New Owner MOULD

[TJPOST]

My daughter bought a used mobile home in Nov 2007. It was inspected before purchase. We removed wall paper from the addition (bedroom) and found mould on the outside (away from mobile home) wall. We then removed baseboards from the inside wall (attached to mobile home) and found more mould. It is black and disappears when sprayed with 50/50 bleach and water. I removed a piece of drywall from under the inside wall baseboards and found the drywall damp. I am not sure if this moisture is from before roof and siding were put on as there has been no leak that we can see since purchase. I cannot find information how an addition is supposed to be built to see if all the layers are there.
We live in Alberta temp between 35 C to - 40 C. It is a mobile home park. The shingles cover the entire roof. There is siding on three sides, a door, and a window. It is heated with an electric wall mounted heater and there are no vents in the room. Anybody able to help us????

[JD]

When you mention "addition", my first suspicion is a roof leak at the connection between the main coach and the addition. But if you are sure that there is not a roof leak, then I would think condensation. A vapor retarder (barrier) should go on the warm side of exterior framing. Depending on how the addition was built, you may be dealing with two exterior walls trapping moisture between them. It can also be the difference in heating between these two spaces.

Investigating a condensation problem as described above really is a "hands-on" type of thing. You need to determine the type and quality of vapor retarder and insulation in both the home and addition and it's effect on the space between the two.

I think that for most people, they may not have a condensation problem, but your extreme cold could make this problem more pronounced.

Hope this helps.
JD

[TJPOST]

I know for sure there is a plastic sheet between the drywall from the bedroom side and the mobile home unit. Also am wondering what the floor should consist of. Is there a diagram anywhere on "How to build a bedroom addition" to a mobile unit anywhere on the net? I would like a diagram to see if this was built correctly.

Thanks for your help.

PS Is this mould dangerous to health or just nasty to look at?

[Yanita]

Hi,

Although it is black in color, the true dangerous black mold is a rarity. Mold can create upper respiratory infections, sinus infection, and cause asthma.

The mold will continue to grow and spread as long as there is a warm, moist enviroment.

I recommend removing all interior wall panels of that room and check for mold. Spray with the 50/50 bleach solution. For your protection wear mask, gloves and eye protection. Mold spores float when they are dry.

Yanita

[Dirty White Boy]

No meaning of sounding like a know-it all to anyone, but directly spraying mold releases thier spores. You should dampen a rag with an anti mold solution (bleach is just fine) and dab the infected area.

Place a fan in the window to suck out any spores that are released and close off the room you are working on. On top of breathing problems, I have suffered from sores in the corners of my mouth and armpits from not being protected properly.