emergency housing

Emergency Housing for MCS / CIRS

April 2, 2020 by Corinne 17 Comments

Emergency Housing for those with Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) and Mold Sensitivity

For help setting up a small structure or tiny house or making a plan for an avoidance sabbatical, you can schedule a one-on-one consult with me.

This post contains affiliate links. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Here is a list of some housing ideas for those with environmental sensitivities needing immediate or temporary safe housing.

KOA Cabins

KOA cabins are located across the US and Canada. The cabins are made from mostly safe materials (mostly wood) and have been reported to be good places to stay for those who are environmentally sensitive.

Ask if the wood has been stained recently. The bathrooms are separate and may or may not be mold-free, depending on the location.

Recently I’m hearing reports of these having gone moldy. If the foundation or roof is not done right there is a high chance these could go moldy. Often newer is better for mold.

Home Made Tents

Regular tents can be difficult because of the chemicals used on the fabrics, the lack of insulation and the tendency for them to go musty very easily and be a lot of work with the airing out and drying out.

I have a preferred tent which is an off-the-ground tent in my post on camping gear. Here are some alternatives:

Reflectix Tent

Reflectix provides some R-value and reflects light so that should work in a lot of different climates, though the seams will reduce the insulative value and add more glue and more potential for leaks. There are simpler designs for the structure that will reduce seams.

You can’t buy these – you would have to look online for the metal structure, then buy the Reflectix, foam, aluminum tape, and duct tape and then have someone make it for you. The tape may make this intolerable for some. And this also lacks airflow.

You would also make at least one triangle out of polyethylene or an EVA Shower Liner so that you have some light. But have a flap of Reflectix over it that you open and close over this “window”.

Plastic Tent

A woman sitting outside of a tent that she made from Tyvek plastic — Kim’s tent via Paradigm Chage.org

Kim was severely sensitive to chemicals. She made a tent out of Tyvek which she tolerated well when extremely reactive. She explains how to make it here. Through extreme mold avoidance, Kim made a full recovery.

This is a plastic used as house wrap.

There are so many options here on what you can build an emergency tent out of. It all depends on what you can tolerate.

It may not last forever but it may give you some time to find another option or even bring down your MCS which will open up options.

Other materials you could use: polyethylene, tarps, even hemp fabric if you are not expecting rain and don’t have high humidity.

Foam Tent

A A frame foam box that I set up inside my cargo trailer for sleeping in

When Sara was an extreme reactor (also now recovered), she made a simple structure out of XPS foam boards. The two-inch boards of XPS (usually Owens Corning brand can be found easily) have a high insulative value.

She arranged them in a tent shape, the groves in the edges holding them together. Rocks at the base pressing them together. Of course, you could use tape if you can tolerate that or put plastic over the whole thing.

Above is my version made of polyiso foam. This is a “foam tent” used inside a non-insulated trailer that was cold and still offgassing.

I hooked up a Panasonic ERV and ran fresh air into the tent at night via a 4-inch aluminum tube. The opposite end of the tent had a 4-inch hole for air to exit.

This is a highly effective way to deal with offgassing – fresh air is pouring through, though it can be difficult to control the temperature and humidity this way.

Coroplast Tent

This Youtuber built a foldable shelter out of the safer plastic Coroplast. The downside is the amount of tape needed to form a shelter like this.

Simple Wood and Foam Shelter

The actual wood frame which was the cover of my foam shelter

Inspired by the idea of a foam shelter, I have made two highly insulated shelters with ridged foam, raised off the ground and covered in a tarp.

A wood structure like mine pictured above, may be needed to protect from wind and snow.

The frame was covered with a tarp and inside on the plywood platform was a box made out of foam. This shelter worked extremely well though there are things to keep an eye on in the long term.

Here are some video tours and here is a post devoted just to this shelter (the second one had no wood framing above, just a tarp).

A digital sketch up of a wood A frame on a platform that my foam shelter went inside.

The whole thing was completed with some volunteer and some paid labor for 1000 CAD.

Such a robust frame is not always necessary. You can build the plywood platform, with foam box on top and simply string a tarp over this if you don’t have strong winds or lots of snow.

This is the same structure with a tarp over it and the XPS foam box secured with tape inside. The design can be improved by fixing the tarp, painting the foam structure and using clear tape. Please contact me for details if you want help setting something like this up.

Here’s another example of a foam box. Just don’t put it right on the ground like they did here, and you want another cover on it. This is polyethylene foam which is much more unusual.

Insulated/Aluminum Tents

These WeatherHyde 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 600 USD.

They look like they would have problems with airflow and condensation inside. As well as being straight on the ground, but they may work for some people.

The shift pod for 1300 USD is similar but with the reflective layer on the outside.

This will help reflect the sun and keep cool in sunny weather when there is no shade.

But I don’t know how this will perform well with condensation inside.

The best of the typical tents have an internal mesh layer, then a gap with a rainfly on top. If you don’t use that system you usually end up with condensation.

There are other similar tents cropping up that were designed for Burning Man festival.

For a lot less you can get a simple aluminum-lined small sleeping tent. It’s not insulated but the aluminum on the inside is more tolerable than the usual tent materials and does reflect heat inside.

Regular Tent

My tent outside an cob house at OUR ecovillage — My first tent CC BY-NC-SA

There is no perfectly chemical-free tent, The most tolerable brands include Ozark, Big Agnes, REI, LL Bean, Colman, and Lightspeed. Everyone is different.

Moonlight makes flame retardant-free tents coated with silicone on the outside and polyurethane on the inside.

Here is my post on safer camping gear which goes through all the major brands that folks do well with.

In the post, I also discuss canvas cotton and hemp for really dry climates (or temporary use) which may be where the most sensitive need to start.

I would also check out the cuben fiber tents mentioned in the camping post.

Yurts & Huts

A green plastic yurt on a platform at OUR Ecovillage on Vancouver Island — Me at a yurt at OUR Ecovillage CC BY-NC-SA

Yurts are often tricky for a few reasons. They are normally made out of PVC which takes time to offgas.

On top of that they are difficult to insulate, although one could just use them as an uninsulated tent.

The wooden framing can be susceptible to mold if there is a lot of condensation inside or with high humidity inside, which can happen when heating up a small space.

The wood also might be treated and could cause reactions. There are yurts that have metal framing which may be preferable for some people.

Here is an example of a metal-framed yurt.

You can create your own outer yurt cover by using a more tolerable material, although it will not be as long-lasting as PVC.

You can use materials used to make a tent, or polyethylene sheets that are used for greenhouses, or tarps. You could also go truly traditional and use hides.

One really positive design feature of yurts is that they are lifted off the ground on a platform. All metal yurts may work for some. I have looked at those in the post on simple shelters.

These glamping tents by sweet water bungalows are PVC, with a canvas top (prone to mustiness), but the guide and framing could be used to create a tent with a plastic of your choosing.

Just keep in mind polyethylene is not as durable, but is less toxic.

I wouldn’t use canvas for anything other than a short and dry camping trip but without the breathable roof these are prone to condensation.

Conestoga huts have a simple design for a little hut/glorified tent. A simple design that goes up fast is a big benefit.

I have not been able to review these plans for mold preventative building, but it’s an interesting design. If you have the plans for these will do a free review.

If you don’t insulate this it shouldn’t be a problem. If you do want to try these with insulation please reach out to me or an expert in building science. I am not presuming these are a mold-safe design.

Simple Metal SIPS Shelter

Two walls going up of the small metal SIPS house

You can easily put together click-together metal SIPs to make a fast, clean and fairly durable structure.

SIPS are structurally integrated panels. Metal SIPS are made of steel-styrofoam-steel sandwiched together. A highly tolerable material for those with severe sensitivities.

Because these are structural you don’t need to build a frame. Pour a concrete slab, and then once you have the panels it’s fast.

To create a long-lasting structure you would add siding but if you need something done fast, just put it up.

This little shelter is made with Structural Building Systems panels.

Sheds

Steel sheds can be bought from Amazon or hardware stores for 700-1000 dollars.

You will also need to build a foundation (you could also just leave it as gravel), pay for labor to set it up, caulk the whole structure and likely put in some insulation.

For everything you need to know about setting up a shed to live in see this post by EI Wellspring.

Sheds are not as easy to take down as you would expect.

There are also wooden and plastic sheds. I have seen some good little wooden shed kits made of solid wood.

Raise them off the ground and cover with a tarp above that is not touching the shed.

I like cedarshed.com for those who can tolerate cedar because it’s a highly rot-resistant wood.

Check out the wood first, see how it was stored and test it for reactions.

Hard plastic sheds will work for many people. The more flexible the plastic the more it offgasses. PVC should be avoided where possible.

Glass Enclosures

A greenhouse in the desert used as a shelter — www.buildahealthyhouse.com

A greenhouse can be used for backup shelter, it gets very hot when the sun hits them in warmer seasons and can dip really low at night in colder temps.

But some people have used them successfully. Margaret (another person who used this strategy to heal and make it back to indoor housing) talks about her experience with them here (her greenhouse pictured above).

Other glass/metal enclosures brands are Handi Hut and Four Season.

Small sketch up for a glass and foam stucture with glass as the interior walls and foam on the outside with a tarp over it.

I designed an all-glass on the interior shelter with insulation on the outside. This was designed for a time that I could not have metal or wood inside touching me.

The walls and floor were glass. The ceiling would be easier to make out of metal.

The shelter was raised off the ground on a platform. Outside of the glass was 2 inches of foam insulation. To hold this insulation on, the exterior framing (outside of the foam layer) was attached by drilling through the foam and glass. The foam needs to be airtight to the glass. A tarp should cover the shelter.

Back of a Pick-Up Truck

Try and find an aluminum canopy for the back of the truck, which is the best-tolerated type.

The bed liner may need to be offgassed or can be covered with Reflectix.

If ordering a brand new truck you can request no liner.

Cargo Trailer

Details on converting a cargo trailer safe in this post.

The company WeRoll can customize these and they have more robust roof lines compared to the standard models.

Ambulances and Refrigerated Trucks

A decommissioned ambulance used as an RV home

The benefit to these two options is that they are already insulated and ready to go.

A decommissioned ambulance is insulated and offgassed since they already have quite a few years on them by the time the government sells them off.

Refrigerated trucks could be found either new or used and they are well insulated and also ready to go.

If you went new you would have to check out the offgassing levels to see if it suits you, but I would expect it to last longer.

Creating a Safe-Room in Your House

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 mold).

Heavy-duty aluminum foil is much easier to work with than the type used in cooking. 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 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 and offgasses more than green tape.

I would not do this where you have colder air inside than outside (AC use).

Cover outlets. As for light fixtures, I would go around them.

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 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 can’t foil the walls you can make a room within a room and use positive pressure as explained here in this post. The picture above shows how pressurized rooms keep out contaminants.

You can use foam, plastic or any airtight material. Isolate that by using positive pressure which will work to reduce chemicals like offgassing.

That can be a solution for someone extremely sensitive who has trouble with offgassing (when the issue is offgassing rather than mold).

You can find more information by researching isolation rooms.

Ecovillages

A cob house at OUR Ecovillage on Vancouver Island — A cob house at OUR Ecovillage CC BY-NC-SA

Staying in a cob house (or straw bale, adobe, light straw-clay house) can be a really good option

Ecovillages may rent out rooms in natural homes and there is a possibility of getting in on the communal meal plan as well. Search for some in your area and ask about monthly stays.

I have seen some natural homes listed on AirBnB as well as on lists of intentional communities/ecovillages.

Always ask about propane, natural gas, cleaning products, and water damage. I have found that is wet/cold climates cob and similar materials do not hold up to mold after a few years.

Slabs and roofs often have mistakes that lead to mold. Green roofs can be very problematic. Amateur built houses are especially prone to mistakes that lead to mold.

This type of building is best when raised off the ground, or with a simple roof, otherwise, don’t bank on this being safe if more than 1-3 years old.

Ecovillages are also a good place to set up a tent where you might have access to outdoor bathrooms and kitchens that are more MCS safe than campgrounds.

It may also be a safer environment for those traveling solo. I have used the Intentional Communities website, Google for places near you, and the site wwoofing.

If you have physical energy you can work on a wwoofing site in exchange for free rent (camping or small cabin usually) and often food.

Another option for those who have energy to do work is remote cabins that are advertised on Craigslist where you do some house and yard work in exchange for rent. The cabins might not be safe, but this could be a free spot to camp or live in a trailer.

Other Emergency Housing

We should have emergency and long-term safe housing for people with MCS, but in reality, there is very little.

Check out the Environmental Health Association of Québec if you are a Quebecer.

For housing listings in the US and Canada, join EI Safe Housing on Facebook.

When I come across AirBnBs, hotels and short-term rentals that look safe I list them on my Pinterest page.

While many turn to Airbnb or other short-term rentals, in the beginning, this can be a difficult and sometimes impossible road if one is super sensitive and/or masked to mold.

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 6 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.

I spent two years in tents and small structures in order to heal from extreme chemical sensitivity.

Did you find this post helpful? If so you can buy me a coffee to support the research behind this blog. Thank you!

SaveSave
SaveSave

Pandemic Plans for those Homeless from Mold and Chemical Sensitivity

March 14, 2020 by Corinne Leave a Comment

Updated in April 2020

Areas of Concern for those Homeless or on the Road for Mold Avoidance or from MCS

Updates April 25th – Campsites are re-opening in many states: Tennessee, Georgia, Alaska (weather dependant), Alabama, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas. Check each state to see if private and or sate parks are open.

May 1st should see another wave of openings.

Gyms closed in Italy and highly affected areas. Gyms are closed for the most part in North America now (march). Those reliant on gyms for showers and lockers need to make other plans.
Post offices closed for airmail in parts of Italy. This is less likely to happen in North America, however, those in Europe may want to prepare for what Italy has gone through. Those who need really important supplies like supplements and other necessities for mold avoidance should have the basics, especially now (late march). Many supplements and essential supplies are selling out. In Canada the Post office and UPS PO boxes are deemed essential services and will stay open for now.
Stores closing, Amazon restrictions – many stores are closing that mold avoiders buy supplies at. Many countries are closing “non-essential stores” like clothing stores and camping supply storse. Amazon is only restocking “essential” (to normal people) items. Nonessential orders are delayed.
Govt campsites are closing. Those living in campsites are being hit hard. Here is the current list of closures in the US. Here is another website to double-check. BLM land closed some showers/bathrooms. Campsites in southern Canada closed as far as I have seen.
Private campsites closures expect and plan for closures or getting quarantine at the site. It’s also possible the government closes them due to this being a gathering place of sorts. Campsites are closed in Italy. Private campsites are closing in the US (March 22).
Airbnb can kick anyone out of a stay in progress (even a long term one) with 24 hours or less notice. The owner only has to say that they need the place for themselves and that’s it. No proof (from what I saw when I was booted) and you’re out. Short term rental sites like Airbnb are being restricted depending on local laws. You may not be able to move after lockdown goes into place, or bookings under 30 days may not be allowed. It may only be open to those health care workers, those in quarantine or those homeless. It depends where you are, but be prepared for both of those to happen.
General movement restriction. Italy and China have been especially strict with movement. The US and many other countries will not have the power or resources to restrict movement to this degree. The US and Canada are headed towards if not already in “Shelter in Place” (March 22).
Hunker down in one location as best you can. In the restricted regions of Italy you have to put in a special request to be able to move apartments. You cannot move outside the area other than for special circumstances, of which mold avoidance will certainly not be one of them. The US is restricting movement between states in some areas.
Forced quarantine, especially when crossing borders is too risky for those with high reactivity to indoor housing. I would not move countries at this point (mid March).

Where should you hunker down?

In most of the Western world now is the time to start to secure your location if you are doing mold or HT avoidance, or are homeless from chemical sensitivities.

A couple of people have bought vans and trailers to create a stable (or flexible) place to stay during the viral pandemic.

Though most are simply looking for a stable location where they can stay in one place.

Where to park or camp

If you are on the road I would start to look for places where you can stay for the next three months.

I would not bank on a campsite staying open – I would have another backup plan as well.

With government campsites closing in the US and parts of Canada, I would also expect more or all government campsites to close down.

Some people have moved over to BLM land in the US, however that does not seem like the safest place to be in the long term in terms of accessing resources while on the move. They are starting to shut bathrooms and showers (March 15).

It could be possible to wait it out by camping off the radar on BLM land, especially if you have no other option, but it’s not too clear what kind of complications you might face with movement and getting supplies or if you do get sick yourself.

Check out new sites that have opened to help folks find places to part their RV like NomadParky. There are Facebook groups as well.

My severe flu while camping:

I did get a severe respiratory flu with (and Erichlia at the same time) two years ago while camping in Florida. My tent washed out in a storm the night I got sick and I ended up forced to sleep in a truck that I was reacting to.

Luckily I did have that truck as a backup and I was warm enough.

Make sure you have supplies of food, water and what you need to stay warm if you get sick.

While both my helper and my one friend also had a severe flu and couldn’t help me, I did have a stockpile of bottled water, canned soup, and replacement gear. I had little choice but to wait it out until others recovered and could help me get a new tent set up.

While the situation worked out, it was close to deadly for both me and my friend who had a fever of 105.

Camp/park on private property

This would be the time to start looking at places you could park your RV, car, van, or pitch your tent on private property where you will have some safety, privacy and stability. You can ask around with people you know if you can park or camp there.

You could also look at regular market rental houses that have a parking spot or backyard.

The safest bet right now is a regular market rental now a friend’s or family’s place. More below.

Accessing BnBs During the Pandemic- pros and cons

The final option is of course to rent a BnB. I have been following the price changes that are related to the virus outbreak.

There are a few challenges with Airbnbs but it could be a good option for many.

Pros

One benefit is that prices are coming down in many places. They came down slowly until the area is severely affected by the virus or there is a full travel ban, and only then they are coming down by a lot.

There are few places just outside of lockdown cities where prices have gone up as people try and escape the city lockdown!

If cases are on the rise in your area this may be the time to negotiate a medium-term 1 to 3 months stay with a host. Hosts will start looking for more stability with their rentals and might be looking for fewer people coming and going. In most places right now this would be the time to negotiate a monthly rate and longer stay. Get checked in before your area goes into lockdown.

Cons

There will, of course, be some people that need to come back to their own BnB themselves if things go badly, since some people are actually renting out their own house.

Anyone can be booted with 24 hours notice from a bnb they are currently living in even if it’s a long term rental. They only need to tell Airbnb they need the rental for themselves or their family and you are out just like that.

Be very cautious with a room in a house or any shared property since they may decide (and I think it’s more likely than not) that they do not want to have the risk of anyone sharing their house if things escalate.

I would ask the owner upfront if there’s any chance that they would need the property for themselves if the outbreak gets worse, and how else the outbreak could affect their plans to rent out the bnb. I asked the owner where I was staying this she lied about it and booted me with 3 hours notice (by the time she actually got ahold of me it was only 3 hours).

The most ideal situation, for those living in RVs, cars and tents, would be to afford to rent a whole house where you can safely park or pitch a tent without anybody’s interference.

It appears that some bnbs are being taken off the site and converted to regular long term housing. So you might find them in regular classifieds. Though in many places you cannot view a long term rental before signing a lease.

In some places there are government restrictions on being able to move into a short term rental like the vacation rentals or you may only be able to book more than 30 days. Check into your rental before the lockdown starts.

Back up plans

Now is the time to lock in to a rental if you haven’t already.

If you are relying on a bnb/vacation rental, your rights are not as strong as if you were in a regular market rental. If hotels and campsites close and if you can’t view regular rentals make sure you have an idea for a backup plan.

What about hotels?

Hotels are a little riskier based on what’s been happening in countries with a high infection rate.

It looks to me from what has been happening in China and Europe that some hotels are closing down due to lack of business and it’s possible to get kicked out.

A smaller family-run hotel could find themselves have too many employees ill to continue running it, along with lack of business.

There are of course a few horror stories out there as well, in the Canary Islands one hotel where there was a confirmed infection went under total quarantine.

This means you could get stuck in a hotel that may not turn out to be mold safe for many weeks or months.

Some hotels are being used as quarantine facilities themselves.

In California they are using them to house those who are homeless. Some are used to house health care workers. Some are staying open to both health care workers and regular bookings (look for extended stay rentals you might be able to book something monthly and it might be a place you can stay).

In China many hotels are temporarily shut down. In Italy, it does not look like as many are completely shut. But with extreme restrictions on movement, you may be de facto quarantined to that location.

Should you leave the country for a safer or warmer place?

Although it might be tempting to leave for the Caribbean or a country that does not yet have the outbreak, there is no guarantee that this will be a safer option in the long term.

Update: The window for this strategy has passed in most of the world (March 18). Most countries are canceling travel insurance, you almost certainly have to come home unless you are working overseas.

Although some have left where they were living in order to come back home in February, I would not leave your home country for another location at this moment (mid March) unless there was a specific spot that you know would be safe and you are prepared to stay there until summer.

If you do need to come back home after leaving, it’s possible you could be put into quarantine upon reentry. Most people are put into self-quarantine. If there is an outbreak on a ship or plane you may be put into forced quarantine.

You would also have to see if you have the needed medical and other supports in the country you want to go to.

Risks that are particularly Worrisome for those Severely Ill with Environmental Illness

True quarantine:

The risk of being put into quarantine is a severe risk for mold avoiders, those with high MCS and those with limited functioning.

Those returning from cruise ships have put into military housing which should not be assumed to be mold safe.

Those crossing certain borders are being put into quarantine housing. You would not want to be forcefully quarantined in a hotel or other facility chosen by the government if you are mold and chemically sensitive.

Caregiver shortage:

For those relying on caregivers, expect shortages of caregivers and for all companies to cut back on hours as any sick employees will be mandated to stay home for two weeks.

I would stock up on things that you are able to eat without cooking like soup in tetra packs, baby food, juice, as well as frozen foods. Anything that could help you get by with fewer helpers.

Grocery delivery services are overloaded and they don’t seem to have found a way to prioritize those who are physically disabled, or very sick.

More grocery stores are offering delivery than were before.

Restaurants are expanding to offer delivery, so keep checking call them and tell them your needs.

Check with local groups in your area many people are volunteering to deliver groceries and many people are out of work and looking for small jobs doing deliveries.

As the crisis progressed it actually became easier to get help that before, but there was a blip between those two situations.

Challenges for those HT sensitive:

For those with HT, if there is any chance of post office closures where you are, stockpile your absolute necessities as much as you can

Special cleaning products for HT, clothes, soap and other necessities that HT avoiders need must be kept safe somewhere.

This is of course a huge challenge and it may be worth taking out a storage locker.

Those who were relying on gyms for storage lockers or showers should have other plans in place.

Clothing stores are closing in affected areas, in less affected areas they are cutting back on hours.

Supplement stores are delayed with their orders due to stockpiling.

All non essential items on amazon .com and .ca are delayed.

Those on the move due to HT avoidance should consider a clean break now (mid march, if doing a clean break do it now time is running out for what’s needed to do this).

Simple Insulated Shelter for MCS and Mold Avoidance

November 3, 2019 by Corinne 4 Comments

I recommend all of the products here, some products have affiliate programs and some do not. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission through affiliate links at no extra cost to you.

This post is about two highly insulated shelters I made with rigid foam, raised off the ground and covered in a tarp.

These shelters are super simple, super tolerable for the chemically sensitive and are ideal for mold avoidance in cold weather (or even in hot weather).

This has the same insulative value that a house would have. I was very warm inside in Canadian winters with one space heater. This shelter can work in any climate, though it will not survive a hurricane! It was highly tolerable for MCS and a good set up for mold avoidance.

These shelters were an incredibly important step in me healing enough to live inside. The shelter was the last step in mold avoidance before I moved back inside. I moved back into regular housing for the first time in 8 years, and I continue to recover.

This is something I wish I had known about much earlier on, as tent living and custom trailers/vans are difficult to make and to live in, especially in cold weather. It’s hard to keep a steady temperature, it’s difficult to insulate trailers and vans, and it’s hard to keep them from going moldy. This shelter solved all those problems.

A wood frame like mine (pictured) is needed to protect the shelter from high winds and snow. My frame was very robust, survived a massive wind storm and big snowfall. If you don’t require snow and wind protection, simply tie up a tarp over the raised up foam shelter and skip the frame altogether.

Building the Simple Shelter

The shelter is made of a plywood platform and a wood frame, though you could use metal or another material. We used some pressure treated wood for the framing and some non-treated wood.

Most of the points touching the ground are stumps, for added protection from rotting out (you can see that in the vide

The interior is an XPS foam box. The box was made to fit the plywood, it was 4 x 6 feet but you can make this any size you choose. The height we decided on was 6 ft.

You can use any thickness of XPS that you want. Though for this to hold itself up without any supports (other than tape) as it’s designed, I would use 2 inches.

What I would do differently next time is paint the foam with ECOs primer and paint and possibly seal with shellac. This will seal in flame retardants and the very minimal off-gassing. Most extremely sensitive people do well with this foam.

I made a model to test out ECOS paint and shellac and it worked really well (both the porch paint and the vinyl siding paint worked). With or without Zinsser Bullseye Shellac.

I would also use clear tape next time because it would look better!

I would buy a tarp that covered the wood but still had air movement underneath.

When you are heating you should seal up as much as you can on the inside with the tape that you tolerate. Green painters tape or Siga tape are the most tolerated types.

When taping the outside in heating season do not cover the seams fully, just enough to hold it together like in the videos.

In cooling season it’s the opposite (if you did put AC in there).
Such a robust frame is not always necessary. You can build the plywood platform, with foam box on top and simply string a tarp over this if you don’t have strong winds or a lot of snow.

A number of details are necessary to control condensation on the inside of the tarp in heating season, as condensation can drip down onto the wood or foam. We used spacers on the sides, a criss-cross on the top, and a piece of plastic suspended above the roof of the foam shelter to stop water from dripping down and wood from getting wet and moldy.

Please contact me for details if you want help setting something like this up.

This shelter worked extremely well though there are things to keep an eye on in the long term. Here are some video tours which will help you to picture how it works, shows the spacers, and other details like windows and power.

The whole thing was completed with some volunteer labor and some paid labor for 1000 CAD. I used two 100 ft extension cords (10 or 12 gauge) to power this heater and my laptop and light. You need one dedicated 10-12 gauge cord if it’s 100 ft, for a 12.5 amp, 1500 watt heater. Plenty of heat for a small space! You can’t have anything else on that circuit in the house it’s running from or inside on that cord).

I used this plugin thermostat to control the temperature and keep it very even (which needed a surprising amount of offgassing). I strung up this bulb (the string needed some offgassing).

I used the Mondo King Thermarest and I covered it in two Husky bags (taped together) to keep it dry. A small fridge was kept outside in my trailer, on a different circuit.

I used this little portable tub to “shower” in outside, and the luggable loo. More pictures of the framing:

emergency housing