not have the right skills. 
        Of course choosing the right expert to guide you is also important, so before you do that you should be aware of a few different ways to manage mould that are popular and get a few opinions before you decide on hiring someone.

        Here are a few different systems:
        • Passive house design - Passive house design is a very detailed system that uses a lot of calculations to manage the moisture in a scientific way. You can check out 475 to learn more about this. 
        • Breathing walls - Check out George Swanson who uses breathing walls and look up the science behind not using vapour barriers. 
        • Walls with vapour barriers - Learn the basics on vapour barriers and what smart vapour barrier are. 
        • Wood frame houses versus metal framed houses.
        • Building with SIPs.
        Here are a few terms and ideas to learn about so you can follow along with your expert:
        • Flashing of windows and doors - the instructions on this are fairly simple and yet they are often not followed precisely (they need to be!) 
        • Taping housewrap - there is a controversy about whether to tape the horizontal seams
        • Rainscreens
        • Solar vapour drive 
        • Vapour barriers and condensation
        • Insulation types and their permeability 
        • Perm rating of a material/barrier
        • Air barriers versus vapour barriers
        • Ventilation - proper exhaust fans, ERVs, HRVs, and dehumidifiers
        • Exterior foam insulation method
        • Steel frames versus wood frames
        • Zip systems instead of housewrap
        Do not attempt to become an expert on these topics from reading about them online. There is not enough information online to become an expert in these topics. You simply want to be informed so you can choose a good architect and understand the system they are designing for you. You may also need to learn enough to supervise the build.

        Some basic mistakes you can avoid to keep your house as mould-free as possible:

        Slats in my loft were a very good idea
        • Window and door flashing not done in a detailed way. Also beware of 0-VOC peel and stick window flashing which doesn’t fit most codes and is not recommend by the companies themselves for the rough openings. I have also seen windows flashed with housewrap tape and not proper peel and stick flashing.
        • Silicone and other caulks skipped where needed on the exterior due to chemical sensitivities.
        • Having air leaks into the wall cavity.
        • Housewrap not applied to spec -  including the overlap and how it is taped.
        • Roof not vented properly or double vapour barrier issues in the roof.
        • Putting the vapour barrier on the wrong side.
        • Planning the house to be used with heating but not planning for AC.
        • Exhaust fans over the stove that don’t vent to the outside. Exhaust fans in the bathroom that could leak moist air into the ceiling. The fan I used is pictured (doesn't leak moist air).
        Proper exhaust fan. Click pic for link.


      • Not having a professional plumber install your plumbing system. Or reusing old plumbing pieces that could fail on you. 
      • Pipes not designed and winterized for the climate causing them to freeze and burst. Not providing the cold and hot water a low point to drain outside. If the power goes out you will need to drain them. You may also want to drain them if you are away. 
      • Inventing a new wall system that is not normally used. Make sure you understand your wall system and which direction it dries to. Don’t skip on things like rainscreens (if that is the system you are using) just because it is a tiny house. 
      • Putting your mattress directly on a solid surface with no ventilation under it (use slats or a box spring).
      • Using natural latex. See my warning here
      • Not using a properly sized drainage line on a heatpump. Know how to flush it out, this tends to get clogged with mould.



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        Zero VOC Flooring

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        This post is organised into three categories, those that are the most tolerable, those that would be OK for most sensitive people, and those that might work for those who are not extremely sensitive. 

        1. The Most Tolerable

        Wood 

        Source zege.gr
        Wood flooring will always be my number one choice. However,  wood (and many natural aromatic oils) contain terpenes which are....VOCs! For those sensitive to the smell of wood this is not a good option. Aromatic woods like pine have much higher VOCs than oak for example. Wood also has a higher possibility of harbouring mould than less porous materials. To prevent mould you should make sure your wood has been kiln-dried and kept dry until you have a roof on it.

        There are plenty of acceptable options for finishing wood. I used Hemp Oil on my floors. AFM is another great non-toxic finish. More about wood sealers in my post on sealers.

        Most people should be fine with softwood plywood which rapidly offgasses. For subfloor adhesive AFM Almighty Adhesive is super tolerable. Another option is Liquid Nails Subfloor Adhesive it is less than 20g/l (lower than AFM Almighty Adhesive, but I find AFM more tolerable).



        Polished Concrete

        If polished concrete flooring makes you think IKEA warehouse, think again, polished concrete can look beautiful.

        The Retroplate system is completely non-toxic/VOC-free but is not as cheap as I had hoped. It is available across Canada and the US, you just have to find someone who specializes in that system.

        You can do acid stains, add natural pigments, use white cement, or add white sand to Portland Cement to get the look in this gorgeous photo.


        Tiles

        Source sacramentostreet.com
        Glass tiles are inert and super-MCS friendly.

        Marble is good in theory but most of it has a resin put on it at the factory to fill in tiny holes and fissures, and it might have a (chemical) sealant on it as well. Though a pure slab, or tile, can be sealed with Tung Oil. (Tung oil has a smell and might not be tolerable) or AFM Mexeseal.

        Slate is also good in theory, as long as it doesn't have a chemical sealer on it. Seal with 
        AFM Mexeseal.

        Concrete tiles are my preference because of the beautiful designs. Look for Eco tiles or ask what additives are in the concrete. I sealed mine with AFM Safecoat Penetrating Water Stop.

        Porcelain and ceramic are safe if lead-free and do not contain radioactive substances.

        Imported glazed tiles should be tested for lead and radioactivity. A client just tested American made tiles that stated they were lead-free, but when tested they showed high levels of lead. So it might be wise to test any glazed tile regardless of origin. And be extra careful when removing them as the lead dust is particularly harmful. Tile over if possible instead of removing.

        Natural Carpet 


        Source bloomsburgcarpet.com
        For natural, non-toxic carpet look for chemical-free fibers (normally wool), no flame retardants, no mothproofing, no stain repellant, natural padding and either no adhesive or a non-toxic adhesive. I have reservations about natural latex and would not use that product in my house because of how mould-prone it is.

        Nature's Carpet is made with wool, no mothproofing, natural latex, natural dyes and a non-toxic padding. Either tack down the carpet or use a zero-VOC glue such as AFM 3 in 1

        Other good companies are Earthweave (wool) and Natural Home Products (wool).

        If you have conventional carpet in your house seal in the VOCs with Carpet Seal.


        Earthen Floors


        Source ahousemadeofmud.blogspot.ca
        Earthen floors are used in cob, straw bale, and other natural homes.

        I love, love, these dark chocolate floors which for sure have some pigment added and are finished with walnut oil. The go-to oil for earthen floors is usually linseed oil cut with citrus solvent (all natural) but it is very smelly (terpenes!) and often intolerable to the chemically sensitive. Some have claimed that walnut oil goes rancid on earthen floors. Hemp oil could be tried on earthen floors. 

        Also good to know - organic, mould-free straw should be used in earthen floors. This type of flooring goes really well with radiant heating because it keeps the floors dry and it heats the mass of the house which is way more efficient that heating the air.


        If you are opting for earthen floors make sure you use a radon barrier. See Prescriptions for a Healthy House for more info on that.


        2. Good for Most Sensitive People

        Pre-finished Hardwood - Usually finished with aluminum-oxide-infused polyurethane and cured under UV lights, these are usually very well tolerated once cured. I consider this to be safe product for the chemically sensitive. Test it first. 

        Terrazzo - Terrazzo is a little complex as there are different materials, resins and sealers involved. But there are systems that are 0 VOC and low VOC. 

        Natural linoleum - has naturally occurring VOCs from linseed oil and needs yearly linseed oil treatment. This is a natural smell and may be tolerable for some. This is something I would consider in a healthy home if the client has sniff tested it. 

        Fiberglass Floors - Tarkett FiberFloor is a flooring made of fiberglass, foam and coatings. It may have a mildewcide in it. It is extremely low-VOC at 10μg/m3. This would be tolerable for most people. 

        3. May Work for Those Less Sensitive 

        Engineered Woods - Junkers, Kahrs, and Wood Flooring International all meet EU emission standards. The substrates can still be problematic. There are some engineered woods that are fomaldhyde free (Kahrs) or use only phenol formaldehyde which offgasses quickly (Cali Bamboo). 

        Cork, like wood, has a natural odour (terpenes). A resin is usually used to bind all the small pieces of cork together into flat pieces (I have seen polyurethane binders). In theory you can make tiles or rolls without resin (they heat press them). An adhesive is required either to glue it down (and there are 0 VOC glues for this) or in the floating floors it is usually glued to a fiberboard. It is finished with urethanes/acrylic which may be tolerable once cured. Cork is good in theory and will move up a category when I can find a heatpressed brand.  

        Bamboo requires resin or adhesives and a finish. However, there are many that are GreenGuard certified for low emissions. This wood is problematic and is known to shrink. I put it in the same category as laminate and engineered. Not good usually good enough for the chemically sensitive. 

        Laminate does give off chemicals, but there are some low-VOC options. You might want to check out the brands that have GreenGuard certification. It doesn't require adhesive which is a bonus. Generally this is not low-VOC enough for a healthy home. I have seen better options in the engineered category. 

        Hard Vinyl - the kind usually seen in schools and commercial buildings tends to be well tolerated. It would be an unusual choice for a home. 


        Toxic! soft vinyl, conventional carpet and conventional linoleum all give off major VOCs.

        The Best Air Purifiers for Mould - A Review of PCO Machines

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        PCO Air Purifiers - Which One I Use and Which Ones are a Scam

        PCO (photocatalytic oxidation) is a technology that breaks down mould, VOCs as well as some pathogens. My interest in these air purifiers comes from first-hand accounts of this helping people with mould and VOCs and from the studies showing the eradication of mould and mycotoxins.

        Image from http://drywiredintl.com/lumactiv
        This is a technology that is extremely promising for those sensitive to mould and it's important that we test this out as much as we can. There has been so much talk about HiTech (both good and bad, which claims to be PCO) but very little talk about the more recognised and more affordable brands - I'm really urging the mould community to gather more data on this by trying some of these other models.

        I am really excited about this technology as something that can safely break down mycotoxins and odours. Some people may be interested in its effects of breaking down viruses and bacteria as well.

        A very brief explanation of PCO is that UV light hits a catalyst, usually titanium dioxide, creating hydroxyl radicals (OH). These OH molecules bind with and break apart pollutants into harmless molecules.

        What I'm Using

        I use the Vornado air purifier. The Vornado PCO300 ($260) and PCO500 ($470) are the air purifiers with the best value on the market that I have seen. It is a PCO air purifier plus it has true HEPA and activated carbon. Other similar units are much pricier or don’t include all three air purification methods.

        True HEPA and activated carbon capture dust, pollen, pet dander, smoke, bacteria, mould spores, dust mites and odours including VOCs. PCO and carbon are the main technologies used to reduce odours and VOCs. (Ozone can as well, but it is very risky, I have a post all about ozone). PCO actually breaks down molecules including moulds. I like that it has all three main air purification methods.

        Why I chose this machine:
        -The PCO component has true UV and titanium dioxide
        -Respected brand
        -Noticeably brings down odours in new apartment and new cargo trailer
        -Has a 5-year warranty
        -Replacement parts are reasonably priced ($25 bulb every year, $35 titanium dioxide screen every 5 years - for the PCO related parts)
        -Does not put out ozone

        The difference between the two sizes is that the 500 has a lower low speed and a higher high speed. The 500 has 2x the HEPA and activated carbon of the 300. They both have the same PCO technology - so if you want to increase the effectiveness of the OH molecules in a large space you would want two of the 300 instead of one 500. The 500 moves 184 CFM and is advertised for 265 sq ft - around 5 air exchanges per hour.

        I am using it to offgas a cargo trailer but I will test it on a slightly mouldy place and report back. It does offgas but I have never used an air purifier before so I cannot compare. I think it is about the same as the smell of a portable AC. Another less sensitive friend thought it had very little offgassing.

        Some other PCO units are more or less the same unit re-branded: Continental Fan CX1000, Catalytic Pure Air, Field Control Trio / Sun Pure SP-20C. They seem to use a very similar PCO catalyst style to the Vornado with a titanium dioxide plated metal screen.

        I will review a few other brands that I ruled out for myself: Air Oasis and HiTech, as well as Airocide and Molekule.

        Air Oasis

        The Air Oasis 3000G3 model ($500) is rated for 3,000 sq ft and only moves 11 CFM of air.  3,000 sq ft at 11 CFM is 0.02 air exchanges an hour. That is very little air movement.

        Note on air exchanges per hour (ACH) - this is a key area of comparison with air purifiers  ASHRAE (The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) recommends a minimum of 4 ACH for patient rooms in hospitals, 5 for intensive care units and 25 for operating rooms. For the purposes of those extremely sensitive to mould and VOCs we want about 5-10 air exchanges per hour. This Air Oasis has 0.02 air exchanges per hour. (I am using 8 ft ceilings in my calculations of CFM to ACH.)

        Air Oasis does more than just PCO it also, as the company states, “creates ionized hydro peroxides”  (AKA it's an ionizer) which puts out ozone and does NOT meet the California regulations on a safe level of ozone (CARB). You can have one made without the ozone production component.

        It has a 3-year warranty and the replacement parts are $80 every 2 years.

        I know this brand because it is being promoted by top doctors. I was surprised when I dug into it to see how ineffective it would be at moving air, and that it gives off unsafe levels of ozone (as determined by CARB).

        HiTech Air Solutions

        The inside of the 110 model $5995
        Source hitechairsolutions.com
        HiTech Air Solutions, a brand known among extreme mould avoiders, makes Air Reactors that claims to be PCO machines. To start, the 101 model ($2000) is very expensive relative to the other PCO machines. From looking at the inside of the machine they use basic components that total under $150 for all visible parts: four foam/coarse dust filters, two UVC lights, two computer fans, and a 4U 19" rack case. The claim here is that some of these filters are photocatalysts that produce OH molecules - that there is something invisible called "Technosite®" (no evidence of this trademark with USPTO) impregnated onto the filters. They may be using something similar to PALCCOAT (confirmed not partnering with this brand) which is a clear titanium dioxide catalyst (FYI $13 per square meter). I have found no evidence of a patent held by HiTech or Ray Robison (owner) on anything in the machine.

        (I have also seen two other odd claims from sales reps of the company - one, that the filters are coated with Sporax and that both the filters and the bulbs are also coated with something proprietary - both things that I would want to know are safe to use with UVC light).

        HiTech claims to be doing something different than the others. They claim their OH molecules (which are produced by the PCO process) last much longer in the air than the other air purifiers' OH molecules (~6 weeks instead of ~15 seconds) based on "a study by Texas Tech", though this study cannot be produced by the company. Dozens of phone calls were made to track down the existence of this study and nothing turned up. Even more, the University claims it does not conduct studies give the results on the phone and then withhold the report for large sums of money (as the reps claim). I have not found any evidence that this produces a totally different kind of OH molecule.

        I would like the company to disclose what they are using in this machine so we can know if it is safe and effective, or, provide the studies that show which molecules and byproducts this machine produces. The burning smell is worrisome to me. The accounts I have seen of bad reactions are also worrisome.

        HiTech claims it produces 99.9% pure air. I have seen no studies to back up this very broad claim. What is the level of contamination in the air to start, and what is "pure air"? Also note, PCO technology does not filter particulate pollutants (EPA).

        I have contacted a technical rep, sales rep and the owner for these studies - they responded but were not able to provide them. Others interested in this company have contacted them as well for this information.

        The HiTech 101 is 142 CFM and claims it can be used in 1600 sq ft which is only 0.7 air exchanges per hour. Their bigger units are ~$5000 and ~$6000 dollars. The HiTech sales reps make 25% commission off each unit and they usually recommend multiple units for houses. The commission for the three sizes is roughly: $500, $1000 and $1500. The cost of the replacement parts are $140, $190 and $295 per year, for the three different sized units.

        HiTech has not submitted their Air Reactors to CARB to confirm they give off a safe level of ozone. However, the bulbs they are using are USHIO brand UV bulbs with a 2G11 / PL-L base which do not give off ozone. They use another brand as well, LSE Lighting UV bulbs, with the same base. From what I can tell this bulb would not be any different from the USHIO brand.

        I’m calling on HiTech reps, especially doctors to consider the following:

        -We don’t know what is in the machine - it is invisible, not disclosed, and the company has not backed up the claims of which molecules and byproducts this machine produces
        -The company has made numerous unsubstantiated statements - there is no evidence of any university studies, no evidence of FDA approval, no evidence of a patent, no evidence of a trademark (on Technosite)
        -I have seen people have bad reactions - it is not proven to be safe
        -This machine is an unnecessary financial burden on patients when there are well-established brands selling verifiable PCO machines on the market for a fraction of the cost
        -Making $1000+ off each (medium sized) unit is certainly a nice incentive for sales reps, though ethical concerns must take priority

        FDA Approval

        The FDA approvals I have found are one for a PCO machine involving titanium dioxide (it proved to destroy some bacteria, viruses and mould) for specific commercial uses. The Airocide also has FDA approval. HiTech claims to be FDA approved, I can find no evidence of that. Anyone can search for FDA approvals here.

        Other Popular Brands

        Airocide
        Other popular PCO machines are Airocide (CFM 14 “Cleans any size room” which I suppose is technically true, but is not going to get you 5-10 air exchanges in most rooms, $600.) This doesn’t move a lot of air, but I like that the website has studies confirming that it doesn’t give off ozone and a short study on breaking down mycotoxins. It looks cool which is a major plus. The claims about removing dust, dust mites and allergens are not all that accurate. PCO machines do not filter particulate pollutants (EPA). It has a 5-year warranty and 60-day money back guarantee which I like. The main drawback here is how little air it moves.



        Molekule.com
        Molekule (CFM 80, 1 air exchange per hour in 600 sq ft, $800) is a slightly different technology called PECO. Here is a summary of their studies - very promising results on eradicating mould. It is very beautifully designed. They have only been in business for a year (since 2016) so I would be worried about the possibility that they won't be around to provide replacement parts. The warranty is only 1 year, which is short compared to the others. If you have a lot of money and design is your main concern this one could be considered.

        Both of these require $100 a year in replacement parts.

        Most of the PCO machines do not include HEPA and activated carbon like the Vornado, they are more expensive, they don't move as much air, and their replacement parts are more expensive. (Airocide used to have a unit that included HEPA for $800, which is not available right now.)

        Adverse Reactions

        I have heard of people having bad reactions to HiTech. I have heard only one bad reaction to Airocide, and a couple bad reactions to AirOasis. I do not know what accounts for these bad reactions. It does not appear that there is an ozone issue (apart from AirOasis). I don't have enough data on all these machines to know if bad reactions are more prevelant with any particular brand.

        HiTech reps speculate to buyers that the bad reactions may be helpful (some kind of detox or herx) which is ethically unsound in my opinion. With no data to suggest this is detox, we should take a precautionary approach.

        I would love to hear from more people who have tried these other brands. Let me know if you have had good results or a bad reaction to a PCO machine (other than to the plastic or glue of the unit).

        It is possible that PCO is creating harmful byproducts in high VOC buildings.

        The Burning Smell


        According to Airocide the UV bulbs themselves emit a bit of a burning smell at first. They burn theirs in for two days, but sensitive people can smell it for up to a week. The Vornado PCO had a very slight burnt smell at first which seemed like the smell of carbon. HiTech states that the burning smell is mould/mycotoxins breaking down. I see no evidence for this claim. Airocide made a statement that mould does not produce a smell when broken down by OH molecules.

        A HiTech user also stated that the UV lights have burnt right through the "reactor pads". This is consistent with a theory that the UVC lights are burning the "reactor pads" and causing a smell.

        Disclaimers

        This post is not sponsored by Vornado. The Amazon links are Amazon Associate links. My recommendation is based on the most affordable and effective product that I have found. Buying your products through these links helps support me and this blog.

        This post was written with the technical assistance of an engineer, though the opinions and conclusions are my own.

        This post was written June 2017. I do my best to keep all my posts updated if there is new information.
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        Cargo Trailer Conversion

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        Converting a Cargo Trailer into a Travel Trailer

        Part 1: Getting it up and Running
        My current project
        I'm converting a small cargo trailer into a tiny trailer that can be used for sleeping and living.

         The cargo trailer is a TNT brand DBL 'A' 6x12, White, 12" extra height making it about 7 ft high on the inside. The extra height is well worth it I think for a sense of space. Side and roof vent (side vents are so small that they bring in very little air. The roof vent can only be wide open if it's not raining). RV door lock that locks from the inside (vital) and barn doors that lock from the outside (easier to handle than the ramp door). You may want to move the lock to the inside when living in it. Front and roof are curved in this one.

        Costs in Canadian Dollars:

        $6100 cost of trailer
        $3600 cost of renos at trailer shop - metal floors, install window, take out plywood (much cheaper, and probably faster if you have the factory do these.)
        $1500 cost of insulation
        Labour for insulation and vapour barrier, foil and glue - lost track
        $1300 Electrical (+ $185 for CSA inspection and approval - allowing me to legally park the trailer in Canada)

        I have seen better prices in the US, you can go smaller and get a better price, but for me 6x12 is the minimum amount of space needed to make a happy little home.

        Joey was able to do this for $7000 with the factory doing most of the work. In the Facebook group Mold Avoiders on the Road you can see people having smaller trailers renovated for under $4000

        Necessary Renovations:
        Dreaded plywood
        between frame and
        skin
        Remove plywood.

        Install window - 24 x 30 vinyl awning style to stay open even during the rain (you're going to need air in such a small space). It’s vertical so that the framing did not need to be cut. I do not find the hard vinyl has a smell but you can use aluminum. I wish I had put in two as it's nice to have windows. One does bring in plenty of light though, along with the vent on the roof. You can look for an RV window or you can use a tempered glass house window and reinforce the framing around it.

        Install metal flooring 3/16 hot roll plate steel flooring, 1000 for the metal + welding. See this thread for an in-depth discussion on what type of metal to use.

        Electrical work - 30 amp panel with a campground plug and 4 outlets inside. You may be able to make do with fewer outlets but the electrician wanted a dedicated outlet for the fridge and one for the heater. Then I have one near the bed for computer etc, and there is one up high to string up a light and run any kitchen appliances.

        My electrical
        Have these renos done by the factory and not after you buy it. This was a huge mistake that costs me a lot of money and didn’t save me any time like I thought it would. I should have known better as I had read Joey's conversion story (highly recommend reading that for another version of a conversion and some ideas on what you might want to add. I disagree that foam doesn't provide a lot of protection from the cold and heat. 2 inches of XPS is R-10, that is really good). How long it will take to customise one depends on the brand, the factory and the time of year. Add 2-3 weeks onto their estimate.

        The back door in mine has structural plywood so that still has to be removed and metal welded to it to hold it together - this is still going to cost a lot. The front end had plywood between the frame and the skin which was a major pain to remove. Look for a brand that does not have these two issues and you will save a lot of money.

        If you want to do it yourself check out this thread (you have to sign up). Watching someone's account of doing it herself is well worth it. You will see tips on taking out the plywood and choosing a metal for the floor.


        Do the Walls Need Reinforcement?

        A big question with cargo trailers is if you need wall reinforcement when you remove the plywood. There are two answers to this. The first is that it depends on the brand, some brands will tell you that their trailer is good to go with no plywood, these have thicker frames like the steel CM trailers. Or some companies can customise it with thicker frames. See pictures below.

        The second answer is that the companies might say they are not strong enough but people leave it un-reinforced anyway. Erik Johnson, me and two other mould avoiders have taken out the plywood and not added anything that would replace it structurally. So far so good. I'm not sure if I recommend that, but we have all moved ours around and been fine.

        If you want to play it safe go by the recommendations the company suggest to reinforce it. If they won't customise it without plywood, remove that part yourself and reinforce it (or don't) yourself.

        The first picture is a customised trailer reinforced with aluminum frames. Very robust. If you look closely you can see tape between the frame and the exterior, a mould risk.

        The second picture is a CM all steel trailer with a robust steel frame, the frame is standard and the company does not recommend reinforcement.

        The third picture is a standard frame, with plywood removed. Though it's not reinforced the owner is doing just fine with moving it around frequently. The brand is Victory.

        This picture is my trailer it has the least robust frame of the bunch, while the seller advised that it could be reinforced for longer trips (he told me this after the insulation was up), so far it's doing fine on the highway. I don't feel really confident yet about long trips.







        Toxicity of a New Cargo Trailer:

        A cargo trailer smells much stronger than someone might anticipate a new metal box to smell. An extreme avoider in a hot climate would leave it sit for about a year before using. I have seen two people who have turned around and sold them soon after buying due to the strong smell.

        The smell comes mostly from the body of the trailer. It is a glue smell and may also be oils on the metal. There are many other parts that are non-metal (differ slightly between brands) that may include:

        Caulk of different types, double-sided tape (you do not want to buy a cargo trailer with tape in the frame - this is a mould risk), plastic on the back of the RV door, plastic and glue (very smelly) in the vents to the point that you will likely not be able to use these vents for air, rubber and foam (glued on) can be found around the RV door, around the barn doors, and possibly around the window on some models, there may be tape holding up wiring, there is the usual plastic coating on the wiring, plastic light and light switch may be included, there may be spray paint on wiring, there may be caps on bolts, screen on top vent, there is also exterior paint which some people have said they are offgassing but I could not pick up a smell on. In such a small space there are also the tires on the outside to consider - on a hot day you will smell these. Rustproofing chemicals may also be added to the frame. (Thanks to Madonna Ramp for some of these materials from other brands).

        A lot of this can be covered and you can see in mine that it is almost completely sealed up. If you buy one and it smells strong, give it time and/or seal it up like I did mine.

        Every trailer takes time to offgas. Someone was able to get the company Mirage to build without glue or caulk, but she was not able to tolerate the trailer brand new. I would not recommend leaving out glue and caulk.

        Buying a Used Cargo Trailer: 

        I did not see any used cargo trailers in my area when I was looking but you can sometimes find these. You would want to know what it was used for. Look for gunk and rust that will accumulate at the bottom around the frame.

        Building out the Interior - How Mine is Done:
        XPS with Great Stuff
        • XPS Owens Corning Foam 2 inches on walls and floor (you can also use polyiso, the most well tolerated foam, or EPS which is not a vapour barrier on its own but is usually faced with foil or plastic). 2 inches XPS is R-10. If you are going to a climate that is extremely cold, add another layer of foam - polyiso or XPS on the inside until you get a high enough R-value for your climate. The reason I chose XPS is that is has a high R-value and it doesn't lose its R-value in very cold weather like polyiso does. I also could not find polyiso in my town. 
        • 1 inch Foil backed EPS on ceiling (because I needed something thin enough and flexible enough to be curved on the ceiling) (Note: This is backwards, there should be more insulation on the roof but I wanted the roof to stay curved and the insulation to stay between the frame so I kept it simple.). The brand was R-Tech but I can't find a link for this. I can add another layer of 1-inch foam if it gets too cold.
        • Great Stuff spray foam on the gaps of the rigid foam (airtight so no moisture gets behind the foam). There is one for small gaps and one for larger gaps you will need some of each.
        • Heavy Duty aluminum foil glued up to seal in the smells of the spray foam and the trailer body in general. Double layer over critical areas (gaps, seams, anything that smells). You may want to try one layer and go up to 3 layers if needed. Check around crucial gaps and tricky areas giving those more attention to fully seal in the smell. I would say the smell is 99% gone/virtually odourless. 
        • A Fantastic Fan in the roof vent would be helpful for ventilation, drawing air out of the top will draw it in the window and turn over a lot of air. The fans also help with humidity. This has to be wired in with the electrical.
        How we Installed it:
        First layer of foil on seams
        The foam is not being held in place by anything other than the power of it being held between the floor and ceiling. You can use some tape or glue if necessary. The canned spray foam is filling in the gaps (leave that to cure for at least 24 hours). Over the seams we put heavy duty aluminum foil, sealing with glue. Then overlapping over those edges is another layer of heavy duty foil.

        We used natural glue to attach the foil - this Gum Arabic with Glycerin. Here is the recipe (see #9) - almost  no smell to that, very light and natural, no problem with this at all. Takes a long time for this glue to dry, about a week or two. This can be used to seal up conventional trailers as well. Others have used it to seal a room in a regular house. This is a very sticky glue that can adhere to metal, foam and I would assume a large number of materials. It can be tried anywhere where an internal vapour barrier is not a problem. It can be removed with a steamer but it's not easy. I'm going to write a post just on sealing with foil and this glue.

        There is a rumour that spray foam will crumble with movement in a trailer but speaking with the company Great Stuff they have not seen this be a problem. Though it is possible that this won't hold up with tonnes of movement.

        I'm not putting walls up in this one. You could put up metal, plywood, or plastic, but I want to keep this really simple.

        In an ideal world you have 2 competent people working on this full time you could get it done in 4 or 5 days. Add extra time for real world problems.

        Here is a video of where the trailer is now (in progress) - hard to show in photos:



        EMFs:

        All this metal and foil did not stop wifi or cell phone reception - it lowered my wifi connection only slightly. If you are concerned about EMFs consult with an EMF specialist and test out a metal structure before buying. In theory, it is a Faraday Cage that blocks out some external sources of EMFs and may intensify what is on the inside.

        My First Attempt and What Went Wrong:

        My first attempt totally failed. I tried to buy a cargo off the lot and sleep in it within three days. We put up XPS over the plywood (sealing it in in a dangerous double barrier system), we used tuck tape to tape up the foam. This absolutely reeked. Then we covered the entire interior with mylar blankets and taped that up with aluminum foil tape - that absolutely reeked as well. So from there we took everything down and did the renovations properly (which means taking out plywood and putting in metal floors and a window). I found out taping up seams was not going to work. Even the most tolerable foil tape in a small enclosed space becomes overwhelming (I am very sensitive but not by any means among the most sensitive).

        Erik Johnson's Cargo Trailer (MECU):

        Erik's story
        Erik is the pioneer of cargo trailer living. He called his trailer and camper MECUs (Mobile Environmental Containment Unit). Erik used EPS foam without flame retardants. I don't know how he sourced this but I would think this is the kind used for packing, not insulation. In Erik's trailer he left a gap (like I did) between the foam and the exterior. He put in weep holes at the bottom in case condensation did find its way to the back. He has said that there has not been any condensation at the back and he has had this for more than a decade. I put the insulation in front of the frame which created a space naturally behind it (though my floors and ceiling have no space).

        He has an interesting (non-toxic) method of putting up the foam: Erik says: "I riveted small strips of aluminum to the steel wall studs that are four inches long. For two sheets of two-inch styrofoam. Put the styro in place and riveted one-inch aluminum angle to the four-inch strip, using the "L" of the angle to secure the styrofoam. This vertical angle then gave me a place on the wall to attach shelves." This eliminates the need for spray foam, caulking or tape to seal up or hold up the foam, it also means it's not air tight. This has not been a problem for Erik. Though I was worried in my set up about it not being a perfect vapour barrier.  Erik used wooden floors and not metal.

        Here is a video of his camper which is done like his cargo.

        Other Trailer Options:

        You can build out the interior as much or as little as you like.
        • You could add batteries but consider how long these will last you away from plug-in power.
        • You could add solar panels but this doesn't get you a lot of power, it may be easier to just buy a solar kit that is portable that is made for camping.
        • If showering in another building, campsite bathroom, or outdoor shower is not an option for you, you could install basic plumbing. You would want to avoid tanks and have very simple plumbing that goes directly out to a bucket or pipes out into a grey water system. You will have to make sure you are following the rules with grey water here. I want to avoid all cooking, showering, and clothes drying inside to keep humidity down.
        • Options for outdoor showers include simple bucket showers, passive solar shower (that one is PVC-free, unlike most of them), active portable hot water shower (this one comes recommended by mould avoiders), or an outdoor tub big enough to bathe in. A privacy tent can be used to shower outside or set up a toilet outside. You can also DIY and set up something simple like wrap house wrap around 3 trees, or tie string around 3 trees and the string holds up shower curtains.

        Finishing the Interior:
          WALLS: I was going to tack up theseposters and some regular wallpaper - Farrow and Ball is a well tolerated non-toxic wallpaper. It is way too humid in here to put wallpaper though. I think that is unlikely to work in most climates. I am not eager to cover my walls with metal panels or plywood because I want everything to be simple and easily accessible. Other options for the wall: the grey side of housewrap, paint the foil with AFM metal paint (if you can get the foil very smooth and without glue everywhere), these polyethylene wall tiles (if you can tolerate the glue), seal everything with shellac and then paint over, or, other plastics made for RV/vans tacked or taped up.


        Marmoleum from www.forbo.com

        FLOORS: For now I’m using these mats on the floor temporarily. They smell like straw but I like it. My future floor will be Marmoleum (takes one month in sun to offgas for me) or maybe Cali Bamboo Cork (not sure yet how long it takes to offgas, definitely much longer than Marmoleum). Note: Flooring I ruled out: Thermacork decorative cork the only cork I know of that is heat-pressed with nothing added - not good for floors. It flakes easily and won’t last long. Cork underlayment - I bought this and tested another one that claimed 0 VOC. It is going to need a lot of time to offgas despite these "0 VOC" polyurethane glues (not at all).

            Shellac

              BED: I'm going to customise a locally made solid wood bed with storage underneath - the bed will be up about 2 feet and take up more than half the length of the trailer, creating a large storage space underneath. I would like it to be made partially of Purebond plywood but even that needs to offgas, so I am planning a solid wood bed instead. Cedar is the best bet for holding up to high humidity environments and not going mouldy but pine should work as well. I will seal it with shellac to seal in as much of the wood smell as possible. (I will do a post just on shellac.) A metal bed frame would be a safer option.





            Heating, Cooling, Lighting, Laundry:

            • I’m hanging up this light bulb (the cord smells strong and is still offgassing in my hot car). I also like this little nightlight but it won't provide much light.
            • In the summer I will use a portable AC, I like this one for the level of offgassing. I throw them away every fall as they tend to go mouldy after one season or two and I have nowhere to store them. 
            • I’m using this to dry my clothes and I love it. I don't want to add humidity in the trailer so I am using it outside under cover. It works well even in humid and cold outdoor temperatures (and it's not as mini as it looks). 

            Kitchen:

            • I bought this fridge which needed a lot of offgassing outside including running it outside. This one smelled more than other brands I have tried like Danby. I like Walmartfor fridges as well. 
            • I'm using this kitchen island but you could use a metal version if you want to avoid wood (and wood sealers and glue). 
            • I offgasesd this cutting board pretty fast. I'm just posting that because I love it so much
            • Thrift shop bowls 
            • I’m using a pressure cooker to cook - you can make almost anything in this. If you use it outside or at least release the steam outside you will have very little or no added moisture to the trailer. You can get away with no other stove, oven or microwave. You just need an extension cord to use it outside.
            • I’m going to buy the travel Berkey for drinking water, there is no plumbing in the trailer. Berkey is ideal for well water and water from campsites if you are not buying water. 
            Bedding: 

            In a high humidity situation like a trailer, tent or other camping structure it's important to have a bed and bedding that will not go mouldy. My bed will be up on slats soon (right now I am turning the Thermarest over every few days). Cotton does not hold up well in high humidity, so I have used more mould resistant materials.



            Consulting:

            I am available for consulting to help customise a little "safe room" cargo trailer or custom made trailer. I can help with everything from choosing materials to managing the whole build. I also help you to decide between different housing options, from building a conventional house, tiny house, trailer to setting up tent camping. Here is my consulting page.

            Part 2 will show the finished product with all the interior design and furniture

            Affiliates:

            Making purchases through affiliate links helps support me and this blog. Amazon and Walmart are affiliates.

            Camping with MCS and Mould Illness

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            This summer was my first time camping. I had never owned a tent in my life so I had a lot to learn. Here is an overview that should help you get you started with tent camping. More experienced campers helped write this post.

            Tents

            After borrowing a tent from someone who lives with me, I decided to buy a used tent off Amazon. It turned out to be a new/returned tent so it was perfect for me. I bought this tent. I went for the cheapo option here just to get started quick. I used it after one week (with the doors all open at first for air) but it was about 1 month before I found it offgassed and could close up the doors. There are a few other better quality brands with this style tent which is super easy and quick to put up and has a great set up with the amount of ventilation. Lightspeed and Coleman have this style and are recommended by sensitive folks. Mine leaked in a heavy rain.

            For a heavy rain a tent with a really good fly is needed (that comes down almost all the way to the ground) like many of the REI or MEC brands or this or this. Some people find the rain flies smell more than the tents. Mine did not smell any different. The mould avoider pros recommend a beefy rain fly with the inner tent mostly mesh so keep as dry as possible. Check reviews for how well they hold up in the rain.

            Some MCSers wash the tents to remove some of the smell but this also removes some of the waterproof coating so I decided not to try that. The mesh makes it easier to tolerate a tent sooner and prevents condensation. I haven’t had any condensation in mine.

            Make sure you know how and can put up your tent alone (as well as set up other supplies like a stove) before you get to the campsite.

            Staying Mould-Free


            bwca.com
            I bought a tarp for underneath to keep dew from getting the tent wet from below, and a tarp for over the tent for heavy rains. The bottom of my tent has stayed nice and dry. I take out and turn over the sleeping mat every day or two. If the bottom of the tent gets wet you will want to dry it in the sun within 24 hours. There are footprints made for underneath tents, but tarps are generally cheaper. (You tent may come with a footprint). You want the tarp underneath to be a little smaller to tucked in so that is is under the tent. No water should get between the two. Some people tuck it and the raise it a little with sticks or rocks so that no water gets in between.

            Some people find they still do have to move the tent every couple of days due to condensation or grass dying underneath. You may want to keep a backup tent that is offgassed in case of mould or damage to your primary tent. I found regular tarps from the hardware store has a strong smell but offgassed within a few days. A silnylon tarp may be more tolerable but is more expensive.

            Generally you string up the tarp in an A shape so that it's touching neither the tent or the ground. Some people dig a small trench around so that the water that drips off does not go towards the tent. Without a tarp I had a lot of problems including saturation of the tent and water coming through especially where anything was touching the tent.

            Brands of Tents for the Chemically Sensitive

            Moonlight thetentlab.com
            Brands that MCSers have done well with are Moonlight (no FR, which is rare. Coated with silicone on the outside and polyurethane (PU) on the inside), Lightspeed (polyesters with PU coating) and REI Basecamp (polyester, rainfly and floor coated with PU) - the most sensitive should try one of those three brands with some of the most sensitive people I know using REI.

            LL Bean (polyester with PU from what I have seen) and Big Agnes (nylon, polyester with PU and some silicone) have been tolerable for some. The jury is out on Coleman, some people tolerate it and others don’t. Some people find cheap Walmart tents are more tolerable than ones for hundreds of dollars. The Sierra Tensegrity is FR free and uses silicone and nylon with no polyurethane which may be better for some.

            Gear Aid silnet silicone seam sealer and some footprints are coated with silicone.

            For those doing extreme mold avoidance or living somewhere very damp you might want to go with the more disposable option. Expensive tents from REI and MEC tend to pack smaller and lighter and should be higher quality, however if they do go mouldy it is a bigger loss. If I am traveling with a tent I want one that's not going to break unexpectedly as many places around the world do not have stores that sell tents. A bonus with the expensive ones is how long they can last. Check also how much wind they can withstand.

            Unconventional Tents

            These tents are insulated and the foil on the inside will also block most of the VOCs from the fabric on the outside. They say you can sleep in them down to 0 degrees Celsius. They are 269 USD. They do not have any mesh for ventilation which I imagine would be quite the problem for condensation and fresh air. For 18 USD you can get this aluminum lined small sleeping tent. The aluminum on the inside is more tolerable than the usual plastic. Others have made homemade tents with materials they can tolerate like Tyvek, Reflectix or XPS sheets. More info on that here.

            Some folks who cannot handle the synthetic tents have tried canvas tents. These do not hold up well to rain and high humidity and I would not use them in those conditions nor expect them to last as long. Some companies people like are Reliable Tent and Kodiak Tents.

            Beds
            My Mondo King
            I bought the Lightspeed air mattress which is the one all the MCSers use. It offgassed quickly (2 days in sun) and felt comfortable. It's good quality but I had back problems with it. I ended up buying the thickest Thermarest instead and LOVING it. This is as comfortable as a bed to me, though many people put Thermarests over a camping cot, that seemed excessive with the Mondo (though cots can also help you get off a cold ground). I’m not that picky about beds so I was surprised that the airbed hurt. This one has a decent R value to keep you warm, the more insulation you have under you in the cold the better.

            The Mondo is very comfortable and I usually wake up forgetting I’m in a tent. It has polyurethane in it but offgassed quickly in my opinion. I used it after 2 days of airing out (not ideal), in one week I found it to be really good, and one month to be near odourless to me. This is a super good mat for a trailer or other tiny home as well.

            Safest bet
            I bought the repair kit for it as well because this is going to be my main bed in the trailer. When it was hot and sunny I had no problems with condensation if I turned it every couple days and some days left it standing up to air out. As it got cold and I moved it into a trailer it became very challenging to keep this dry and mould free. It needs to have slats underneath and a waterproof cover without a doubt in a cold damp environment (or cover in mylar). You will want to flip or air out your sleeping bag in the day too to prevent mould.

            For the ultra sensitive, an aluminized Thermarest is the safest camping mat. People usually go with the solid foam or the small inflatable ones as they pack much smaller than the delux one I bought and are more affordable. Here is a good overview of the closed cell foam pads. But since I'm backyard camping that worked better for me. Other very sensitive folks have tolerated the small air mats. I was very impressed with how little this one smelled (less than the air mattress) but I did not find it anywhere near as comfortable as my Mondo Thermarest. The solid foam over a camping cot is a set up to consider.

            None of the Thermarests have flame retardants.

            Bedding

            I'm extremely pleased with this sleeping bag which is warm and offgassed after sitting in the sun for a week or so. I never even washed it. I used this in the summer and some days it was too warm. I use these polyester sheets. But there are specific sheets for Thermarests and other brands of sleeping mats. They are also polyester. You don’t want any cotton in your tent it doesn’t do well outside for long. I bought a polyester camping pillow which is small (and it has cotton on the outside!) so I also got this regular sized polyester pillow. I use waterproof pillow cases to prevent mould which I aired out and washed before using. They do smell at first but polyurethane coating does offgas to many people's standards.

            Others like a silk sleeping bag liner which keeps you warm and keeps your sleeping bag cleaner. Is much easier to wash a liner than the sleeping bag. I'm using this one and it's quick to dry (surprised by how chemically it smelled, needed more washes than most fabrics). You can also make a liner by sewing a queen flat sheet in half.

            Having only one sleeping bag is a challenge for me to get to washing it and drying it before dark. But I can get by with the silk liner and heating blanket if it's warm out.

            Staying Warm and Cool

            I used a heating blanket and was toasty warm in the tent. I thought the biggest problem for me would be stabalising my temperature but that ended up not being a problem at all. This is the heating blanket I use. After going through a lot of these, the trick is I want one big enough to cover me and I want the 10 hour shut off not the 3 hour shut off to keep me warm all night. They are challenging in how strong they smell when new and since they can't go in a dryer they can be difficult to clean in cold weather camping. For those concerned about EMFs you can use this to heat the tent without putting in on your body. It won’t be as warm but it is likely safer than a stand alone heater in a tent. Or, the fancier and possibly healthier option is an infared mat.

            This 60 watt heated blanket (the smaller type) will run for most of the night off this solar kit. I have an extension cord running to my tent.  Hot water bottles can be put inside the sleeping bag at night. This one has been reported to be very tolerable.

            You can also set up a small heater - I own this one (which took a while to offgas), or a portable AC (make sure your tent is big enough. If it’s your first time around the block, read the dimensions carefully, they run small). It's safer to place the heater up on a small table or round of wood to keep it from knocking over or blowing directly onto something that could melt or burn. For the AC you will need to cut a hole for the exhaust and seal around it.

            Some people do use wood stoves in a tent. I'm getting this one for the cargo trailer but I do not have experience setting up a wood stove in a tent.

            Use heaters, heating blankets or woodstoves at your own risk of fire or electrocution. They are not generally recommended for tents.

            Camping Supplies

            Other items I use for backyard camping
            - I cooked everything in an Instant Pot when camping which I could do on my one extension cord
            - Travel Berkey is still on my wish list
            - Non-cotton fast drying travel towel, I use this one.
            - Eye mask and ear plugs, and for really loud situations the triple down method of (foam + silicone + ear protectors (or noise cancelling headphones). The foam contoured eye masks smell and need some time to offgas, the fabric ones can be offgassed by washing. I always keep a backup mask. The construction ear protectors do smell quite strong. One benefit of noise cancelling headphones is some noises cannot be blocked without adding white noise over them.
            - I still love this outdoor dryer
            -Washable wool or silk long underwear, wool socks and wool hat, gloves to stay warm in cold weather

            Flame Retardants

            To avoid flame retardants you may consider the Moonlight tent or Sierra Tensegrity. Some of the canvas tents do not have flame retardants.

            For sleeping mats, none of the Thermarest mats have FRs. Wildkin sleeping mats and sleeping bags are also FR free.

            Two other sleeping bags that are FR free are Holy Lamb Organics (but they use cotton), and Kelty.

            More Resources

            Lisa Petrison's camping supply list
            My guide to and list for a mould sabbatical
            Planet Thrive MCS Survivalist Guide for Tent Camping
            From EI Wellspring Safer Camping and Safer Camping Equipment

            Thank you to Emily Snelling for content support and the members of Mold Avoiders on the Road for all the advice along the way.

            Disclosure

            Some of the links to products and supplies on this page go through my affiliate partners. Whether a product has an affiliate program or not does not influence by chose of recommendations. If you are going to purchase any of the items listed here and if you found my site’s content useful, please consider purchasing through my links - it will not cost you any more. Thank you!




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            Converting a Cargo Van - Chemical & Mould-Free Camper Construction

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            This post will cover converting a cargo van into a camper. I will focus only on a few key areas. The key factor here is insulating in a way that will not go mouldy - as metal walls are the trickiest thing to insulate because of the condensation factor. I will also look at MCS safe materials for the interior, and a few appliances that are recommended by others. Building a camper that will be both mould-free and chemical-free is tricky!

            Keep in mind a cargo van can be anything from a metal box with a bed to a fully decked out camper with a stove, fridge, sink, heater, AC, and even a full bathroom. 

            This will also be a review of the technical aspects of Camp Like a Girl and The Vanual

            Insulating a Cargo Van 

            The most important aspect of creating a mould-free camper is the insulation. Here is the key point: no water vapour can enter the wall cavity. With exterior metal walls, as soon as you are heating the van to the point where the exterior wall will be dewpoint, you have a serious risk of condensation and mould in the walls. So again, to keep it simple, no water can enter the walls if you plan to heat your camper when it's cold. 

            Ridged Foam


            The Vanual
            In Camp Like a Girl, Sara uses some XPS and some EPS insulation. XPS is a vapour barrier (meaning no water can pass through 1.5 inches), and EPS is not. So using XPS foam is one option to insulate your van.  XPS or polyiso with foil backing should be tolerable to those with MCS as they don't offgas. Johns Manville Polyiso is the only foam without flame retardants. 

            However, just the foam on its own will not be airtight. You can used canned spray foam to fill in the gaps if that is tolerable for you. It is not chemical-free but I have found it odourless once dry. Handi-Foam is the safest one, as it is GreenGuard Gold certified.

            If you are putting the plastic covers back on the walls like Camp Like a Girl, I would silicone/caulk around those to make it airtight. The most tolerable caulking is Eco-bond.

            Robert Lawson, another van owner, is trying this strategy to fill in all the gaps: he says: "I have 1-inch polyiso foam on the walls and ceilings. I plan to put Reflectix between the foam sheathing and the steel body so there will not be an air space where condensation could form. I will put another layer of Reflectix on top of the sheathing as well in order to cover all the irregularly shaped frame members."

            Camp Like a Girl also uses insulation in the bed platform to keep the bed warm. Here I would definitely go for insulation that doesn't have flame retardants instead of XPS. But still, I wouldn't recommend this strategy because the mattress should breathe.


            Spray Foam

            Spray Foam is going to be your safest bet for preventing mould, as the foam will get into every crevice and form an airtight layer that will prevent all moisture from getting into the walls. 
            alaskankerryblues.com

            The best spray foams are Heatlock Soy line at Demilic (GreenGuard Gold certified) and Icynene Proseal (GreenGuard Gold certified) (closed cell). Both are polyurethane foams, from reputable companies that are usually easy to source. It must be closed cell, which is a vapour barrier. I recommend these to healthy people who are set on spray foam. I don't usually recommend them to people with MCS because I have heard bad stories (and there are better options for most homes). However, I have an extremely sensitive client who can tolerate Demilic. It is worth considering in a van, especially if you are mould sensitive but not chemically sensitive. You can also then try and put a vapour barrier over this or use metal walls or the plastic coverings to prevent the offgassing from the spray foam from entering your space. 

            Walls and Ceiling

            Metal is your safest bet unless you are putting the plastic covers back on. This all depends on what kind of van it is, as they are all different. But if you can use metal walls that is your safest bet. For an extra layer of protection, caulk around the seams to prevent moisture from going in the walls. If you are not using spray foam or canned foam, then this caulking sealant around the walls is crucial.

            Sara used PVC ceiling tiles which are toxic, but real tin ceiling tiles could be used as a non-toxic alternative which add a fun look to your metal camper. 

            While The Vanual looks very pretty with its wooden ceiling, but I would avoid plywood as walls, ceiling or subflooring. There are just too many points where the wood hits the metal. If you are intent on getting this look, you would have to have lots of insulation at all the metal ribs to make sure dewpoint would never be hit. If that is possible, then you could use formaldehyde-free plywood with strips of wood over it to get the look in The Vanual. 


            Marmoleum floors
            Floors

            I wouldn't feel comfortable using wood to raise the floor joists as the wood right against the metal could be a recipe for condensation and mould. Ridged foam may be your best bet for floors to solve the thermal bridging there. Or else spray foam between the joists and then use metal flooring.

            Different flooring materials could be considered - metal, which could be painted with different designs for a pretty effect, or covered with rugs, or Marmoleum (if you can tolerate the smell of natural linseed oil). You could also cover it with EVA mats. You could use wood if you are sure you have enough insulation underneath to prevent condensation from forming under the wood. MgO board could be used as subflooring here if you are using Marmoleum or wood. The MgO will crack though.


            Interior Structures: Bed, Cabinets

            The Vanual
            Sara and the Vanual used plywood for their bed bases which contains formaldehyde and also doesn't let the mattress breath. Mattresses are very susceptible to becoming damp in campers. It would be best if the bed base was made of planks that allowed some airflow. The bed should be flipped and checked often for dampness, especially if you cook or shower inside. 

            For cabinets, if you do use plywood, go for a formaldehyde-free plywood like Purebond.



            Ventilation

            You need fans that move air out - one above the shower if you have one, and one in the general space. My CampLite had two fans and we still have problems just with cooking humidity making the mattress wet. The standard camper fans are Fan-tastic.

            Appliances


            The Vanual has some cool tips for solar power, wiring and appliances. If you want to go off-grid you will need solar and you will need to tolerate a fuel stove. The Vanual and other van owners speak highly of Goal Zero solar systems.

            The other option is to wire the van to plug into a campground plug (or modify to plug into a house), this would allow you to cook on an electric hotplate and would allow an electric heater. Using an electric blanket or pad is  a good heating option to save energy.

            For off the grid heaters I would go with the rooftop propane heater/AC combo that many trailers have. Though extreme mould avoiders have said these can get mouldy.

            I would not use the stand alone propane heaters that go inside as they will not be safe for those with MCS.

            For cooking, if you are off the grid you will need to burn some fuel to cook. Cooking outdoors is safer. Alcohol burning stoves are safer than propane. Though this won't be tolerable for many.

            For a fridge I would go with a 3-way fridge that can run on propane solar or AC electricity. Unlike in most trailers propane is stored inside so this could become a problem. The Vanual recommends running this fridge on solar or the car battery.

            An Overview of the Process

            I like this YouTube video because it gives a good overview of the whole process and how complex it is. With a few tweaks this van could also be very suitable for a chemical or mould sensitive person.

            If the insulation is sealed up perfectly by the Reflectix and tape, than no vapour will pass through. If you have a high enough R-value to keep the wood walls from getting condensation then this could work. (You would still want to use a wood that holds up well to high moisture areas).

            A few materials need to be tweaked: use solid wood - no laminate or plywood, natural bedding and cushions, slats under the bed for airflow (which I think he did), gas stove may or may not be tolerable, a better extraction fan, and I would look for an alternative to that vehicle carpet.



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            Passive House Tiny House - A Detailed Mould Preventative Build

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            Intro from Corinne

            This post is about a meticulously built tiny home, designed to hold up in the long run to mould. The post is written by the owner/builder who did years and years of research and consulted with many building science experts. There was an extreme attention to detail on preventing mould. The main reason almost every house is mouldy is because of the many many mistakes made in most builds (in design and execution). These can be even more prevalent in tiny homes which are less regulated and often built by non-experts.

            This post is mainly to serve as an example of the care, research, consultation and attention needed to build a house that will hold up to mould. The owner/builder, Terran, also has MCS. There is a focus on healthy materials in this post.

            This post may have ideas you can use in your own build and it may also be interesting to see the kind of detail needed to carefully build a house. The build itself took over a year. This house uses many practices from Passive House building so there are some unique aspects, but many of these aspects can be applied to most tiny houses. Never simply copy someone else’s building practices without consulting with your own architect or engineer who specializes in mould prevention. If you change the materials due to availability, or your own sensitivities, or you live in a different climate your house will likely be different. We are also not presenting this as the perfect house to copy. Any ideas here should be reviewed by you and your experts. That is not a legal disclaimer, that is just what needs to be done to build a home that will last. Keep in mind even among experts there is disagreement on building systems. However, I do think there are some unique and valuable ideas here.

            This post does not go over every detail of the build, as that would take a whole book. But it does cover the main tricky areas, as well as the main materials used.

            Even if you choose just to look at the pictures or watch the video (coming soon - I will post it to my Facebook page), I think this will be interesting to anyone looking to build or renovate, whether you are a beginner who does not know the full complexity of housing systems or an expert in building science.

            I am very excited about this post. I think it adds something really important to the tiny house conversation.

            The following is written by Terran and has a few comments inserted by me. It has been edited for grammar and length by me. The owner himself will be away from the internet for the next 3 years, so he will not be available.

            This post is not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned. The Amazon links are affiliate links. If you are going to purchase any of the items here, and if you found my site’s content useful, it will not cost you any more to make your purchases through these links.

            Enjoy!
            Corinne


            Intro

            About three years ago I set out to build a Tiny House to help with chronic health problems I’ve had since childhood. The structure would need to be free of chilling drafts during colder weather (it gets down to around -30 F), free of building materials that caused Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT), have a good (and properly sized) supply of fresh air in the form of Heat Recovery Ventilation, and would need to be as efficient as possible. Early on we struggled to find materials that would fill these needs. We thought it seemed likely that we would wind up building more or less another version of the kinds of structures that have made life challenging for me in the past. But then a retired contractor mentioned Passive Haus/Passive House (PH) to me.

            For several months, I’ve been living in the final product of what we built, and it has changed my life. It is by far the most beneficial structure for my health that I’ve ever lived in. Because of that, I really wanted to take the time to explain our build. I’d be really happy to know that others in the Tiny House community might be able to build on what we’ve done, and improve it. They’re awfully small spaces to share with moldy surfaces and cavities of walls, roofs, and floors that have moisture issues over time. I have heard horror stories of how much these factors can impact Tiny House occupants.

            The envelope design we settled on has a number of points where it differs from other Tiny Houses I’ve seen, so I’ll try to explain why and how it differs in this post.

            I’ll start with how we went about planning the design.

            Part I: Design and Testing

            During the early part of the planning phase, the amazing and kind Hans at Pinwheel Structures in Ontario, Canada suggested that I try using U-Wert in order to test moisture and efficiency performance of my wall, roof, and floor assembly ideas. U-Wert (German for “U-Value”) is a program that people can use for free online to perform basic WUFI-style analyses of any given assembly in their building envelope. There are more advanced features available through subscription.



            The English version of the program itself is still partially in German. There are full listings of analysis information for nearly all brands and styles of Passive House Certified Materials, as well as a wide selection of the other common building materials. The listings include factors like permeability, u-value, thermal delay, thermal mass, and nearly all the other important statistics for Passive House consideration. Once putting together a given assembly design, one can set interior and exterior temperature and humidity to see how the assembly performs under different conditions. Because I figured I only had one shot at getting our design right, I got a little addicted to the program.

            At 475’s recommendation, I also bought a copy of the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP). The PHPP was learnable, with some real attention and effort, for a layperson like myself – and the amount of climate-based information it offered was invaluable for understanding what’s required to build a Passive House.

            After working with the PHPP for many hours, I was able to get a sense of how much energy I’d be using for the plan I settled on. What I needed was a design that could be potentially mobile, was specifically designed around environmental health issues, and that fit into an incredibly small budget. The home will also be empowered by the fact that it can be physically moved (and therefore re-oriented) each season, to give it the best performance for any particular time of year.

            After more U-Wert and PHPP test-runs than I could count, we settled on a design that has a few calculated risks, largely for the sake of maximizing foam-free efficiency. I want to be sure to explain those.

            Part II: Walls, Roof and Floor

            Walls

            The first of these risks is that instead of using a continuous layer of exterior insulation, such as Gutex (covered by battens and siding as normally prescribed) we chose to go with Facade-Grade Thermacork. Facade Thermacork has essentially the same u-value as wood-fiber insulation, but can be left exposed to the elements for a lifetime, and is designed and tested to stand up to almost any kind of natural exposure (except woodpeckers…it doesn’t like woodpeckers! Just put up some mylar balloons when it first goes in, and they’ll stay away).

            This function of Thermacork is not a risk, it’s been relatively well tested in many places around the world and is undergoing some data collection in the temperate rainforest of Washington State. The risk for us is that we could not find anyone who had used Thermacork on a Tiny House and then moved it on the highway. Some of the people we spoke to about the idea seemed completely unworried about the material in highway conditions (after all, it survives extremely high winds on building exteriors all the time). Others felt we might want to plastic-wrap the house if it ever gets moved. We’re thinking we’ll probably be safe and wrap it, just as most conventional mobile homes are wrapped for transportation. This seemed like a reasonable risk to take, as we’re not planning on moving the house often (only once or twice in its lifetime, if needed).

            Additionally, the Thermacork allowed us to save a great deal of weight over the normal exterior insulation-batten-siding approach – no matter how we sliced or totalled different materials. Thermacork also had a major advantage for sound: one inch of it cancels as much as 50 dB equivalent.



            Most importantly, though, the Thermacork saved us space. After repeated U-Wert analyses, it became clear how important every inch used for insulation can be in a Tiny House, due to size restrictions. Tiny Houses generally need to be less than 8’6” total width, and less than 13’ 6’ total height for road legal transport in most areas. Additionally, since we were trying our best to make sure that the structure could be certified as a legal residence (we are now nearing receipt of a Certificate of Residence or Occupancy) we had to hit the International Residential Code (IRC) requirement of 7’ interior space in length and height of all habitable areas. These factors place a clear limit on how much space there is in a Tiny Home for insulation.

            A note on foam vs other insulation: Under these circumstances, foam can be tempting. It’s light, it appears to have the maximum R-value per inch of all available insulations save for Vacuum Insulated Panels (VIPs). It can also come in differing forms (spray, board, roll, exterior roofing spray, etc.). However, even the most trustworthy professionals in the foam industry I spoke with emphasized that spray foam will lose significant R-value over the course of its life. It will be dimensionally unstable, eliminating its proposed air-sealing value, and potentially creating gaps in wall-cavities over-time. It is expensive. Almost all foam is heavily vapor-closed, and so does not allow breathing of moisture in most building assemblies like ours. Most of it also outgases for the life of the product, and spray-foam can lead to disaster if minor aspects of the install go astray. For more information on why we chose to avoid foam in our build, please see 475’s excellent blog series “Foam Fails.”

            A final note on our framing design: it could be said that we took a risk by utilizing advanced framing techniques for a mobile design. This has become a commonplace approach among Tiny House builders, but it does require care. The architect who volunteered to help us, John at Rebuild Studio, as well as the seasoned framer we consulted with, took every opportunity to emphasize that. We made sure to install metal braces at pretty much every connection point (between floor and wall framing, between roof rafters and sill plates, etc.). Our framing consultant really did want to see us use 2x6’s – rather than the Tiny House standard 2x4’s – and for a lot of reasons (see the “Interior” section on Windows, Doors and Interior) we decided to go with that suggestion.


            Here are more pictures of the framing.

            Roof




            This leads me to the second risk we took: an R-60-ish roof full of Roxul. If we had anyone nearby who could do dense-pack cellulose affordably (or there was a machine we could rent nearby to do it affordably ourselves), I would have insulated the roof with cellulose to be sure we got the weight balance right. Aside from the sheer lightness of cellulose, dense-packing cellulose or fiberglass might have also allowed us to save considerable additional weight by removing some of the secondary stick-framing we put in, in order to add additional layers of Roxul around an interior thermal break space. There are also fantastic cellulose batts on the market, but they would have cost us about twice as much as Roxul (due to the fact that we can easily drive across the border into Canada and buy Roxul near the factory).

            I want to highlight this risk, because I would not want anyone else to take the same approach we did, only to find that their building is top-heavy and dangerous. I have not taken our Tiny House on the road yet, and so I cannot confirm that it will be functionally balanced. Based on our best weight calculations, and the considerable weight of the floor assembly and heavy-duty trailer we built on, we felt like the building would be alright travelling at moderate speeds. Here on the build site, it has never so much as swayed a millimetre. But I remain agnostic about how this aspect of our build turned out, and we may not know for many years how it will fare on the road.

            That R-60 roof value was very challenging to reach without foam, we had weight restrictions, and it required some sacrifice in space. Many Tiny Houses really skimp as much as possible on insulation in the roof and floor, so that they can have enough space for a functional lofted living/sleeping area. A major factor that encouraged us to go with our approach is that, due to the IRC’s size requirements for habitable spaces, most Tiny House lofts are illegal for sleeping or any other habitation activity. Knowing that, we were willing to sacrifice a loft. Instead, we made what is essentially a permanent bunk bed – and since one of the main concerns I’ve heard with Tiny Houses is closet space, we made it into an inexpensive pull-out closet. There would have been no way to make a legal living space underneath. We could have also gone with the approach of putting the bed underneath a platform living space, and rolling it out on casters (to see how this approach works, see the Minim House. If I had needed a larger bed, that is most certainly how I would have done it (and I would have made sure to get an out-swing door, rather than an in-swing!)



            Floor Assembly

            Another aspect of our design that might require some explanation is the floor assembly. We went through a number of ideas for how to create a truly thermally broken Tiny House floor. Along the way, we also had to face the fact that there were no known ways around using vapor-impermeable materials for the interface between the floor frame and the trailer – at least none with proven longevity. I really wanted to be sure that the floor had vapor permeability because I’ve seen deconstructed Tiny House floors that had gone rotten after some years due to impermeability issues. Floors, especially those elevated off the ground and exposed to air and wind, can really have a tendency to deal poorly with vapor drive. They are the coldest assembly in a Tiny House. After some great advice from many professionals, we decided on using ¾” marine-grade plywood for the underside of the floor assembly – with some added tricks and layers.



            Floor Trick 1: We built the floor upside-down, in sections that we could manipulate without heavy equipment. While the marine-grade ply bottom was exposed, we taped all ply seams with Extoseal Finoc, as well as all parts of the ply that would interface with the trailer. The not only provides a great self-sealing water-proof layer but also enables meaningful amounts of capillary action to wick away any moisture that comes between the floor-frame and the trailer in those interface spots.

            Floor Trick 2: We then coated the remainder of the exposed marine-grade-ply-surface with Prosoco R-Guard Cat 5, which was extremely impressive. As many Passive House Professionals have pointed out, relying upon liquid-applied layers for air and moisture sealing on walls and roofs can be unreliable. Many such layers can fail over time. Also, they are not produced in a factory (like Solitex Mento or Intello) and are essentially “manufactured” on site. This creates significant added potential for failure/error during application and curing. However, in our case, we were not relying on the Cat 5 for air sealing, since we would be taping all seams by the end of the install. What we wanted was a thick, durable protective layer over the ply surface that would completely repel water, and be moisture permeable from the interior. CAT 5 fit that description very well: it’s thick, water-immune but breathable, and incredibly strong (almost like dolphin skin when wet). Prosoco’s amazing field rep emphasized that Cat 5 should always be covered and protected by rain-screens, etc., as it can definitely be damaged. However, because our application was sheltered and downward facing, and we were not covering the surface with siding or anything of that nature, we felt all the more confident that we would be able to patch the material over time with a brush-stroke or two anywhere it might get damaged during sitting or road-travel. We figured we’d just schedule logical times to check the surface and see if it needs repair (zero repairs needed so far). Although the material should never be exposed directly to the sun and other elements, because we were installing on the underside of a floor-frame and taking the above precautions, Prosoco agreed that this was a feasible approach for our application.



            Floor Trick 3: After a lot of consideration, we settled on putting the thermal-break layer for the floor to the interior. Placing a thermal break to the exterior of a THOW floor frame either left significant thermal breaks (as in insulating the trailer frame), created a danger of decay (SIPS), or other problems. Placing the continuous layer of insulation inside the building envelope allowed us to not only to ensure we had a robust thermal break but gave us the ability to build our floor sections with 2x8’s (again, without heavy equipment) because we would not need to lift the added weight of wood-fiber insulation board with the sections, during placement on the trailer.

            Floor Trick 4: The engineer we worked with said that we should use stainless steel bolts and nuts to be sure we had enough strength, and he gave us a pretty large number to install. It was a really fail-proof way to ensure connection to the trailer – and will allow the Tiny House to be removed and put on another trailer or a foundation when this trailer reaches the end of its life. Because our floor frame was so thick, we had to use an extremely long metal drill-bit meant for aircraft, but it was available locally and worked very well (with a lot of elbow grease – Kangaroo Trailers makes a seriously beefy trailer). Dave at Kangaroo was able to get us additional attachment points via welded flanges on the sides of the trailer, and very well-made cross-bars going across the center. His design also saved significant amounts of weight over many of the other approaches we’d seen – while still keeping a maximum amount of strength on the main frame and the tongue.




            We had been hoping to avoid the use of sheet-goods with formaldehyde of any kind on the interior of the structure, so we used tongue and groove pine instead. Above the pine, we installed the wood-fiber insulation, and above that, we laid Intello Plus and connected it on all junctions with the wall membranes. This very effectively sealed the pine out of the interior living space. However, we were left with a surface that would have been difficult to install a conventional floor over (i.e. the top of wood-fiber insulation, with relative blindness to the studs and tongue & groove below).

            Floor Trick 4: In the end, after a lot of research, we used Marmoleum Click for our finish floor. Marmoleum makes the only linoleum certified by several international health organizations – and takes great care to ensure that all materials used in their products are low-off-gassing. Running a simulation of the product in U-wert (using the top-surface, the low-VOC MDF, and bottom cork layer) tested to have acceptable vapor permeability – although we were never able to get official perm ratings from the company.


            More pictures of the flooring process here. 

            Part III: Air Sealing, Ventilation, and Heating

            Because we wanted to avoid drafts, foster dry wall cavities, avoid the formation of mold throughout, and have good control over the interior air-quality of our Tiny House, air-sealing and ventilation were incredibly important to us. We were extremely happy to find products that worked perfectly for these purposes and had extremely rigorous testing and research backing them.

            Air Sealing

            We used a carefully detailed continuous layer of Solitex Mento 1000 as our primary exterior air-sealing layer, and vapor-permeable secondary Weather Resistant Barrier (WRB).



            We applied a similarly detailed interior layer of Pro Clima’s Intello Plus as our interior air-sealing layer and intelligent vapor control layer.



            We then applied Tescon Profil tape for all our window connections to the interior and exterior membranes (taking care to seal and connect the junctions between Mento and Intello). We also used Tescon Vana to seal the seams of the exterior sheathing as a back-up, to help ensure we got a good air-seal – since it was our first time around the air-sealing-block. 475 believes in redundancy, and although taping all plywood seams below a layer of Solitex Mento is not a step they suggest, we really wanted to be sure we got a proper air seal, regardless of any novice mistakes.


            Along the way, we sealed all seams and penetrations of the interior and exterior membranes with Tescon Vana as well.





            Extoseal Encors was used for all the window and door sill-pan details. Encors is able to flex and shape itself around corners in ways that are genuinely unbelievable, especially when compared to normal materials – and its self-sealing and waterproofing capabilities are essentially superpowers.



            We also wanted to experiment with trying to save vertical space by using Solitex UM on the roof. This allowed us to save the inches of vertical space that would have otherwise been taken up with battens, while still allowing moisture from under the roof panels a pathway out from under the standing seams. We had to take special care when lapping the drip-edges to be sure the moisture would escape on the mesh, as planned, and also had to take a lot of care while installing the roof panels over it, but we all wound up being impressed with the functionality of the membrane design Because we had to have some extended conversations with 475 about how to detail this particular process, and we haven’t seen it elsewhere on the 475 blog, we wanted to list the steps here:

            Install Wood-Fiber Insulation properly over the roof sheathing.

            Properly stretch, mechanically fasten, and tape the Solitex UM over the wood-fiber insulation.

            Make sure to properly connect the Solitex UM (or plan so that you can connect it later) to the air-sealing layer over the walls.

            Be sure that you are placing the edge of the mesh so that it allows water to drip properly over the edge of your roof, and not down behind any part of your wall.

            Integrate the fabric part of your Solitex UM properly with your wall’s air and weather barriers so that there are no gaps.

            Follow manufacturer’s instruction for the proper order of installation of the Standing Seam Roof panels, drip edges, etc., while taking the following steps:

            Each time you fasten any material through the Solitex UM, cut a small slit in the mesh layer above the fabric, to be sure that your fastener doesn’t catch a strand of the mesh, and leave a pathway for moisture to travel along the fastener, and below your fabric.

            As you place the roof panels, fasten them through backer plates to ensure that the fasteners do not damage or puncture your insulation board.

            A final note on Solitex UM: If you’d like to experiment with saving wall space, you can also use this on the exterior of your walls, instead of battens, and apply your siding directly on top of it.

            Here are some detailed pictures of the roof install. 

            Ventilation

            For ventilation, we went with a pair of Lunos E2 units, and an eGo for the bathroom fan. The units provide pressure-balanced ventilation, and the upper end of their CFM capacity is more than what we wanted for the tiny space, even given how much I appreciate fresh conditioned air. Despite that, I would not recommend using just the E2 units without a proper bathroom fan of some kind. E2 pairs are not rated for enough moisture to be used in a bathroom. In the warmer shoulder months – when it’s often too cold or wet to comfortably open a window, and too warm for the air to tend towards dryness - it’s really important to get shower moisture out of the bathroom effectively. Using both the E2 and a bathroom fan (especially the eGO) made the humidity manageable. With the smallest 25 pint Kennmore Dehumidifier (Note from Corinne, they no longer make this size but this is another good dehumidifier) the house has been able to maintain 50% humidity or below at all times, even during the wettest moments of the summer months (most of the time the dehumidifier is not needed, but when it is, it clears out the humidity quickly, and much more effectively and reliably than any of the smaller options I looked into). Here is a good and well priced humidity meter. A bathroom fan also ensures that unpleasant bathroom odors do not become a problem. (As an important side note: Lunos HRVs should always be located at least 1.5’ from the ceiling in any location. These are often not placed correctly.)

            The final piece of the ventilation picture was a 24” recirculation range by Summit (Note from Corinne, I prefer for this to vent the humidity to outside like this one). It’s the only model we found that was small enough for us, and in our price range, and it does the job well enough. I had to remove their foam filter (which was supposed to be what caught non-oil food-particulate, but was shockingly diffuse, and wasn’t even cut to the right size) and replace it with cut-to-fit carbon. I was happier with the carbon than a cheap foam filter anyway. Overall, the quality is a bit lower than I had hoped, and it doesn’t effectively catch all the cooking vapors, but with our mini-split circulating air (see the next section for more information) an E.L. Foust 160R2 air-purifier, and the Lunos units running, I’m able to get the air fresh within a reasonably short amount of time after cooking. I’ve lived in tiny houses before that became very moldy as a result of not being able to effectively vent and/or filter the steam from cooking – and the food particulate within it that creates the odors.



            Heating and Cooling

            For heating, we decided on an LG Artcool Premier mini-split heat pump, which is LG’s highest efficiency model. Mitsubishi makes the lowest BTU output model on the market at 6,000 BTU’s, and their models have fantastic quality and durability. I have relatives who’ve owned their units for years now and have also made many calls to local HVAC companies, as well as Mitsubishi and Ecomfort’s customer service staff. All the agents I spoke with were very candid about the different brands and models. Given all of that, as far as well could tell from initial research, the smallest Mitsubishi unit seemed like the best for tiny spaces. So why did we choose the LG Artcool Premier? It turns out that even though the smallest LG Artcool Premier model puts out 9,000 BTU, the inverter LG uses allows the unit to step down heat output to just a bit less than the Mitsubishi Unit (at least at the time of my research, that is what both companies confirmed for me, when I contacted them about the numbers). This actually put the LG unit closer to the number the PHPP gave for the total BTU’s we’d need to heat our house (PHPP will tell you exactly how large your heater needs to be, among many, many other useful things). So in this case, the LG unit will be able to almost match its output to our exact needs, under any circumstance. As it turned out, the small amount of research I’ve seen from the Department of Energy indicates that having units be oversized for the space and unable to step down to the given needs, is a major factor decreasing efficiency.



            Another factor is that the Mitsubishi unit automatically shuts off at around -13 F according to the submittal. The LG unit does not have an automatic shut-off. Field reports from users as well as the company would indicate that it can continue to put out enough heat to heat a tiny space like ours down to as low as -20 F. So in the end, the fact that our unit puts out 9,000 BTU is not a problem due to the inverter flexibility, and the extra BTU capacity also gives us some extra breathing room to keep using the unit as temperatures drop into negative digits.

            Beyond all that, the LG was significantly less expensive, which I appreciated. You also get some additional items that cost extra with Mitsubishi (like the drain-pan heater). The folks I’ve spoken with who’ve installed these units have emphasized that they tend to have very few problems – IF, as with any brand, they’re properly installed by a professional, and well maintained. At this point, we can heat and cool (and ceiling fan!) the house for around 200-300 watts in most cases. This is amazing. The dehumidification function is disappointing, and in general please remember to use the “self-cleaning” setting on the remote if you buy one. Running A/C and dehumidification on these units can lead to them developing some mold after a while, if you don’t run the fan enough to dry the fins out.  The “self-cleaning” setting does that to some degree, but I try to run the fan function as much as I can, and that also keeps really good air-mixing going in the house (and helps make up for the fact that we placed the Lunos Units too close to the ceiling!)

            One final note about mini-splits: our installer seemed short on time, and insisted that he wanted to put the indoor unit on the same wall as the exterior compressor. This is not what we had previously planned on, and came as a surprise. Unfortunately, this meant that it was not only right over the foot of the bed, but would be somewhat obstructed by the only cabinet we had installed. The location worked out fine, and it heats the space wonderfully regardless. However, I hope that if you’re thinking of getting a mini split for your Tiny House, you might be able to account for putting it in the spot that will be most straight-forward for the installer (and least expensive for you). By having the lines from the indoor unit come straight out the wall above the outdoor unit, we saved him an immense amount of time on working with the copper lines, etc..



            Part IV: Windows, Doors, Interior and Framing Details

            Windows

            Windows, for a Tiny House on Wheels (THOW), were items that we had to research and reflect a great deal on. There are many different standards for what counts as “high performance” windows, depending on who you’re talking with. For a certain section of the market, Marvin and Andersen are considered high performance and efficient. We’d had experience with them in the past, and although we were pleased with the workmanship and quality of service, they always became drafty in our region and could be frigid to sleep near.

            In sections of the truly high-performance market, we found triple and quad-pane windows that were of incredible quality, but also way outside of our weight allowance and budget. Luckily, we found that there is a small section of the Passive Haus and high-performance market that has been working with Heat Mirror technology – which is essentially a special kind of heat retentive film used in place or ordinary sheets of glass. It is cost-effective and comes close to being in the same range of efficiency as panes of glass. However, after speaking with some fantastic (and very honest) engineers at companies with some experience in Heat Mirror use, it sounded like most of them hadn’t really figured out how to make the technology reliable in the long-term. Right around then is when we were referred to Alpen High Performance Windows.

            Alpen (formerly Serious Windows) has arguably more experience with Heat Mirror technology than any other company in the industry. They’ve learned how to secure and seal the Heat Mirror film properly, as well as suspend the film so that it does not sag or cause distortion over time. They’re accustomed to using Heat Mirrors between glass of varying thicknesses and types, for all applications – and they do so for both triple and quad-pane units. This saves enormous amounts of weight. Their manufacturing takes place in-house at their factory in Colorado – so they are able to have excellent levels of quality control over both the process and the product. After a lot of pricing and research, I honestly cannot recommend any other company for high-performance windows to be used in THOWs.

            They were also able to work with me to eliminate PVC from the windows I bought (replacing PVC glass stops with aluminum ones – the rest of their windows are made from an amazing low-toxicity fiberglass). I found the PVC used in many PH windows to be a major problem in a tiny space, and many companies unavoidably include PVC and do not offer any flexibility to allow you to eliminate it. All of the people I spoke with at Alpen were wonderfully kind, and either had the information I was looking for or readily put me in touch with someone who did. If you’re looking for PH Certified Windows that will fit into the weight constraints, efficiency standards, and budget for a Tiny House, I just can’t imagine buying anything else. For those who are very sensitive to off-gassing VOCs from window seals, there will be some of that with Alpen windows – as with any window. People like us just need to plan some time in for things of that nature to off-gas before moving in. It didn’t take long before they were fine for me. I’ve never felt uncomfortable in front of one, even in -20 F weather – and I haven’t yet seen even a speck of condensation on them (although the space has been extremely dry during the winter much of the time, often sub 30% humidity).


            Here are more photos of the window install.

            Doors

            Researching high-performance doors for a tiny space was similarly challenging. Again, weight was an issue for the extremely high-quality PH certified doors I saw – we just wouldn’t have been able to balance it properly, or account for it in the overall weight budget. They were also incredibly expensive and outside our financial budget.

            Due to a recommendation from Alpen, and other folks we spoke with, we began looking into local ProVia dealers. They make high quality, well-crafted steel and fiberglass doors with R-values around 5, solid air-sealing values, and options for quality multi-point locks. Just about a year before we contacted them, ProVia began manufacturing what they’re calling the “Embarq Door.” They claim that it’s the highest R-value unit on the US market, and many reps at their company seem to consider it to be the ultimate in high-performance entryways. Although I feel someone at the company should inform these employees that there is an entire world of PH doors out there – many of which blow the Embarq away in pretty much every category. I hope more people get a chance to look into it and see if it’s a good fit for their project. It has some improvements to make, but it’s a very high-quality American made door, for a decent price (depending on where and how you buy it).

            The Embarq door is R10. ProVia built it more or less like a vault-door: with a tapered interior edge Based on our research into door options, it came in at between ½ and ¾ the cost of a certified PH door, depending on the given model and quote. The Embarq makes use of ProVia’s impressive Signet fiberglass technology – which is not only light but can also imitate a number of different wood grains, to the point of being almost indistinguishable from wood from six feet away.

            On the downside, ProVia hasn’t yet figured out how to use multi-point technology in the door (due to the vastly increased thickness over their standard doors). Because of this factor, and the fact that they're still tuning their manufacturing process for such a thick slab, the air-sealing figures suffer a bit compared to their normal doors – despite the multiple layers of seals they use. They seem to be figuring out the manufacturing process and how to work around the slab thickness and seals, which can make for tricky installs – especially if you’ve ordered a wide-jamb door, as we did.

            For our interior bathroom door, we picked up a free slab with hinges from Craigslist.  I apologize to those who were hoping for something prettier!

            Interior Framing Details

            On the interior of our envelope, after much debate and reflection, we decided to go without a service cavity in the walls. This is not a choice that we made lightly, and I wish we’d been able to include one. Because we had the space, we were able to use a service cavity in the ceiling – and we packed as much electrical into that as we could, and fit 100% of the plumbing into the interior bathroom and countertop space. For what little wiring was left over in the exterior walls, we settled on surface-mounted outlets which allowed us to avoid large holes in the membrane. Air-sealing a Romex cable is pretty straight-forward with Tescon Vana and it saves a lot more air-leak risks than a larger hole. We did use one air-sealing outlet-box from 475, and it was awesome (i.e., sleek, space-saving, easy, effective, etc.). If I had the chance to go back to the electrical phase, I’d just use the air-sealing boxes everywhere instead of the surface mounts. If I had a chance to do the whole project all over again, I would want to do a full-on service cavity in the walls.

            Here are more pictures of the electrical.

            Using a service cavity is the best way to assure a fully intact and functional interior membrane, and it just makes everything in the finish phase more straight-forward. In our case, we would have either had to trade the 2x6’s we used (to increase structure and insulation) for the service cavity space, or make the interior an illegal living space by making it smaller than 7’, side to side. We made the best choice we could at the time, and I was very focused on trying my best to get as efficient and moisture-sound as we possibly could.

            As an additional note on where I was coming from, no matter how I configured it, U-Wert consistently showed us significantly better efficiency and moisture numbers for a 2x6 wall cavity with 2” of exterior insulation, than with 2” of exterior insulation, 2x4’s and a 1.5” service cavity. I don’t know if this was just a glitch in U-Wert, but especially the moisture performance calculated as clearly superior, even when using a 2.5” service cavity. I think this might be due to the fact that the inboard membrane had all of the insulation to the exterior of it so that the total amount of wall insulation was not broken up by a second set of framing members, and the membrane. U-Wert also showed a clear improvement in moisture performance when the service cavity was left un-insulated, so I imagine that the additional insulation on top of the Intello created more of a temperature difference between the inside air and the Intello’s interior surface, which made for greater condensation risk there in the winter. I hope those who are much more in the know than myself, and with expertise in WUFI, will chime in with their thoughts. Obviously, both wall cavity sizes are far, far smaller than any truly Passive House in the Northeast. Based on my tinkering with U-Wert, I do not imagine anyone with a Passive House in this region would see moisture dynamics of that kind in their assemblies, due to the much larger amount of insulation exterior to the Intello. The U-Wert analyses certainly support that idea – and I can see that principle at work in how the numbers for our roof assembly worked out. Because of the greater amount of insulation exterior to the Intello membrane, we could have easily insulated the service cavity without much condensation risk. However, given that we wanted to squeeze as much insulation into the walls as we could, we just couldn’t see making wall service cavities and not insulating them.

            To moderate the risk we faced by not using a service cavity on the walls, we worked with John Kingsley, at Kingsley Woodworking in Ithaca NY, to come up with a creative approach. John was the only person we found who could mill us ½” Poplar T&G panelling (or ½ panelling in any wood species). He did a beautiful job milling and sanding it. Because John knew we were trying to save weight, he mentioned to us that he could remove a small rectangular portion of wood from the back of the panelling, without compromising the structural integrity. He calculated that this would save us quite a significant amount of weight over the whole structure. Once we saw the kind of thing he was talking about, we also felt like the extra space behind our panelling might provide a least a little bit of additional room for moisture and air exchange, which helped us feel a bit better about not having a service cavity. Because we knew at least some of the panelling would have to be in direct contact with the Intello during its least permeable mode, we made sure to paint all four sides of the panelling boards with highly permeable Romabio mineral paint. Romabio felt that the paint did a good job of protecting wood from liquid moisture, while at the same time remaining vapor open. We won’t know whether this approach worked until some years have passed, or we cut a panelling sample to see what it looks like on the underside. We look forward to seeing what the results are though.

            There were a lot of approaches we took with the interior, in order to try to maximize the efficiency of the space or minimize weight while maintaining high-quality.

            Countertops

            Eco Supply Center, which was the source of our Facade-Grade Thermacork, also very kindly walked us through the process of buying and DIY-ing Richlite for our countertop. Richlite was by far the best material we found for this purpose, after a lot of searching and ordering samples. Richlite is 0 VOC, waterproof, far more durable than wood, and weighs a tiny fraction of stone or other high-quality non-paper-based solid-surface options. Cutting and installing it ourselves was a little daunting, but between the amazing assistance from folks at Richlite, and the great people at Eco Supply Center, we were able to do it (at least to our standards!). In the end, we were able to use a totally normal saw blade for the cuts, but it did need to be high-quality, and sharp – at least in the beginning. After making our cuts, the Richlite dulled our blades to the point of them being basically useless. We certainly took that as a testament to how robust the material is, and it was great to be able to DIY it since most other non-wood countertop materials must be cut with professional equipment.



            Part V: Water and Electrical

            Water Heater

            The folks at Stiebel Eltron were an incredible resource for water heating. I searched an awful lot for a hot-water heater that would allow us to avoid plumbing propane (and re-filling propane tanks) and would give us on-demand levels of efficiency for the small amount of hot water I needed. All the on-demand electric water heaters I found required much more amperage than we would be able to run to the THOW, even the amazing range of on-demand units that Stiebel Eltron makes (their lower-flow, lower-power sink units just weren’t designed to put out enough water for showering).

            After using an incredibly effective little 6-gallon water heater in India, I started looking into similar options on the US-market but found them to be generally unreliable based on reviews. They were disappointingly inefficient. They were also not built for long-term serviceability and became trash as soon as most anything needed to be replaced. Stiebel Eltron makes by far the most efficient small-tank water-heaters on the market, and during my search, they released their 6-gallon model. It is serviceable across the board, and replacement parts are available through Stiebel Eltron for anything you might need.



            In my experience, with a low-flow shower head from Niagra I can have all the water I need to take a more-or-less normal (though by no means long) shower, so long as I make sure the tank is up to temperature before I start. It takes some care and practice playing with the hot and cold, and my preference is to keep the tank temperature right about 115 through most of the day, then turn it all the way up before taking a shower, and wait for it to get up to temperature before jumping in (there is a light on the side of the unit so you can tell when it’s running, and when it’s up to temperature).

            The unit has been extremely quiet and draws 1300 watts when in use (according to the literature, it has around ½ KW standby usage per day, at 120 F, if you leave it on all the time). That was low enough to fit within the bounds of the underground electrical service we were able to run to the house, and I am extremely grateful for that.

            Electrical

            Along with an induction cook-top, and the previously discussed heat-pump mini-split, everything fit just fine into a 50 amp service. With some care, we could run the house on an extension cord in the future if needed – and we’re now all set to run on renewables like solar, if I ever have the money for them. After talking with a number of people in the industry, it seems like with decent sun exposure, we would need very, very little in the way of a solar array to off-set the entire foot-print of the THOW.

            And here is one last album with general construction details!

            Closing Thoughts

            I hope that we might have shared something here – either through the text, video, or pictures – that will be helpful to others. There are so many good intentions in the Tiny House community, and I worry that far too many people wind up with spaces that fall short of what they expected in terms of comfort, health, and efficiency. I’ve been inspired by folks who broke out of the main-stream to experiment with addressing those problems – like Robert and Samantha at Shedsistence, and Leaf House in Canada. I hope we can all work together to make tiny structures live up to their potential, and become healthy, comfortable, efficient, affordable, and legal spaces for people to live.

            -Terran (owner/builder)

            Mattresses & Bedding: Chemical-Free Options

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            Updated June 2018

            First, a quick backgrounder on the Chemicals in our Mattresses

            Conventional mattresses are usually made of polyurethane foam or synthetic latex which off-gas VOCs. It's difficult to find out exactly which chemicals were used in a particular mattress. The worst offenders are synthetic memory foam, followed by polyurethane (though almost all polyurethane can meet CertiPUR certification which I discuss here), and then synthetic latex, which usually does not meet any green certifications on its own. Going with a spring mattress reduces the amount of foam and chemicals in it.

            On top of that, flame retardants like TCPP, or newer chemicals are often added, and won't be listed anywhere in sight. Look for mattresses that specify no chemical flame retardants (see my post on flame retardants).

            You also want to avoid mattresses that are stain resistant, as they contain harmful perfluorochemicals. Similarly, the chemical that makes sheets (and clothes) wrinkle-free releases formaldehyde. Some mattresses are also adding an antimicrobial agent which you would generally want to avoid (there are some natural antimicrobials that might be OK).

            Non-Toxic Organic Mattresses

            Natural Latex

            Update: Warning about natural latex (October, 2016). I am getting reports from several different people on problems with natural latex. My 3-inch piece of latex started to "melt" after about a year. Another one of my pillows became covered in grey mould after two years in low humidity, in a new non-mouldy house I was healing in. Others have noticed issues of disintegration and mould. Another blog reader has just written to me to tell me that her natural latex bed went mouldy on the underside even though it was on slats and it was not in high humidity. I have since seen many other cases of this on a forum and from people writing to me. It is not clear if this is a defect (these were all different brands), or whether there is a certain condition that leads to the latex breaking down. Below is my original post about latex and other mattress materials. I still have a natural latex sofa and so far it is OK. I would not buy it again myself. If you do buy natural latex look closely at the warranty - it's unlikely it covers mould.

            -

            There are plenty of options for natural latex mattresses made in US and Canada. I have sourced the most affordable ones. (Make sure it is 100% natural latex, and test for odours/sensitivities to make sure it is tolerable).


            Almost all of the green mattress brands offer natural latex, you can even find this now at Costco and IKEA (with some synthetic latex in it).

            These mattresses range from $800 to $5000. Two of the most affordable options in the $800 range are by The Futon Shop and Organic Textiles.

            The most economical option is to buy a 3-inch piece of latex. For $299 (plus tax and shipping) you can get 3" natural latex from Amazon (queen). I find that 3 inches is very comfortable to sleep on. You could also add another 3 inch layer. You might want one side medium and one side soft to see which you like better. You will need to have a cover made.

            People with MCS vary greatly in their ability to tolerate the natural smell of rubber and different brands work for different people. Here is a list of some of the ingredients that can be in natural latex. Essentia, which makes natural memory foam claims that the VOC levels of their foam (36 μg /m3) is about the same as that of natural latex. From my research, this is around the same levels as outdoor air - but it is not 0 VOC or 0 offgassing. 

            Memory Foam

            The only non-toxic memory foam out there is Essentia - this is also natural latex based. They have tested the VOC levels which are 36 μg /m3. They claim that this is the same level as natural latex and this is the same as "background levels". (For reference GreenGuard Gold levels are 220 μg /m3). As for background levels here is one study of background levels in houses in Germany. Here is a study showing outdoor levels of VOCs which are around the same level as this mattress claims are background levels. This mattress also contains the following essential oils - grapefruit seed, cone flower essence, and jasmine essence. I have tested a sample and it has a noticeable scent. Though I would not say it is flowery, it is a bit sweet. Test a sample before purchasing. It contains Kevlar as a flame retardant


            Wool

            shepherdsdream.com My Wool Mattress
            I went with the purest and simplest option I could find which is a 100% wool mattress from Shepard's Dream. It is a (relatively) economical choice at $1800 for a queen (I have the skinny version pictured). It does have a wool scent and is firm as it gets compacted with time. If you don't like firm mattresses I would recommend using a topper with it or using the thicker version. I would buy this again. Shepard's Dream has a referral program so if you are happy with it then you can refer others and get store credit. I would love to use their products again in the future so if you did find them through me I would love if you would mention my name (Corinne Segura).

            Layered wool Felt: For those with extreme sensitivities, a layered option that can be washed can be very functional. Heartfelt Collective sells wool felts that can be layered and washed. To put together what would come to about a conventional queen feel it would cost about $1900. But you may not need that many layers or you can combine the woof felt layers with something else.

            Savvy Rest makes a cotton covered wool mattress for $2000.

            When looking at wool qualifications you may want to know about various factors, depending on your sensitivities, such as the chemicals used to process the wool and if any flame retardants are used. Certified organic wool is not that common, this link explains what it means. If a company claims all-natural, pure or eco-wool you will want to take a look at what they mean by that.


            Conventional Style Layered and Spring Mattresses (Latex-Free)

            The Futon Shop - has a good variety of mattresses, some with springs and coils will be more comfortable than conventional futons. Look for the ones without latex or soy foam (which is polyurethane). Their prices are fantastic starting at $330. (US only. They don't ship to Canada.)

            My Green Mattress - A cotton and wool with springs mattress is $950 for a queen. This cupon is for $175 off for June 28 - July 9 (2018) CHEMICALFREE175

            Naturepedic - Organic Cotton & wool (with almost no smell), polyester with springs $2000 for a queen. This is a very well liked and well-tolerated brand.

            Organic Grace - Conventional style affordable organic mattresses. A queen without latex is $1800.

            Savvy Rest - Check out their non-latex mattress for $2000.

            I have not seen a cotton spring bed with no wool.

            Other Options:

            Buckwheat:

            This company will sell the organic cotton canvases and buckwheat hulls that you twist together yourself! (They don't deliver hull to Canada). A mattress topper or pad may be needed for comfort. Or, you could fill the canvas with organic cotton battingwool batt, or even recycled wool sweaters, and use the same twist system to make your own true DIY chemical-free mattress!

            Futons:

            Futons are more affordable and often don't use flame retardants. Look for organic cotton or wool filled. Another cool option is kapok fiber futon which they claim does not compact as much as cotton and wool (coupon code 1021 for 5% off). Avoid conventional cotton batting which still retains a lot of pesticide. Look out for antimicrobial and even added pesticide treatments.

            Silk:

            I have seen silk filled mattresses in the past, though they are hard to locate. May be good if you cannot tolerate cotton, wool, kapok or latex. Silk mattress toppers are easier to find and you could build them up to make a mattress.


            Beds Originally Made for Camping:

            Or for a quick and easy solution maybe a camping cot will do! Let it offgas a bit first. The plus side is there is not much to offgas there, so some time in the sun should do it.

            For sleeping pads there are the basic foam ones, this one being the most tolerable, and then there are the polyurethane self-inflating ones. I use this 10 cm one, the thickest one I could find (it has polyurethane it in). I find it very comfortable. It takes a bit of time in the sun to offgas but many MCSers can use these. I used it after two days in the sun. After a week it was ideal for me. The general consensus for those with sore backs or who need the most comfort is a Thermarest on top of a camping cot. Though with the Mondo king you likely don't need a camping cot under it (though I would raise it or put a waterproof cover on it).

            Another kind of simple sleeping mat is a polyester fiber mat. This may be more tolerable than the camping pads that have polyurethane, plus I find polyester does better with moisture than cotton and other more natural materials.

            Air bed: This phthalate and PVC-free TPU air bed comes highly recommended by many extremely sensitive people. I found it offgaseed in 2 days.

            These solutions can be used inside for those with trouble tolerating regular beds or they can be used in high moisture places like tents and simple trailers or emergency shelters.

             Pillows and Sheets


            For pillows you generally want natural fibres like wool or organic cotton. Kapok, or buckwheat are also good options. Never use non-organic cotton batting as the bats retain a lot of pesticides. Organic cotton batting sometimes still retains a strong smell from the oils of the cotton plant. I do like polyester because of it's more moisture resistant. I use this organic cotton pillow with polyester filling, but it still needs to be washed or aired out before use. This pillow with organic cotton filling is GOTs certified (chemical-free). I have one and it did have a strong cotton oil smell at first which aired out quickly. It also has a zipper so you can wash the case or pull out the cotton itself to wash it.

            Coyuchi also makes organic sheets, pillows and other bedding that is made with the chemically sensitive person in mind. I highly recommend this company. They use natural dyes but the safest bet is always virgin fabric. If you react to the product you can return it. I've been really happy with all their products. (Also available on Amazon).

            Cotton that has been processed into fabric (sheets, pillow cases etc) no longer contains pesticides in theory. But stay away from permanent pressed finish (wrinkle-free finish), and make sure the dyes are steadfast or all natural. Almost all cotton that is not organic has a chemical added to it and smells bad. Look for GOTS certified fabrics which is the best certification for non-toxic textiles.

            I use these GOTS certified organic sheets which needed one wash to get the smell out (probably the smell of cotton oils). I use these pillowcases.

            In a high moisture environment like a trailer, I use all polyester sheets and pillowcases.

            NB (While we are on the topic of chemical-free fabrics here is a guide to buying chemical-free clothing or removing "sizing" chemicals and other harmful odours.)

            Mattress Covers

            If you have an old mattress and you want to block flame retardants from migrating out of the mattress, use a cover like Organic Lifestyle's Bed Bug Cover which is also waterproof and will protect you from dust mites and bedbugs. It has a pore size of zero. The polyurethane smells strong to me but after a lot of offgassing I found it to be good. Polyethylene covers are the least toxic but do not hold up very well after washing. There are polypropylene covers as well, they hold up a little longer than plain polyethylene. This cover is a mix of polyethylene and polypropylene and is reported to be very tolerable by someone very sensitive to plastic. They do not stop the offgassing from foam or scents that a mattresses has picked up, unfortunately. If you do not have a choice but to use a offgassing or fragranced mattress and you want to block the smell you will have to cover it with Mylar or better yet aluminized tarps and tape.

            If you just want dust mite covers (that are not waterproof, and don't block flame retardants), I use these mattress and pillow protectors (non-organic but were good for me after one wash, I'm really happy with them as they have reduced my allergies).

            Blankets


            My bed with Coyuchi blankets
            I use wool blankets from Coyuchi - the natural colour with indigo stripes. It does have a wool smell, so if you are sensitive to wool try their cotton blankets. I really like wool because it's hard for me to stay the right temperature at night without them and I slept with the window open when my house was new. The wool blankets were a super good investment in my case, as they stopped me from waking up throughout the night due to being too cold.

            The wool blankets are difficult for me to wash so I also tried an organic cotton blanket (this is thick and takes a long time to dry) and polyester blanket (cheap! from Walmart or Amazon). Both needed one wash at least.



            Bed Frames

            A metal bed frame that is powder coated would be a great option. This one (pictured right) is only $90 for a twin on Amazon.

            Or, if you can tolerate the natural smell of wood, go with a solid wood bed frame, with solid slats (not laminated), finished with a natural finish.

            For wood frames check out Organic Grace which has simple frames for $780 (queen, ships from the US).
            For cool wooden headboards and frames with zero-VOC finishes check out Coyuchi (pictured below).
            coyuchi.com

            For something really simple and cheap this healthy Nomad Solid Hardwood Platform Bed ($124 for a twin) on Amazon is made of low odour poplar with solid slats.

            IKEA sells solid wood frames but the slats are laminated. They claim the glues are "non-volatile and non-polluting".







            Preventing Mould

            When building a tiny house, find a way to incorporate slats under your bed. I see too many tiny houses with the mattress on a solid floor. This is not a good solution if you want your bed to stay mould-free. This is my loft on the left. The slats are built right into the loft. It works great!

            In any house or trailer tiny or big make sure your mattress can breathe underneath (slats or box springs are used for a reason). Only certain types of beds like an air mattress may be able to go straight on the floor.

            When camping I do think a waterproof cover is the best idea, in a trailer you may be able to use something simple like this for airflow.


            Disclosure: Some of the links to products on this page go through my affiliate partners and some do not. Whether a product has an affiliate program or not does not influence my choice of recommendations. If you are going to purchase any of the items listed here and if you found my site’s content useful, please consider purchasing through my links - it will not cost you any more. Thanks!
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            Mitigating, Sealing, Remediating Offgassing (VOCs, Fragrance, Smoke)

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            This article will cover ways to reduce offgassing including new paint, formaldehyde as well as other residual smells in a house like fragrance and smoke.
            Mitigating Offgassing






















            This post contains affiliate links on the products I recommend.

            Table of Contents:


            1. Diluting the Air to Reduce VOCs
            2. Air Filter/Air Purifiers
            3. Absorbing VOCs
            4. "Baking out" a House
            5. Cleaning Surfaces of Residues
            6. Sealing Surfaces/ Sealing in VOCs and Odours
            7. Making a Safe Room Including Foiling, Renovating and Using Positive Pressure
            8. Ozonating for Fragrance and Smoke


            1. Diluting the Air to Reduce VOCs


            Fan In, Fan Out
            The simplest way to overturn the air and ventilate (diluting the VOCs) is to put one box fan coming in a one going out - ideally on the other side of the room. You can also get these at Walmart for a good price. Here you need to have tolerable outdoor temperatures and acceptable humidity levels. Take some caution here if you don't have the same amount of air going in and out with what the effects of the negative or positive pressure will be. Watch humidity. Humidity should be below 55% humidity in hot weather and below 40% during heating seasons.




            ERV/HRV
            ERVs and HRVs overturn the air and ventilate a house or trailer. I use the Panasonic Whispercomfort ERV in a single room trailer. It provides 40, 20 or 10 CFM, which is a high turn over of air. This one is not made for cold climates. The air it brings in is halfway between the temperature outdoor and indoor, which means it's bringing is fairly cold air most of the year in Canada. It stops working at -7 C. When using an ERV in a small space, consider the effect on humidity as well as temperature.

            Another popular one for tiny houses is the Lunos which is an HRV. There are whole house systems as well.


            2. Air Filter/Air Purifiers to Reduce Offgassing


            The Best Air Filters for MCS - What to Look for:
            • Sorbent Material - How many lbs, type of material, tolerability of material, does it have potassium permanganate (which is harder to tolerate but provides better absorption of many VOCs), do they have test kits
            • HEPA - At least true HEPA: 99.97% of particles done to 0.3 microns
            • CFM - CFM to tell you the air exchanges/hour, you want a least 1 ACH
            • Offgassing -Plastic or glue in the unit? Glue in the filters? Motors "burned in" or encased/sealed?
            • Other Comparisons - How loud they are (dB), the cost of replacing filters, and year established (so you can feel certain they will be around to replace filters and parts).

            If you are interested in PCO technology that is more geared towards filtering mould, see my article on air purifiers that use that technology. This article is about the classic types.

            A Comparison of Brands of Air Purifiers for MCS:


            allerair for MCS offgassing VOCs

            AllerAir
            AirMedic Pro 5 Ultra
            $1400  * 28-30 lbs carbon * "Super HEPA" * 400 CFM * dB 50-75 @1ft * EST 1994

            Filter replacement: Carbon Filter 2-5 years $172; Super HEPA 2 years $131;
            Pre-filter 3 months $132

            Some of the most extremely sensitive folks prefer this brand but not all have tolerated it. All metal. Filters don't offgas. No glue on the HEPA like true HEPA has. Option to have true HEPA which has glue.

            AirMedic Pro 5 HD MCS is made for MCS -  The burn in motor by running and offgassing it for 6-8 hours. You can choose the carbon blend from an option of 7 blends in a test kit. It has 24lbs carbon and is dB 35-60 @1ft.

            You can buy some models at Walmart or through some sellers on Amazon.

            austin air for MCS offgassing VOCs

            AustinAir 
            Healthmate Plus
            $660 * 250 CFM * 15 lbs of Activated Carbon Impregnated with Potassium Iodide and Zeolite * True HEPA * dB 50-66 3-5ft (they are not sure) * EST early 90s

            Filter replacement: HEPA/ carbon,/prefilter 3-5 years (5-year warranty filter warranty) $360

            There are different filter options with different types of carbon/absorptive material. Again, reactions often attributed to Potassium permanganate. You can test out their different filter options.

            Steel units, plastic on the wheels, not plastic inside.

            Some with extreme MCS have picked up offgassing, but many with MCS prefer this brand.

            You can buy them at Walmart and Amazon. They also sell the replacement filters at Walmart.


            enviroklenz air purifier for MCS offgassing VOCs smoke

            EnviroKlenz
            $729.99 (often on sale for $650) * CFM 250 * dB 50 on high @6 ft

            EnviroKlenz is a slightly different technology than the others here. I have been using this unit and been happy with it. Like the others this unit has a HEPA filter, but instead of charcoal/PP/zeolite it uses minerals including magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide to nuetralise VOCs, chemical odors, and smoke.

            The EnviroKlenz according to the literature, destroys most pollutants. Contrary to odor masking methods, the nanocrystalline materials contact, adsorb and then neutralize the odor-causing substances.

            It is effective against aldehydes and pollutants and particularly effective against different kinds of smokes and pesticides. Activated carbon does not help that much with formaldehyde and smoke can be difficult to filter as well. My preference for this unit comes from its ability to deal with formaldehyde and smoke.

            EnviroKlenz materials will chemically dismantle many VOCs. Hydrocarbons will be absorbed but not chemically modified.

            The company has a number of patents and it has been tested you can see that info here (you can search and read patents here), and for a summary of research articles and references on this technology see their technical report here.

            Filter replacement costs: Mineral cartridge 4-5 months 100$, HEPA every 2-3 years $150. Rated the same as true HEPA.

            This air purifier has been in production for 7 years.


            EL foust air purifier filter for offgassing MCS VOCs formaldehyde
            E.L. Foust
            400 Series Air Purifier
            $796.60 * CFM 380 * 60% Coconut shell carbon / 40% potassium permanganate (Standard Mix) 8 lbs * not true HEPA, 99.97  * dB 22-24 @3ft * EST 1974

            Filter replacement: HEPA which can last up to 2-3 years $112. Pre-filter 2-3 months $13. Carbon media tray 6-9 months, up to a year $75

            They have a sealed motor - bearings are sealed in. They run the motors outside for 2-3 days first to offgas them.

            Metal construction, uses no adhesives, have HEPA filters without any glue. These are made for the chemically sensitive and some of the most extremely sensitive like this brand. They sell filter sample kits so that you can check out the different materials used. Generally, for the extremely sensitive, PP is difficult to tolerate. The most sensitive should start with their pure Bituminous coal filters. Having a sealed motor will be key for the most sensitive though this one has a lot less carbon than the other models.


            IQ air purifier filter for offgassing VOCs abatement

            IQAir 
            Multigas
            $1739  * CFM 300 * 12 lbs granular activated carbon & impregnated alumina (Potassium Permanganate) * True HEPA * dB 35-69 - (the company will not state how many feet this test was done at). * EST 1963

            Their HealhPro is (40 to 300 CFM) (2 air changes/hr in 1125 sq. ft), dB 25 to 59

            Filter replacement:  Multigas cartilage 2 years $400; Post Filter 2.5 year $129; HEPA about a year (on 10 hours a day on speed 3) $109; optional Filter Pads $79

            This might be one of the best-known brand names in air purifiers. Some people with MCS swear by it. The most severely sensitive do not always tolerate it. The unit is made of plastic and the offgassing of the unit itself might be an issue. The potassium insert can be hard to tolerate for many which is not unique to this brand). Some people have sent back filters that smelt especially sweet or strong and received ones that were more tolerable. Nevertheless, this is a favorite and well-trusted brand for many with MCS who want a robust air purifier.

            You can buy the Healpro and Multigas directly through their website.


            amaircare air purifier filter for VOCs MCS offgassing
            Amaircare 
            Amaircare 3000
            $700 * 225 CFM (in 1688 sq ft 1 ACH) * Claims no offgassing * Depending on the option you choose it contains up to 30 lbs of carbon * True HEPA * dB 43 to 61 @ 6 ft * EST 1994 * Made in Canada

            Filter replacement: Prefilters + VOC media/year (12 lbs) $119; HEPA Filter 2-5 years $200

            Made of metal, no plastic or foam. The HEPA is rated at 2-5 years when the prefilter is maintained. One person with moderate MCS said the HEPA filters smelled like chemicals. He requested a new one which was better.

            You can find this model at Walmart or through some sellers on Amazon.


            airpura air purifier filter for MCS offgassing VOCS
            Airpura
            Airpura C600-DLX
            $900 * 440 CFM  (2 air exchanges an hour 2000 sq. ft. with) * 26 lb Coconut Shell Carbon * dB 28.1 - 62.3 @6ft. * EST 2004

            Filter replacement: Carbon filter 2-3 years $350; Post filter 1 year $100; Pre filter 6-12 months $40; HEPA (not true HEPA) 1-2 years $60

            Claim All metal housing, ensures no plastic vapors are emitted.

            Didn't work for some people with MCS although some do well with it.

            They sell these at Walmart.

            3. Absorbing VOCs


            Placing carbon around the house can be quite effective to absorb offgassing including new paint fumes. You will need large amounts like these from Walmart or Amazon.

            You could also place carbon onto an inexpensive box fan like thisthe sheets or the pellets. The pellets will have more absorption capacity (may need a barrier between the pellets and the fan if it blows dust).

            The Holmes box fans are strong enough to pull air through a filter.

            I have heard the following anecdotal strategies from other sensitive folks but have not tried these myself:


            • Plates of onions cut in half and dispersed throughout the room.
            • Plates of baking soda
            • Lemon oil in a diffuser (note essential oils can add aldehydes and other VOCs, make sure this is highly tolerable for you)
            Paints that claim to absorb VOCs don't make a significant dent. I do not recommend those except for decoration and for a very subtle improvement. ECOS has a paint that contains zeolite which can make a slight improvement. Some have reported this has helped but others have reported that it hasn't.

            4. "Baking Out" a House


            From Carl Grimes of Healthy Habitats. Note these are general guidelines, and your results will depend on the specifics of your house including the type of offgassing.

            To bake-out a house you want about 3-5 days of constant (24 hours a day) increased temperature of at least 85-90 F. You also need ventilation, at least 2-3 air exchanges each day.

            how to bake out a house






















            Carl explains the most common reasons for this taking extra long or not working include:

            • Not getting the temp elevated for long enough - its hard to stay out of the house for 3-5 days - so folks usually only heat only during the day so they can come back at night to sleep. It takes at least 24-36 hours to get the materials in the house warmed up.
            • They don't ventilate 2-3 times a day to remove the VOCs that have outgassed. If you don't ventilate the house reaches a saturation equilibrium - no more can come out because the air is full - and - what has come out is reabsorbed back into the materials.
            • They try to shorten the time by heating extra hot for a shorter time. This doesn't work because it simply takes time for materials to outgas. And it takes time to get the inner materials warmed up.

            If you have done this without sufficient success - especially with no improvement - then you either have a massive source of VOCs (cleaning products, personal care products, or materials with semi-VOCs) -or- the problem is something other than VOCs.

            How to:

            In order to get your house to those temperatures, turn up the thermostat to max, use additional space heaters if needed. Get to the air to 85-90 F.

            Ventilate just 10-20 minutes at a time to get an air exchange - an air exchange means you are replacing all the inside air with outside air, removing the VOCs outgassed so far.

            You can ventilate by opening doors and windows for 10-20 minutes. If the wind is blowing, 5-10 min will do. Note: The HVAC does not ventilate, it just circulates the inside air. Fans in windows can draw air in and out.

            Keep in mind, outgassing even with heat is a slow process. You have to do a 2 day heat up at least. With 3-5 days for one full treatment.

            5. Cleaning Surfaces of Residues


            Strategies to remove cleaning products from surfaces:

            Baking soda and water or vinegar.


            For some applications baking soda and hydrogen peroxide can be a powerful cleaner (and bleaching agent).

            Some have said that have had success with wiping down walls with alcohol.

            Biokleen is a good cleaner to remove toxic cleaners.

            Another enzyme cleaner, Nature's Miracle works well at breaking down organic smells. (Make sure it is the one with no added fragrance).

            TSP can also be used to get rid of fragrance residues - but this is not exactly non-toxic and you need to take caution here. It will damage many surfaces so it's only for certain applications and you must research carefully how to use it safely.

            To remove toxic fragrances some have had luck with washing walls and floors with orange oil soap solution.


            6. Sealing Surfaces / Sealing in Offgassing and Odours


            Paints & Sealers

            For Walls and New Paint

            When you have walls with new paint that is offgassing or that have soaked up other problematic smells, you may want to seal them.

            If you can, you can try and sand off the paint first, or you can go ahead with sealing them.

            Here are some approaches:

            1. Sealer: Safecoat Hard Seal in multiple coats (2-3). Leaves a semi-gloss finish (low VOC). (To paint over this you would need to lightly sand it). Shellac is another sealer that can be used, discussed in detail below.

            2. Safecoat Transitional Primer (low VOC, not always tolerated) (1 coat) followed by Safecoat paint (2 coats). Safecoat Pearl luster will give the best sealing properties. If you cannot tolerate this brand you can use another brand of primer and paint. Primer and paint is the least successful sealing option as it will only help slightly.

            AFM products do not seal in perfume or cat urine. They are for pourous surfaces only. Some people have said they seal in essential oils smell residue but the company does not make claims it will work for that application.

            Sealing in new drywall and insulation: Safecoat New Wallboard Primecoat covered by Safecoat paint is recommended by AFM.

            Sealing in Fragrance, Smoke, and Offgasing

            Shellac is the best sealer for sealing in odours/VOCS. The most well-known type is BIN. Zinsser the company, recommends this product as their best odor blocking primer. But the purest premixed shellac is the Universal Sanding Sealer which only lists alcohols and shellac (but does not have to disclose ingredients under 1% and I have not been able to get a clear answer on if there are any unlisted ingredients). The absolute purest one is to make it yourself with the flakes and alcohol from www.shellac.net.

            Both dewaxed and regular shellac (with wax) have the same ability to seal in odours. Why Zinnzer recommends the more toxic BIN Shellac Base Primer over the barebones Sanding Sealer, wasn't clear to me, and the rep I talked to did not seem to know much about this other than reading out what they are marketed as.

            shellac from shellac.net
            One benefit of shellac is that is works on almost every surface including glass, metal, ceramic, and if it's dewaxed you can paint over it. The downsides are that it is a very good interior vapour barrier which can cause problems with "breathable walls" when using AC. Make sure this will work for your building envelope.

            It is hard to "read" the VOCs levels in these products - the white ones and the synthetic might not be well tolerated. The purest one still shows high levels of VOCs but that is from alcohol. When the alcohol dries those are gone, all you have is the natural resin.

            ECOS has a purifying paint. Zeolite is the absorptive ingredient in there which will absorb a little bit of VOC odour.

            Clients have reported it did not work on sealing tung oil. I have only heard from one person that had success with using this to seal in fragrance.

            To paint and seal over oil paint, you can get the best seal with shellac then AFM Hardseal.

            For Sealing Wood

            Formaldehyde

            AFM Safe Seal normally is for sealing in offgassing materials  - usually for sealing in formaldehyde in plywood, particle board and OSB- not recommended by AFM for walls. It's low VOC.

            For sealing melamine particle board - only seal edges with Safeseal


            Sealing in terpenes

            Clear Look - Shellac or if you can tolerate AFM products, you can try a topcoat of Safecoat Acriglaze, Hard Seal or Acrylacq. Shellac itself is good at sealing in terpenes.

            Painted Look - One coat dewaxed Shellac - top coat any kind of acrylic or latex paint that you tolerate.

            For shellac you make yourself, check out Shellac.net mix and the instructions there, they recommend how many lbs of shellac is needed with 90% ethanol.

            If you just want to use paint over the wood, Safecoat Transitional Primer (low VOC, not always tolerated) (1 coat) followed by paint (2 coats).  Pearl will give the best sealing properties. This will help with terpenes. Though AFM is not the best-tolerated paint in my experience with clients.

            Seal in fungicides

            One coat Safecoat New Wallboard Primecoat and two coats of paint is the recipe. Or shellac.

            Fiberglass

            To seal fiberglass - use shellac, and you can top coat that with AFM Hardseal if tolerated, to seal in the shellac or to add more sealing.

            7. Making a Safe Room within a House


            There are a few ways to make a safe room in a house.

            Foiling a room

            From EIWellspring.org
            To create a non-toxic room in your home you can use Denny Foil, or heavy duty aluminum foil on the walls/ceiling/floor. These materials block VOCs (chemicals/toxins including mould). Heavy duty aluminum foil is much easier to work with than the thinner type used in cooking or the grilling foil. You may need several layers to totally block smells.

            You want to use green Painting Tape for this as it will not damage the walls and is easy to remove - a healthy person could rip off/take down the whole room is probably 20-30 min (small room). The blue tape is more toxic so I wouldn't use that. You could use aluminum tape but it is very sticky and will leave a residue and will be hard to take off. Aluminum tape also smells much more than green tape, though the aluminum blocks most of the smell, the smell/VOCs do come in through the edges. Another very tolerable tape which claims 0 VOCs, but still smells a little like glue is SIGA Rissan. That is the most tolerable tape that is going to hold up, in my assessment.

            Don't underestimate the smell of the tape when you have a whole room full of it. I can tolerate any tape in small amounts sniffing it right to my nose. I am unable to tolerate any tape when there is a whole room full of it. The larger the sheets of foil the less tape you will have. You can buy large sheets of foil radiant barrier at some places like Innovative Solutions.

            I would not do this where you have colder air inside than outside (AC use), though it does depend on your outside humidity and dew point.

            I have used this successfully on areas that were offgassing (a new door).

            The only thing in the room should be clean bedding i.e. a new non-toxic mattress or camping cot (etc). New non-toxic bedding and pillow. Be careful with bringing in EMFs producing devices if you use foil. Practice decontamination and isolation - i.e. by new clothing for the bedroom and shower before entering. This will be a safe clean non-toxic place to sleep. It should help insomnia immediately. But be careful that when you open the window or the door that the air coming in might not be good, so this won't be a long-term solution.

            If you have central HVAC you won't be able to isolate this room properly. You can in some instances block up vents but this can also cause trouble to the whole HVAC system.

            Positive Pressure

            You can do this with or without a vapour barrier, with just positive pressure, there are some instructions and discussion here and here.

            Some people tile a room or put aluminum walls or glass up as a more permanent version of foiling walls. (Same risks with interior vapour barriers when doing this).

            Creating positive pressure with IQAir
            Another option is to redo one room with all non-toxic products including going as far back as redoing the walls, insulation and floors. As long as you have adequate isolation from the rest of the house that might work for you. Keep in mind, mould tracks in and cross contaminate much easier than VOCs. This should not be attempted in a significantly mouldy house. I can smell mould off most houses up to 100-200 ft away.

            Positive pressure is easiest if you have a room within a room. I have done this with sheets of rigid foam. But polyethylene plastic, house wrap, foil or any other air barrier can be used. Having a room within a room simplifies problems you could cause by creating an interior vapour barrier (humidity, condensation in walls) as well as pushing air into walls with positive pressure. You want the room to be big enough to be able to put in a dehumidifier if needed, and a heater.

            Some people have used positive pressure just in a room (with no barrier) which is the most risky way to do it.

            To control for cross-contamination you need an entrance room as well. Use zipper doors. You may need to decontaminate in this room. (The other option is to have this open right up to an exterior door. A outdoor shower could be made in that case). When using a double room system, pressurize the main room at 2 pascals for pressure - as recommended by Carl Grimes. When using the entrance room, pressurize that with the air from the main room to control contamination from main house. The air that you are bringing in needs to be clean - if the house is significantly mouldy you can not bring in air from right outside for this to work.

            You may choose a simple fan system or an ERV/HRV biases, or the IQAir intake kit to bring in air, depending on your needs.



            8. Using Ozone for Fragrance and Smoke 


            Most people don't recommend ozone because it's high risk. It's high risk in terms of the safe use of it if you don't know all the precautions, and it's high risk because of possible byproducts.


            There are a few things I would still use ozone for. I have had a lot of success using high dose ozone on all metal trailers to bring down glue offgassing. I will use it to shock treat mould in certain cases.

            It is often used successfully on fragrance and smoke odours, not in shock treatment doses, in lower doses. Lower doses are less risky. It is not usually successful with typical offgassing from building materials - I would not use it for that purpose.

            For fragrance and smoke start with low doses for short amounts of time and stop if you are just starting to produce byproducts. Read my full post on ozone for precautions and airing out.

            You don't need a super powerful ozone machine for lower doses and shorter times, a simple one like this will do.

            See my post on ozone for more details and safety precautions.

            You can use ozone more safely on objects and some furniture as long as you know what it negatively reacts with (and know what it can degrade), or are willing to experiment.
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