Re: formaldehyde in mobile homes

[Guest guest]

> ealth hazard for certain people. Another dealer in town does the same thing,

so they know about the dangers. I am sure my Mother was told that it was just a

formal technicality to sign the waiver and didn't understand what was inside her

new home. She was also ill and allergic to even newspaper ink. I found out that

some mobile homes are manufactured w/o ANY particle board, pressed wood or

anything with F in it. The warning signs on the flooring containing F was

covered up with carpet and linoleum. These dealers and manufacturers know about

the chemical danger. They hide the warnings and have people sign waivers. It

apparently is going to take a class-action lawsuit to make the industry change

their ways. I am thinking of suing the dealer, but that is just the tip of the

iceberg. I knew that mold was a major health danger for certain people like us

but I now believe that F is a bigger health risk. Mobile home sales in the south

are

> probably higher than regular homes. EVERY mobile home has F, where every home

does not have mold. I do not mean to down-play Mold. I am trying to make people

aware of this danger. People need to come together on this health danger and do

something to make them change their ways. I realize that one reason people buy

mobile homes is because they are cheaper but at what price? Can you imgaine

babies crawling around on the floors? Harrington

Bob,

I've been ill for many many years and have lived in many different homes and

apts during that time. none of them seem to change my health problems. I've

lived in 4 different mobile homes during that time (all different ages) and live

in one now that we bought new in 93 also. When you go to a mobile home dealer to

look at houses they are all PLASTERED with warnings about formaldehyde in the

model homes when you view them. When you order one, the formaldehyde warnings

come on the kitchen counters and in all the paper work and posted other places.

They do not hide it and its always been common knowledge. All new home

constructioin here in Oregon is done with mostly particle board because it is

cheaper, so even the the nicest stick built home is going to have the same

problems. I think you would have to have a specially constructed home of special

'pure' materials built for yourself to avoid these problems which would be

hideously expensive.

I've noticed I do feel a little better if I can spend some time outdoors each

day, I think that would be true for everybody, as there are many things in homes

(carpets for one) that set off problems for us. I think the mobile home

manufacturers believe the formadehyde outgassing dies off after a certain time

and isn't a problem later. As I said I've lived in so many different kinds of

houses, new and old mobile home's and my health problem hasn't changed in any of

them.

But thats just my experience,

Marcia

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I am sorry to have read your story. I hope you can get out of your mobile

home as I'm sure it is doing you harm. And, you're right, you will have to

get rid of your furnituyre, too, that has absorbed the mold. What a tragedy.

Kris

[Guest guest]

>>When you go to a mobile home dealer to look at houses they are all

PLASTERED with warnings about formaldehyde in the model homes when

you view them.

Marcia, please don't say that they are all plastered with warnings

about formaldehyde, as if you have been to all of them. I been to two

different dealerships, including the one where my Mother bought hers,

in the past two days and neither one of them have warnings about

formaldehye (or any other warnings). Maybe in small town Oklahoma,

they operate different than the ones you saw all of your warnings. I

had never been in a mobile home dealership before and I sure didn't

know this place had formaldehyde in it or I would have done three

years ago, what I am doing I am now.

I also take it personally that I say my Mother died of cancer while

living here 5 years and your post is w/o any feeling. My Mother may

have signed papers saying that she was told there was formaldehyde

but I know she didn't know the dangers. She didn't have a death-wish

as I do. I know I upset you once and if you have the right to your

opinion.

[Guest guest]

> Marcia, please don't say that they are all plastered with warnings

> about formaldehyde, as if you have been to all of them. I been to two

> different dealerships, including the one where my Mother bought hers,

> in the past two days and neither one of them have warnings about

> formaldehye (or any other warnings). Maybe in small town Oklahoma,

> they operate different than the ones you saw all of your warnings. I

> had never been in a mobile home dealership before and I sure didn't

> know this place had formaldehyde in it or I would have done three

> years ago, what I am doing I am now.

Bob,

I've been to dozens of mobile home dealerships and in dozens of new mnfgd homes.

We used to own our own excavating biz and did site prep for houses and mobile

homes for many years, so this is an

area I'm pretty familiar with, but I only have experience in Oregon. Never been

to Oklahoma.

>

>

> I also take it personally that I say my Mother died of cancer while

> living here 5 years and your post is w/o any feeling. My Mother may

> have signed papers saying that she was told there was formaldehyde

> but I know she didn't know the dangers. She didn't have a death-wish

> as I do. I know I upset you once and if you have the right to your

> opinion.

Its not really anything to do with 'opinion', I was just sharing my experience.

I can imagine my parents (before they died) buying things and not knowing what

they were getting, they were never

aware of what meds they were taking were supposed to do, etc. I think they were

from a very trusting generation. I think because of our experience with health

probs and the med system and the

changes in the world that we are not as trusting as they were. (found out we

can't afford to be!)

I am sorry that you lost your Mother Bob, sometimes life just doesn't seem fair,

does it?

Hang in there, Marcia

[Guest guest]

,

I am sorry you and your family have had such truly horrible experiences with

mobile homes. Tad , who renovates RV's for people with MCS (RV's

include a lot of the same materials as mobile homes, and are loaded with

formaldehyde), used to just try and " seal off " the outgassing with nontoxic

sealants, but it was so bad he ultimately began to only do renovations of

totally gutted airstream (metal frame) pull trailers, because one literally

has to scrape these trailers to the shell to get out the toxins, even after

decades of outgassing. I agree that mobile homes are a major hazard, and

it's sad the industry seems so reluctant to change. I wish there were better

options out there, esp. for affordable housing. One positive thing is that

Habitat for Humanity, in some cities but not all, has started to employ green

building methods to build low-income housing. I have often wondered what

would happen if someone with MCS could get a house from them, since there is

such a dire need.

Peggy

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Stricken: Voices from the Hidden Epidemic of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:

http://www.angelfire.com/ri/strickenbk