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My Chemical-Free House

A Guide to Creating a Healthy Home

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tiny homes

17 Non-Toxic Eco Prefab Homes Compared | 2021

February 4, 2020 by Corinne 9 Comments

how to build a healthy prefab, what to look for

This list focuses on healthy non-toxic prefabricated (“prefab”) homes. They must be both mold-preventative designs and low VOC to be healthy homes.

I have reviewed them myself with input from customers and building science experts. Many need further inspection.

When considering a prefab, it’s important to see the detail design of the build, tour the factory (or have an expert tour it), see pictures of their builds in progress, and if possible tour a home that is already built by them.

They must be willing to work with a mold aware architect. Some companies have their network of installers and some rely on you having your own builder. Many will turn down severely chemically sensitive clients; I recommend bringing me onto the team before getting into materials with them to avoid that scenario.

Before digging into the reviews of 17 “green” prefab companies, we are going to look through what you need to know about the process of building prefab and make sure the materials are safe and the design is mold preventative.

Building a home, even if prefabricated partially or fully offsite, is still a complicated process to navigate. Please get in touch for help going through the process of choosing materials and negotiating with all the different players.

This post contains no sponsored or affiliate content, and I don’t have a partnership or other ties to any of the companies listed.

Steps to Building a Healthy Prefab

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  1. See the list below for some prefabs that I have prescreened, or start with one you like.
  2. Screen the prefab design for initial clues into its quality, including any errors in the photos (do an initial review with someone who knows building science). See the list of good signs and red flags below.
  3. Get sufficient photos and schematic details of the design of the build (walls, ceiling, floors). Take them to a qualified building science expert like Cheryl Ciecko.
  4. Tour the factory and a home they have built. Talk to others who built with them. Look for reviews of the company.
  5. Talk to the company more seriously to gather more details about the plans if you didn’t get them in step 3.
  6. Get your specific house plans reviewed by at least two qualified building science experts, including the architect that you have hired independently. Plans are made specific to your climate and piece of land.
  7. I recommend bringing on an HVAC consultant to your team, too, to size and spec (or review) the HVAC, including the ventilation.
  8. Bring a builder on board early in the process of design to make sure they are part of the team. (Some companies have builders or work with a network of builders, if that is the case, vet them to see if they are good.) The builder needs to be really good and that’s not easy to find. Make sure that is in place early.
  9. You or someone with building knowledge should supervise the preparation of the land, the foundation, and the install of the shell or modular unit. Supervise all the stages of the build.

Good Signs and Red Flags

  • The age of the company is important to me. They should not be on their first prototypes. Ideally, you should be able to see some of their houses that are at least 10 years old. You should feel confident in the person running the company. They need to be in business (in the future) to honor warranties. There are two good companies, however, on this list that are less than 10 years old (Ecocor and GO Logic).
  • A company without architects or building science experts on the team needs to be looked at more carefully. Who is in charge of the design and how knowledgeable are the project managers? Steer clear of any company that doesn’t promote their building science expertise.
  • If the company provides the General Contractor or works with a network of general contractors, vet them just as carefully. If you don’t have enough choice in who you use to build it out on-site, you won’t get a well-built house.
  • While you should expect to make minor changes to the design with your architect as a consultant on the team, any major design flaws in their models is a red flag.
  • Talk to someone who built with the company recently. If the company is disorganized and the project manager could not coordinate all teams well, that’s going to be a huge mess. Things might not get done right due to this problem (which is a common one with prefabs).
  • I look for the ability to tour the factory—ideally the company owns the factory—and make sure you see a house that is built. Even better if it’s a hotel or Airbnb you can stay in.
  • You need to be able to see details of the building systems/designs system before committing any substantial amount of money.

Pros and Cons of Building Prefab

Benefits to Building Prefab

  • Mistakes are limited in the really good factories—computer planning, precise cuts, fabrication by machines, and panels put together by highly trained technicians limit mistakes that are extremely common in traditional builds.
  • Build out of the rain—the wood and other components are stored inside and stay dry (in theory, if it’s a good company). The panels or modules will be built in a climate-controlled factory. It goes up faster on-site, during a dry time, and should be watertight before it rains.
  • Enjoy cost savings—it would be very expensive to build a house at as high of a quality as some on these on this list from scratch, with high-quality craftmanship like that accomplished in the factory. If you go with a predesigned layout (not custom), prefab helps you save even more. With many companies, you may also have a more fixed price than in a conventional build where many things tend to change.
  • It’s faster—the whole process from start to finish is likely to be faster than with a conventional build.
  • There’s less work for you — while you do have to tour the factory and have the plans reviewed by an architect, you don’t have to supervise as many parts as in a conventional build. Wall and roof panels, and in some cases whole modules, will all be done in the factory setting and, if the factory is good, it’s likely to be done very precisely and correctly. That is almost never the case on-site at a conventional build. Since most homeowners don’t have the knowledge to supervise a build, this can be essential.

Downsides to Building Prefab

  • Have less control—while it might be possible to be in the factory during the manufacturing of your specific panels, you don’t have full control here over supervision in the same way you would on-site.
  • If you are extremely sensitive, you need to have confidence in the factory that they are only using clean wood, stored correctly, etc. (The same goes for all the components, but with the wall systems the wood is clearly the most important part).
  • Ability to analyze and review/change the plans—with some companies, you cannot see the full details of the plans (or the walls, ceiling, floor system) until you put a deposit. This is a huge problem. The good companies do show their designs.
  • Some companies will not allow you to bring your own architect as a consultant on the plans (though most will). That would be a deal-breaker for me.
  • Supervision is still needed—assuming you were able to have your plans reviewed by multiple experts, and feel confident in the factory making the panels or prefab, you still have a fair amount of planning and supervising on-site, making sure the local team knows how to put this together properly, that the foundation is detailed right, the land was prepared properly, and the final on-site details (like the roof) are done right.
  • On the topic of supervision, if the prefab is a very unusual system, it becomes more difficult to have it confidently reviewed and to supervise it.
  • Possible lack of coordination between teams—with some companies that don’t have a strong process in place and strong project managers, and/or if your builder is not on board from the start, you may have a lot of difficulties arising between the parties, with no clear person/company responsible when things go wrong.
  • Prefabs aren’t typically inspected in the usual way—they are inspected in sections, and the companies have individual agreements with the states to allow them to do “inspections” out of state and/or off-site. When the local inspector checks in order to give you a certificate of occupancy, they are only checking things at the finished level, not the construction level.

Building with Environmental Sensitivities

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If You Have Chemical Sensitivities

  • Other things I look for is to make sure I have control over the finishes in a way that suits your environmental sensitivities or your degree of toxin avoidance.
  • You should have control over: flooring types, all wood finishes, all sealers, all paints, some glues, the shower system, the cabinet company, and the countertops. This is where you want to know how customizable they are (usually very).
  • Elements that are fixed are likely: framing type, insulation, flashing tapes, house wrap/WRB, and possibly window and door types. With these, you want to know if you can tolerate the materials specified. In general, don’t try and alter the main components. Though there might be a little bit of choice here, for example, with the window framing material.
  • With most companies, you have a choice with the siding and roof types.
  • Some of the best companies are reluctant to work with someone super chemically sensitive. Sensitive customers can demand changes that compromise the integrity of the build; a good company won’t allow this and won’t want to deal with it. Bring me onto the team early in the process, possibly before you speak to them. I can work with the whole team to make sure you get products that are healthy for you and they don’t compromise the building system.
  • Prioritize QUALITY over extreme modifications to make something perfect. It’s better to have to wait for your house to offgas, and have a house that will last a long time, than the other way around. Many people are making this mistake – building something too modified for chemical sensitivities that will go moldy and not get them out of the toxic loop.

If You Have Mold Sensitivities

  • The design of the prefab system is the most fundamental part that needs to be done right.
  • Inspection of the factory to see how they store materials is important.
  • Bring your own architect on board, even if just as a consultant. Make sure the designs are solid (reviewed by more than one building science expert) and the final design for your climate and land is solid.
  • Bring your own HVAC consultant to review the system.
  • You need an excellent builder.
  • You need supervision of all parts of the build.
  • You need to know which party is taking responsibility for each part that could go wrong.

If you are interested in how to build mold preventative homes, join my mailing list where I share courses and other educational materials that will help you to manage and supervise your build.

Thank you!

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Definitions: Prefab, Manufactured, Mobile, Kit, and Modular Homes.

Prefab (Prefabricated)—This is the general term for all of these building types that are made partially or fully offsite:

  • Panelized Prefabs—Panelized construction is the most appealing type to me. The exterior walls and ceiling pack onto a truck and are usually assembled with a crane. Some have windows and doors installed at the factory (most of the ones I looked at do), while others have those parts installed on-site.
  • Manufactured and Mobile Homes—I don’t cover these types in the post. Manufactured homes are usually the type of prefab that is in mobile home parks, and are not usually good quality. Mobile homes are homes on wheels (including tiny homes on wheels) and are covered in this post.
  • Modular—Modular homes are more complete than panelized. Modules or boxes are built in the factory and wrapped and taken by a flatbed truck to the construction site. There might be just one module for a small house or many modules that fit together. They are lifted by a crane and set on a foundation. Some modular homes are almost complete when they arrive and others are finished on site.
  • Kit Houses—With a kit home, all of the materials for the house are built in the factory, numbered, and shipped to the site. A kit home doesn’t come with walls or a whole module built (or partially built). Instead, it comes with all the materials you need to build the house, stacked up, and labeled.

Review of 17 Non-Toxic Prefab House Companies

1. Bensonwood Passive Homes

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrnztsHnkTD/

Bensonwood is at the top of my list because it is the most established company making well made Passive Houses (and other types). They are well detailed for mold prevention, made in a factory that they own.

They came to my attention because the builder Matt Risinger toured their factory and worked with them. You get to see a bit about how one of their models are made in this video. This is the house made by Matt Risinger’s company (which you can see during the house tours Matt puts on).

You can tour the factory yourself, too.

This is a panelized custom prefab. The walls and ceilings are made in the factory and they go up on-site at a dry time of year in one to two weeks. The houses can be built to Passive House standards and they use timber frame construction.

Build Type Options

They have three ways to build:

1) Bensonwoods fabricates the custom-designed shell and installs it (this includes the walls, roof, floors, windows, and door). Your builder does the rest of the finishing, as well as the foundation and site prep.

2) The enhanced shell option includes the shell plus some prefabricated components, such as window casings, stairs, and doors (you can see these options on the website).

3) The whole house option, where the house is completed by one team.

Geographical Area

The whole house option is a finished house, but it is only available in the area around Walpole, New Hampshire. The other options can be shipped to 49 states.

Design & Materials

A typical Bensonwood wall panel would have a service cavity that may or may not be insulated, then an airtight layer of OSB, then a structural framed wall of I-joists or sawn lumber.

The exterior sheathing might be OSB (typically, Huber’s Zip) or a continuous layer of wood fiber insulation. Cavity insulation is dense-packed cellulose. 

Roofs are made with either EPS or dense-packed cellulose.

See my posts on pressed wood products and insulation to see if these materials would work for your sensitivities.

Windows are Marvin Integrity, Unilux, or Wasco. My window post reviews the toxicity of window types.

The wall and roof systems can be seen on their website. It’s important that they do show the wall designs, so they can be evaluated.

Factory. The panels are made in their own factory, called Tektoniks, in New Hampshire.

Established. They have been in business since 1973. They have been building in this factory since 2000.

Build time. The shell goes up in one to two weeks. The typical time frame from 3-D model to construction completion is 5-10 months.

The Process. It is important to have secured your land before developing any formal plans (as with any good prefab company). Decide between the shell, enhanced shell, or whole house package. They take the design and create a 3-D model and then send that to be fabricated in the factory.

Here is a video of their process of installing the shell.

2. Their Sister Company Unity Homes

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcvKRTElubm/

This is the more affordable wing of Bensonwood that was started in 2012. The models are predesigned, as opposed to the custom Bensonwood designs. However, you can still mix and match some of the elements to make the house more personalized.

The houses’ designs range from 500–3000 sq ft. I love that they took high-end wall panels and made them affordable by keeping it to predesigned packages. The smallest house is $150,000. If you want an affordable prefab, go with predesigned.

The models can be made to Passive House standards.

Design and Materials

This company is a sister company of Bensonwood, using the same technology. The panels are manufactured in the Tektoniks factory.

Most of the clients they build for are sensitive, a representative said. You can bring materials home to test them.

The interiors are very customizable.

Just like Bensonwood, they use the same high-quality mold preventative design, airtight builds, and balanced ventilation (air exchange).

Geographical area. New England is easiest, but they can serve a larger area.

Factory. They have factory tours (the same factory as Bensonwood) in New Hampshire. They also have a show house in New Hampshire.

Process

Just like Bensonwood, they offer three options: the shell, the shell with some finishes (both of these completed by your GC), or the completed house, which is only possible local to their site in New Hampshire.

In the most simplified process, you can choose one of the interior collections, including finishes, in its entirety. This is the fastest and least expensive way to do it.

They also have “Personalized” and “Semi-custom” design paths, in which you can substitute choices from outside the collections. If you would like the interior design to be completely customized, they recommend that you go with the Shell Package and you can finish the interior with materials and fixtures locally.

3. EcoCor Solsken Passive Houses

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfMaqHejHdq/

Another panelized Passive House prefab is at the top of my list. Passive House design is focused on well built, well-sealed, moisture preventative design. And this one is certified as well as vetted by well-respected building science experts.

I have heard feedback from three professionals about this house, and they were all positive regarding the design.

What I have heard is that the product is well-made and the knowledge and experience of the team are on point. The management may or may not be great, depending on who is working there.

Materials and Design

They use healthy materials and they minimize the use of paint, varnishes, and formaldehyde to near-zero VOC, they say.

They use the Zip system, with the Zip OSB layer close to the interior (it will offgas to the interior).

Dense-packed cellulose is used in the exterior wall assembly and Rockwool in the interior service wall. No spray foam insulation.

The bulk of their insulation is on the outside. They do not have sheathing on the outside. They use a WRB to hold in the insulation (under the siding).

Moisture-management

Detailed modeling of plans is done in WUFI software—this is a way to model how moisture moves and could condense in the walls/ceiling/floors. They used moisture monitors in walls of early houses to verify this.

Essentially, they use “out-sulation” (exterior insulation), with a very dry-able (breathable) exterior assembly.

They use mechanical ventilation (HRV).

It’s an excellent design, with knowledgeable team members.

Factory. They manufacture their panels in their own small facility: the Ecocor’s facility in Searsmont, Maine. You can tour the factory.

Here is a video tour about the company.

Geographical Area. Ecocor’s custom designs are delivered anywhere in North America. Check with them about the predesigned models.

How long have they been in business? Ecocor started around 2012, with the Solsken branch of designs launched around 2017.

Costs. One of their 2 bedroom, 1192 sq ft models is about $408,000.

It sounds like they tend to work for upscale houses only (which is not uncommon when you find a really good builder or system, since good quality costs more). This tends to be more expensive than BrightBuilt or Gologic.

This is not your budget option, but it’s not overpriced either if what you want is quality.

4. Morton Metal Siding Structure

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvb4gS2gM68/

This company makes fairly standard construction metal siding homes and structures and have been reviewed by Cheryl Ciecko. They have worked with her and they are willing to work with her again to make sure it’s designed right.

Process

With the Morton process, many materials are manufactured in their plants (which they own—this is a large company). Building components are shipped to the job site using their trucks. Construction is executed by their construction crews—vet your local crew well.

Construction management is provided by them—again, vet the local management well. This is a design-build firm, which means they take care of the whole process.

They use Allied Design Architectural & Engineering Group, but they will allow your architect to have input on the plans.

Design & Materials. This is a conventional build; it’s not high performance or Passive House. It’s stick framing, regular insulation, metal siding, and drywall. There’s nothing especially unique here other than they are willing to work with Cheryl.

Established. It’s a well-known brand, around since the 1940s with a robust warranty and little risk of the company going out of business soon.

Factory. They are fabricated in Morton, IL.

5. Holz100 All Wood Houses

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz-y6YYjJl3/

This panelized and module prefab is something a little different. This company makes panels that are made from all wood: walls, ceiling, and floors. No adhesives. No nails. Just wood. Siding and roofing materials might not be wood.

They claim a 50-year warranty on condensation and mold in the walls. The company has not been in business for 50 years though, about 25 so far.

The next step here would be to see if a building science expert (actually, more than one) can look at this wall system, which is a series of pieces of wood with some air gaps, and see what they think about moisture management in that type of wall.

I would also like to see computer modeling of moisture in the walls, and why it doesn’t hit dewpoint in those spaces, or real-life data from the company showing how moisture performs in the walls.

I want to know how they deal with the roof, since it looks like they are putting an exterior vapor barrier on the flat roofs that could get tricky for mold fast. The underbelly of raised up wood houses can also be vulnerable to condensation.

If this system holds up the way it says it does, it will be a very interesting option.

I am really rooting for this company, as I think it looks really cool.

Although I’m reluctant to be a test person for something we don’t know enough about I was happy to see Matt Risinger tour this style of home (a company called Holzpur. With the green light from both Matt and SIGA (who sponsored the video), it would make me want to proceed with the next steps of review.

Geographical Area

Most of their buildings are in Europe and you could go see some of the buildings there, including a hotel in Austria, a hotel in Belgium, and a rental. That would be crucial as well, to see how this is holding up in real life. And you can sleep there to see how you feel.

They are also available in the US and Canada.

Cost

The small little room that is just under 100 sq ft is 35,000 CAD.

A tiny house is 39,000 Euros. They make houses of all sizes, including apartment complexes and hotels.

6. GO Logic GO Home

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4fr_hAg4Xt/

These are Passive House-level panelized prefabricated homes. This is another highly respected company. They are a design-build company in Maine. Outside of Maine, they assemble the shell only. Your local contractor does the rest.

Materials and Design

2×8 wood stud wall. Dense-pack cellulose insulation in the stud cavities. Rigid mineral wool insulation between the sheathing and siding.

Taped Huber Zip OSB air barrier. See my post on pressed wood products to review the offgassing of these materials.

The roof is made with prefabricated wood trusses with blown-in cellulose insulation. See my post on insulation.

You can choose from many different design options. Windows are aluminum/PVC or aluminum/wood (triple glaze).

Flooring is concrete and real wood, Marmoleum or tile.

They use high quality finishes like solid wood stair treads and solid wood trim. Interior walls are gypsum with 0 VOC paint. IKEA cabinets.

You can upgrade or change most of these interior finishes.

Moisture Management

They use meticulous air-sealing between the attic and living spaces and ventilation beneath the sheathing to eliminate the risk of moisture buildup and ensure a durable roof.

They seal the critical joints at window openings, between the foundation and exterior walls, and between the wall and roof structures.

Wall assembly is designed to avoid moisture build-up.

They use mechanical ventilation – HRV. Electric heat (like most Passive Houses).

On-site blower-door testing meets or exceeds Passive House standards.

Costs. Size is 600-2500 sq ft from $179,000 to $567,000.

How long have they been in business? Go Logic (founded 2008) company launched the GO home prefabs in 2017.

Geographical area. Delivered and assembled in Maine. Outside of Maine, they deliver the shell only in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, or eastern Pennsylvania. Your local contractor would provide the site work, exterior, and interior finishes.

7. BrightBuilt Homes

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6gHgsPA8L5/

BrightBuillt appears at first to be a competitor of Ecocor and GoLogic. They make net-zero ready homes that are a bit better than code. Less expensive than EcoCor and GoLogic.

The house arrives in modules as opposed to panels.

Materials

Double-stud walls insulated with dense-pack cellulose. It looks like fiberglass in the roof in some pictures. Some have rigid insulation on the exterior.

Moisture-Management

Air sealing, some use Zip system, some use Blue Skin or Typar. Drainage plane below siding, mechanical ventilation. They have pictures of blower door tests, but it’s not clear if they test all of them.

The lack of information on materials, cross-sections of the walls and ceiling, and details on building science on the website is a red flag for me.

Will they allow prospective customers to tour their factory? Yes.

Customer feedback

They try to be accommodating, but a customer was not happy with their attention to detail or efficiency. Their own photos online show modules arriving with damage to the house wrap and exterior foam.

They claim low VOC, but if they don’t have good enough oversight of their module producer, building for a sensitive client might not go according to plan. You can totally customize the finishes, though.

When a design problem cropped up during the building process, there was no go-to person to address it, a BuiltBright customer claimed. The customer was stuck between the designer and builder, with no one to advocate for them.

If there isn’t a designated project manager or contact person to oversee the project, like what this customer claims, you won’t have the efficiency of what you might expect in a prefab process.

If the management changes in the future this could change.

Process

You have three primary routes you may choose: a pre-designed BrightBuilt Home (from 9 models), a modified BrightBuilt Home, or a custom home.

If you are happy with one of the standard designs, you will simplify the pricing. If you would like to make some modifications to the existing designs, you can make changes to the finishes, spaces/interior design. Or do a totally custom design.

They help you identify a builder.

BrightBuilt designs the modules, passes it on to a company that makes the modules—if anything goes wrong there, BrightBuilt may not be responsible, reports a client. The builder may have to pick up the mistakes made by the other two.

Factory. Subcontracts the manufacturing of their panels/modules out.

Established. They have been in business since 2013. Their parent company (architectural firm) has been around since 2004.

Geographical area. At this time, they construct, deliver, and complete within Maine and the Mid Atlantic region.

8. Module Homes

https://www.instagram.com/p/B601GTCBh7p/

Module uses both wood-based panelized and modular construction. Their houses are built off-site at the Bensonwood Tektoniks factory.

Their first home, the Latham house pictured above, was built to Passive House standards. In the future, all of the homes will be built to the Zero Energy Ready Home standards.

Geographical area. Based in Pittsburgh, modules are made in New Hampshire, they deliver to any area of the US. 

This is a design-build firm: they manage everything “from the first shovel to the last coat of paint”, they claim. Though it’s not clear in which area they provide the full service. The company did not respond by email yet to the question.

Materials

Zip panels with cellulose insulation.

The base model option has fairly standard materials (like IKEA cabinets and laminate countertops). The upgraded options have healthier materials like custom cabinets and solid surface countertops.

Factory. Just like with Bensonwood and Unity, you can tour this factory.

Tektoniks factory is owned and operated by Bensonwood; it’s not owned by Module.

The companies design the panels and send the design specs there to be made. On the Tektoniks site, you can see more info.

Cost. One of their two-bedroom homes is $250,000. An estimated 50K more for site work, foundation, and permits.

How long have they been in business? Since 2017.

You can see a video of their first house here:

9. Haus.me

https://www.instagram.com/p/B18aFNzFNUo/

I’m waiting for a prefab like this to really work for those sensitive to mold and not be too high in offgassing. Something like this has the potential to be very waterproof, with nowhere for moisture to condensate in solid plastic walls.

This prefab is modular; it arrives totally complete. It has a metal frame and then they show a spray foam “composite” that makes up the insulation and the exterior. It’s not clear what that is.

They claim it’s a 3-D printed composite polymer (which means some type of plastic). They don’t say what polymer this is. At first glance, it looked like fiberglass. On closer inspection, it does not look at all like fiberglass. They claim it is VOC-free.

The windows are 6 layers of tempered glass!

It’s mobile—not on wheels, but it can be moved anywhere.

You can schedule a visit to one of their demo units at this link.

Geographical area. They deliver from the facility which is in Reno, Nevada. It takes 2-3 weeks within the US to deliver a house. But they are currently backlogged 9 months.

It is possible to ship an assembled haus.me to any international seaport, which also makes this an interesting option for those relocating to Latin America/the Caribbean.

Warranty

For House Frame and Windows: Five year warranty or lifetime warranty.

Maintenance and Warranty Plan: One year of base warranty and free maintenance for home appliances and décor, including furniture and equipment or ten years of extended warranty and free maintenance.

Year Established. They have been in business since 2016 and this is the first prototype.

Keep your eye on them. When something like this passes the test of time, I will share it on my Facebook page and in my email list.

10. Log Cabin Kits

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxgFZ5Ljb9H/

Although log cabins don’t have a lot of insulative value, and they don’t completely skip past the need for intricate detailing, I like the simplicity of solid wood walls with nowhere for moisture to accumulate and hide (in theory).

The logs need to be debarked and stored properly in good mold-free conditions before the build.

And, as always, pay special attention to the roof and foundation which are done wrong in almost all assemblies, whether it’s in the design or execution. Most foundations have water damage.

They are prone to moisture damage in cold climates. Around windows, doors and building corners are vulnerable areas. Thermal mass improves the performance a bit, but air leakage more than counters any benefit. Cool surfaces + a source of moisture = mold.

I don’t know which log cabin company is the best, but I would use the same criteria of evaluation as with more conventional prefab houses outlined in the beginning of the article.

You still want to have this evaluated by a building science expert to see how log walls will perform in your climate and hold up to moisture and mold.

You also want to evaluate the companies based on their specific “log” system. As these walls are usually square or rectangular, not the classic real round logs.

I pictured Confederation Log Homes because they have a long record and have been in business for a long time. They look like they are building good quality homes, from what I can see in their photos. They passed the initial screening.

11. Method Homes

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5qe0Y3AJUf/

Method makes modular homes that can reach Passive House standards.

Method will build anything an architect designs, as long as it can still be shipped.

Process. You can use their design-build company, Method Contracting, or go with a local builder or general contractor of your choice (“under our direction,” they say). Method has an internal team of specialists and they have an external network of contractors throughout the Pacific Northwest (the US and Canada) that they can recommend and work with.

They don’t say quite as much on the website about building science as the others, but they do say they avoid thermal bridging through either double-stud walls, rigid foam wrap, or a combination of the two.

They do blower door tests to measure airtightness. In order to achieve a very tight envelope, they use the specialty (high performance) tapes like those used to seal the seams of the plywood during framing.

They also use ‘flash and batt’ which is a very tricky method to get right, explained here. I don’t use spray foam in walls due to off-gassing concerns as well as technical difficulties.

They use ERVs or HRVs for ventilation.

This has been reported to be highly customizable.

Materials. Real hardwood floors, 0 or low VOC paints and glues. In a message, a company rep said, “While we use no VOC products, we are not fully set up to build homes for the environmental sensitive community”.

Area served. Method has experience delivering and building in challenging and remote sites, including the San Juan Islands and British Columbia Islands.

Their manufacturing facility is located in Ferndale, Washington. They service the western US and Canada including Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Hawaii, British Columbia, and Alberta.

Cost. Base price $162,000.

12. Artisans Group

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeFD8D9AjHr/

Artisans Group is a design-build firm in the Pacific North West. They build prefabricated panelized homes to Passive House standards. They can do custom designs or you can choose from their pre-designed plans. I had to email them to clarify: any in their current portfolio is a predesigned plan.

They work with their network of selected prefabricated Passive House builders who deliver the floor, wall, and roof assembly systems to your site.

They use the design-build model because communication between the design team and the construction team is extremely important in order to get things done right.

The assembly is overseen by a Passive House expert.  

Year Established. They are a large firm, in business for 20 years. They claim they have designed more homes to the Passive House Standard than any other US firm. (Ecocor makes the same claim).

They have a good team that is highly educated on building Passive Houses.

Materials. They have been using low and no VOC finishes since the days you had to special order them. (Another good sign they know materials well).

There is not a lot of detailed information on the website about the wall assembly and design. Like all Passive Houses, they do use HRVS (air exchange). I would make sure you can find out more before committing.

You can tour their houses during their yearly tours.

13. Phoenix Haus

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpPi1p9g3hV/

Phoenix Haus is a panelized system that is Passive House certified.

Design & Materials

The Phoenix Haus Alpha System is lightweight timber frame construction, insulated with cellulose, mineral wool and wood fiberboard. The system uses solid timber supports with timber I-beams in the roof. With a ventilated rain screen on the exterior.

An airtight membrane (Intello Plus) is used on the inside of the supporting joists (behind the service cavity). Tescon Vana tape is used on joints. The exterior water-resistive barrier is Solitex.

These are all low offgassing (or practically 0), very common Passive House materials. Most passive houses use these same membranes and tapes.

They do show the cross-section of the designs, which is important information to have.

Geographical area. They can work anywhere from the Midwest to the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest.

Process

Phoenix Haus does the architectural drawings, makes the panels (the panels come with windows and doors), and they deliver them to the site.

The company assembles it and helps you find a builder from their network. You can also choose your own builder.

The general contractor does finishing work (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, flooring, drywall, etc.).

They are open to working with your architect.

Year established. Phoenix Haus has been in business since 2011.

Cost. A 1,500 sq ft cabin costs about $150,000, which usually totals $375,000 with finishes, excluding land and design fees.

They have no pictures of completed houses on their website or Instagram, which seems very unusual to me.

14. BONE Structure

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7WYat5B3Mz/

This is a Canadian company that can ship the components to the US. This is a non-wood based design that uses metal framing and spray foam. My post on insulation talks about spray foam, which I tend to avoid.

Materials and Design

They use both spray foam and rigid foam. They say they have reduced thermal bridging.

They don’t quite make Passive House airtightness standards, which seems strange to me for a house that uses foam as the only insulation product.

Process

BONE Structure will collaborate with 3rd party architects. They will go over their design with your architect.

The company will provide a project manager and can introduce you to builders, or you can find your own builder.

Time to build. On average, the envelope of a BONE Structure home of 3,000 sq ft is assembled in less than 10 days, they say.

I would have this design carefully analyzed by a building science expert before proceeding.

15. EcoCraft

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf8joQzHvYW/

EcoCraft uses prefab building techniques, but the houses are all custom designed. They build in modules, as opposed to panels. They can be Passive House certified.

Process. They work with local architecture firms. This sounds like they don’t have an in-house architectural team.

They take care of all the building (and the cost includes this): basic excavation, an unfinished basement, walls, roof, finishes, plumbing, electrical, appliances, delivery, installation, and all finishes if you are in the Pittsburgh area.

Materials and Design. They use continuous exterior insulation (rigid foam). Like all Passive House homes, they are built airtight, with a heat recovery ventilator.

They use un-faced formaldehyde-free fiberglass batts within the walls and floors, and blown fiberglass in the attics, along with spray foam insulation to seal air leaks. (You will want to see how much spray foam is used and what kind.)

Fiberglass is a step down from Rockwool/mineral wool.

They use thermal imaging and blower door testing to test for air leakage (which leads to vapor movement).

On the interior, they use low or no-VOC paints and low or no-VOC adhesives and sealants.

Factory. You can tour the factory. You can even be there while your home is being constructed and take photos. The modules are manufactured in a factory located about 90 miles out of Pittsburgh.

Geographical area. They are based in Pittsburgh and build within a 60-mile radius of Pittsburgh. Sometimes, they build outside that radius, or you can use the panels outside of the radius, but they will not be able to complete the build.

Warranty. They carry a 10-year structural warranty and 1-year cosmetic warranty.

Cost. EcoCraft Homes start at $285,000.

16. Bamboo Living

https://www.instagram.com/p/BudE2i5HH_D/

This Hawaii-based company makes panelized bamboo homes. They have insulated walls and uninsulated wall options.

When going with a traditional indigenous building technique, keep it close to the original way of building. Bring in current experts in building science to analyze it, as well. That means no insulation for me with bamboo.

Bamboo is a traditional building material in a huge part of the world. This leads me to believe there is a way to build this in a mold preventative way.

But, bamboo being bamboo (quite the finicky material with moisture), probably means there are a thousand ways to mess this up. That means more research is needed here than usual.

I personally would not ship bamboo panels very far from where they are built.

Warranty. They give a 20-year structural warranty.

Tour: You can tour their homes. You must check out other bamboo buildings first, including a hotel made by this company, and, when they have listings, you can check out this condo made by them too.

Year Established. They have built 400 homes they say. The company started in 1995.

Cost. Base price of $89,000

17. Plant Prefab Living Homes 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqptxXmll1F/

LivingHomes is Plant’s in-house design studio. I’m mentioning this company because it’s usually on non-toxic prefab lists, not because I’m particularly impressed.

Materials

The construction is standard. From what I can see, they use OSB, Knauf Ecobatt fiberglass insulation, and regular drywall. They use exterior rigid foam insulation, house wrap, furring strips, and Jamies Hardie siding.

They use Anderson Windows (you can upgrade to aluminum windows). Doors are by Thermatru, flooring Millstead Cork Floors (I’m not a fan of cork floors, explained here), kitchen/bath cabinets by Merillat Cabinets.

They claim to be low VOC by using 0 VOC paints and stains, millwork and engineered wood without (added, I’m assuming) formaldehyde, no wood-burning fireplaces. Vents in the bathroom—every house should have a vent in the bathroom, so this should not be their main claim to fame on mold prevention!

These materials are all very standard and any builder can build with these.

They say they include indoor plants to absorb “dangerous compounds”. This is a big red flag for me for greenwashing and lack of knowledge about VOCs, as these plants do almost nothing.

Process

They can work with your architect to create a custom design, or you can choose from one of their standard designs.

You can find your own contractor or they can help you find one.

They coordinate with the general contractor in charge of site work and foundation; they resolve any design issues and maintain oversight and quality-control during the construction process. This is good: if they have this much control over the process, assuming they know what they are doing, oversight is good. A clean line of responsibility between parties is good.

Factory. All Plant Prefabs are built in their factory in Rialto, California. You can visit the factory and see your home being built. (I like this part.)

Warranty. In addition to the standard warranty required by code, they provide a ten-year structural warranty and offer double warranty protection from 2-10 that ensures your warranty will always be covered.

Geographical area. The area they serve is the West Coast of the US and “select places elsewhere”.

Cost. $438,520.00 is the estimated total price for the C6 which has 3 bedrooms and is 1288 sq ft.

So, Which Ones are My Favorite?

Top picks for a regular, conventional house are Bensonwood and Ecocor.

Top pick for something simpler, less conventional are the log cabin kits.

I have my eye on Holz and Haus.me as potentially simple elegant and unique solutions to the safe housing crisis.

Join the mailing list and Facebook page where I will share updates on the companies—which ones have worked out well for folks and stood the test of time.

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Those that Didn’t Make the List

Reasons why these didn’t make the list: Insufficient focus on building science. Evidence of poor building practices or lack of anything to demostrate “above and beyond” mold prevention.

Don’t repeat the past with poorly made manufactured homes

Flex house | Delivered complete. The house is made with FSC certified lumber, low or no VOC materials and low Global Warming Potential. BaySeal closed-cell insulation. I’m not a fan of spray foam.

IdeaBox | These are modular homes that don’t look different than mobile homes or your average tiny home. The photos of the build appear to show standard construction with saggy fiberglass insulation. (Not good if it’s saggy).

Greenfab | Some info of green building, but insufficient evidence on advanced building science and mold preventative building.

Blu Homes | Make nods to green building and mold reduction by using wood floors and by “building well” with no actual evidence of how they build differently; how they build well; what their walls, roof, floor systems are; and how they are mold preventative. They do use metal framing, which is especially tricky to manage condensation and thermal bridging in.

Clayton homes | From what I can see from the video, it looks like an exterior vapor barrier, there is no rain screen, and the roof looks like it also has a plastic barrier. These look like typical mobile/manufactured homes.

Dvele | A new company, it sounds like they have display homes as of 2018 in California. They founded in 2016 after running a Canadian prefab company. They are Passive House certified. Use Roxul on all 6 sides, they say. They use some high VOC materials inside like epoxy. You can tour the factory. They use moisture monitors in the walls. Insufficient information on the website to make a call on this. This company might be decent, but if they are building to high standards, they should make this more obvious.

Deltec | Looks really standard. They make wall panels. Tyvek, plywood, regular framing. Not sure how those panels come together, still have to finish the rest of the insulation and everything as usual. They have pictures of what looks like vented crawl spaces (that’s a no from me), and gutters coming off the side close to the house with no kick out (that’s a no for me). I don’t have a lot of confidence in these panels, or the installation, from what I have seen.

MADI Homes | This flat pack house is beautiful and temptingly simple. But from what I could pull out of them in emails and from photos, it sounds like flash and batt insulation plus a poly interior vapor barrier (that’s a double vapor barrier). A no-no for mold prevention in my books.

IT House | I liked the IT House initially, because of the large amount of glass used, and elevated off the ground designs. The structure is metal beams. The panels which are not load-bearing are made of cement board 3form resin panels, and solid wood thin paneling (I don’t really know what that means).

Finish panels are either fiberboard cement or 3Form eco-resin (for interior wet location). I’m still confused on how they build and what the panels look like. Reportedly, they have changed the system since then. That’s why I don’t like protocols. They have not bothered to update the website.

Their display house is a bnb. A friend checked out the display house and wasn’t totally satisfied with the construction. The website says IT House is $150/sf but a client found it to be more like $400/sf in actuality.

The company has not updated the webpage or Instagram for a very long time. A reader reported that they are still very much in business and are busy and backed up.


Concluding Thoughts

Look at the story of Greenterra homes, a company on many green prefab lists just a couple years ago—the company went down epically.

My private notes on this company said “don’t see anything green about them—external foam on metal frame, with poly on the interior, double vapor barrier (no). Laminate flooring with OSB.”

They were clearly building cheaply. It turned out to be even worse than that.

Do not rush into a prefab purchase. As tempting as it can be with all the beautiful and affordable models, and the urgency of safe housing, you have to build this right.

Prefabs are not necessarily better or worse than custom houses. They can easily be worse than most, while many are better than what the average builder can produce. A really good prefab design has benefits, mainly being built out of the rain and with fewer mistakes.

If you need to build something less expensive and smaller see my post on small prefabs.

Contact me for the first steps – looking over which models you are considering, or, to work with a company you chose to make sure you get materials that will be good for your health.

healthy home build consult

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

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This post took 30+ hours to research and write and is not sponsored or affiliated with any companies.

If you found this post helpful, you can buy me a coffee to support the research behind this blog. Thank you!


Thank you to Bethany from Building Literate who contributed as a researcher to the post.

Filed Under: Healthy Building, Mold-Free Building Tagged With: Healthy building, mold free building, tiny homes

Tiny Homes & Shelters for the Mold & Chemically Sensitive

September 4, 2019 by Corinne 18 Comments

Updated in Summer 2020

Related posts:
1. Regular-sized non-toxic prefab homes
2. Mobile homes on wheels for those with sensitivities
3. Emergency shelters for those with sensitivities

Simple, Small Modular and Custom Homes for those Sensitive to Mold and Chemicals

These are small and tiny houses (not on wheels) that are suitable for those with extreme sensitivities to mold and or chemicals.

Not all materials will work for all folks, that is why this article features everything from all wood, to all plastic and all metal homes.

I have natural materials on the list as well, like hemp and concrete.

These small houses are ideal to create a healing space away from conventional housing that is so prone to problems.

This post contains an affiliate link to a home sold on Amazon. This home was on this list before they starting selling through Amazon. Upon purchase, through affiliate links I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This post is not otherwise sponsored by any of the companies.

For individual help choosing the best small home for your needs, or a review of a tiny house company not mentioned, you can contact me here for a consult. 

1. Passive Home Tiny Homes

https://unityhomes.com/our-designs/nano/

Besonwood is a high-quality passive home custom prefab company. Their custom Thoreau Cabin home is 150 sq ft. The owner chose the stone facade but that is not a typical facade. They are custom homes so they can build any size.

Their predesigned wing is called Unity Homes. Their smallest house “Nano” (pictured) is 477 sq ft. Nano Shell packages start at $65,000, and for a complete house, it would be roughly $150,000.

They are wood framed with passive house design, made to high standards. This would not work for those extremely sensitive to offgassing as their walls include OSB and engineered wood framing.

The insulation used is Rockwool and cellulose in the model I saw (they have different wall systems to choose from).

This is a house that mold sensitive folks should consider due to their high-quality design, high-quality factory-built, and indoor factory conditions. This is at the top of my list for a reason, I would build with this company.

You still have to have planning and supervision on the site prep, foundation and the installation of the prefab components. Every detail matters for mold prevention.

2. All Wood Prefab

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Summer Season Getaway – living in nature, indoors with Holz100 mass timber building solution. #summer #vacation #cabin #bunker #getaway #staycation #nature #wonders #small #shelter #mass #timber #frame #timberconstruction #masstimber #touch #wood #senses #aroma #noglue #chemicalfree #easy #living #ecofriendly #simple #compact #spacesaving #mobile #safe #home

A post shared by Thoma Holz100 Canada (@holz100canada) on Jul 25, 2019 at 8:40am PDT

The Holz100 homes come in all sizes from very very tiny, small and large.

The walls, floor and ceiling are all wood, no glue, no nails. The roof will not be all wood, there will need to be another roofing material there.

I have a more in depth review in the general prefab post.

I think this house is very promising but needs more investigation. If you tolerate wood there is nothing else in the interior.

To hit codes you will need to put exterior insulation on it. Exterior foam insulation would also be a fool safe method to prevent possible condensation within the air pockets of the wood wall. That is how I would detail it for mold prevention. This would make it quite pricey.

$35,000 BASE PRICE (CAD) for the 93 sq ft little module.

3. 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.

Metal walls are very difficult to insulate in cold climates. In a cold climate, you would need a perfect airtight insulation. See the section at the end about exterior vapor barriers in cold climates. Metal houses can work well in places where you don’t need insulation or where you don’t use heating.

In some very dry climates, you can get away with loosely fit foam insulation but you would want to be able to check on that and make sure there is no condensation behind it.

The cost of the metal yurt is 10K

Grain Bin Home – Another Yurt Like Option

These Grain Bin Homes are also 18 ft in diameter and made of galvanized steel. There is room for a loft and it has louvers that can collect rainwater 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.

Same as above section regarding metal walls – tricky to insulate in heating climates.

4. Wooden Treehouse

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.

I like this simple option if you don’t need insulation. Using a rot-resistant wood and no need to worry about the foundation type simplifies everything here.

This can be a mold preventative option.

5. Arched Cabins

The basic kit for Arched Cabins includes floor plates, ribs, ridge beam, standard R13 insulation, Super Span Roof Paneling, trim and fasteners needed to assemble the cabin.

Arched Cabin kits do not include the foundation, installation, interior, end caps, delivery.

What I like about arched cabins is that there could never be any leaks with this one-piece roof/siding.

In this design, you can use spray foam insulation (with or without rigid foam) without worrying about exterior leaks getting in behind. Spray foam, while it does offgas, is a vapor barrier and the best bet for insulating metal walls in heating climates.

Either closed cell (2 part) spray foam is used to form an airtight vapor barrier in any climate where you heat, or not quite as foolproof is rigid insulation installed with canned (1 part) spray foam).

This is a great system for preventing mold. You do not want permeable insulation against metal in any heating climate.

The large overhangs are also superb protection from rain over the windows and doors on the ends.

The 12×12 kit is $2400. This is a simple, mostly metal kit that you could then customize to be chemical-free on the inside. 

You can see a video tour here and you can check one out on Airbnb.

6. Plastic Domes

These cool Intershelter domes are easy to transport and assemble and have a lifespan of 30 years.

The larger domes are made of a fiberglass composite material that the company says does not emit an odor. Some sensitive people say fiberglass needs some time to offgas (1-2 years or more) and others find it ok fairly soon after production. 

The small domes are 14 feet and are made of ABS plastic, which is a really safe plastic (the same plastic the LEGO is made of). This one they say has an integrated foam component.

I would look closely at the details on the panels that have integrated foam. You would want to make sure this is not likely to leak.

If this is done well this would be much easier than trying to put foam insulation on the inside of the one-panel fiberglass domes yourself.

The integrated foam would be ideal for heating climates (cold climates).

The domes start at $7,500 for the 14′ model in 2017.

Installing foam in the larger domes with an exterior vapor barrier is not simple in heating climate. If you are in a tropical climate this might be ideal.

A similar dome, the Intergalactic, is also fiberglass, and the insulation is integrated.

7. Plastic “Lego” Home

EverBlock makes plastic blocks that fit together like lego. You can make a simple structure out of these.

It’s a safer plastic than fiberglass that is much more tolerable for the chemically sensitive.

8. Plastic Module Homes

coodo.com

There are a few designs that are using metal framing with a plastic body. I find this design extremely promising.

The Coodo above is made in Germany and can deliver all around the world.

A similar company, AluHause is American, with a show house in Palm Desert.

The downside is that fiberglass does offgas and won’t work for many sensitive folks, at least not right away.

Both have the potential to be very waterproof and mold resistant designs. Neither one gives too much away on how it’s built exactly, so we cannot evaluate it in great detail.

Just like when looking at larger prefabs you have to go through the reconnaissance process outlined here.

The Coodo is 61K British Pounds for the base model.

Another similar model is the Haus.me which I go into more detail on in the prefab article. This one looks to be a different type of plastic, not fiberglass, though they don’t say which type. They claim that it doesn’t offgas.

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Haus.me mOne 2019 Zombie proof house. Completely self-sustainable off-the-grid intelligent Home.

A post shared by haus.me (@zombieproof.home) on Sep 3, 2019 at 3:44pm PDT

9. Simple Wooden Cabins 

Solid wood very basic wood cabin


Leisure Cabins bare bone wooden cabins are made of solid wood. I see some OSB in the subfloor but that could be avoided. Opt for solid wood for the roofing as well.

There is no insulation so they would be difficult to live in in extreme temperatures.

It does not include roofing shingles and roof prepping, stains, railing, foundation and deck or windows. You do your own wiring, plumbing, and systems as well.

This version is a thin wood wall, not very warm. And when you start to insulate something like this you start to get into a complicated design.

In that case I would prefer to go back to a prefab like the Unity Homes on this list which already has a well thought out wall system, or even design a house from scratch.

Trying to make one of these kits work with insulation is working backward from a plan that won’t likely come together in a mold preventative way in climates where heating is used.

It is $6500 CAD for a 14 x 14 foot cabin. They are produced in Canada. 

Amish Built Wood House

From Backyard Buildings in Maine, these tiny houses are a good deal. They are custom built. This one pictured is from a member of the EI groups on Facebook and I have her permission to post about it.

The house is made of local wood, non-fiberglass insulation, low VOC adhesives, a woodstove (but you could use electric heat), wired for on-grid (but can do off-grid as well), cedar siding, metal roof, and plumbing.  

This does become a complicated system to design when you add insulation.

When I tried to work with this company, it was difficult to communicate with the builders (because of lack of technology/being Amish). They were mixing some traditional building with some more modern techniques like adding exterior foam insulation and I didn’t think it was mold-safe or detailed right.

They can be moved though they are not on wheels. This one is 400 sq ft and was only 14K. I would only get a shell if buying something like this so that you can detail it yourself.

When buying a shell you also want to make sure it has a rainscreen if you are going to insulate it, otherwise you won’t be able to build that out properly.

A Traditional Log Cabin

https://www.montanamobilecabins.com/projects-updates

For a thicker wood wall look at a company like Montana Mobile Cabins. This true round log cabin does not use insulation.

I much prefer this simple design than to try and insulate a wood framed cabin. This is a much safer bet for mold prevention.

It’s not perfect as I have heard of condensation in log cabins, I would consult with a building science expert on how to make this work in your climate.

Prefab Square Log Cabins

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On a perfectly warm summer's night, what would you do if you had a relaxing porch all to yourself? Would you paint, read, type? #cottagecountry

A post shared by Confederation Log&Timber Frame (@confed_log_homes) on Aug 25, 2016 at 1:31pm PDT

I like the thick square logs too. I like that they would fit together well. In theory this might create a more airtight assembly which might help prevent moisture and condensation issues.

Confederation Log Homes above makes custom prefab log homes with square-cut logs. The company has been around for a long time.

This is the first log home company I would look at due to their extensive experience.

10. A Metal SIPS House

The Nomad Cube 

The Nomad Cube is a promising little metal SIPs house. It can be built out to be very non-toxic.

Metal SIPs make up the main walls and roof of the house and are made from laminated steel-EPS white styrofoam-steel. They are essentially 0 VOC and extremely resistant to mold as long as the panels stay laminated together and assuming there are no leaks into the panels.

The smaller Nomad Micro has been redesigned since I originally wrote this. That one is no longer a SIPS house.

The Nomad Cube costs $38,800 USD. It is 13 x 13.

You need to add: shipping (From Vancouver BC), platform/slab/or piers, installation, wiring, heat, plumbing, hot water heater, roofing membrane, interior walls, baseboards, shower door, ladder/stairs, fridge, range, and hood vent.

My most sensitive friend tested the SIPs and thought they were good. It is possible to complete the interior with non-toxic materials.

The basic design of this house is metal framing with metal SIPs. It appears in one of their videos that there is plywood in the base, which I would change.

You will need to have a building science expert review this design and help with the details along the way.

I consider this one of the most promising designs here. It’s the first option on this list I would look into for something really small and simple.

Metal SIPS homes work really well for mold and chemical sensitivities.

Make Your Own SIPS House

You can also make your own SIPS house easily and fast. This one below is made with Structall Building Systems panels. Another brand that I have seen sensitive people use is Permatherm.

These are also metal-EPS foam-metal and have an internal locking together system that allows them to quickly snap together.

In this design the panels are fully structural elements, there is no additional metal framing. The panels make up the walls and roof.

To create a long term structure you would use siding on top of the SIPS and pour a cement slab to the same standards that you would use on a house.

But quick and dirty, you can throw up these panels fast and get away without siding if you don’t need it to last forever.

This is the fastest and safest (for both mold and chemical sensitivity) option on the list.

Review of Boxabl SIPS House

The company Boxabl has created a metal SIPs house that has caught a lot of folks’ attention.

The main reason it has gone so viral is that it promises it all – fast, easy, cheap, resilient, and healthy.

First, is it good for chemically sensitive folks?

Yes, the basic structure of steel/foam SIPs is very safe for those with chemical sensitivities. That part has practically no offgassing.

They also use MgO board on the interior surfaces which is generally safe for most people with MCS. It’s not clear how that is attached, it’s likely glued on, which could be a problem for offgassing.

The flooring appears to be glue down vinyl, though they have described it in different ways. The countertops and tabletop are laminate. And the interior cabinetry is conventional. These three elements will contribute to offgassing of some VOCs, plasticizers, glues, and formaldehyde.

At this time it cannot be customized and it includes all the interior finishes other than the bed and sofa.

Even though it would be quite easy to choose a healthy floor and cabinets, it would likely be difficult to remove the already glued down vinyl.

Is it a mold preventative design?

In general, metal SIPS are very resistant to mold because as long as the wall remains laminated they are immune to condensation problems. The waterproofing will depend on how well the seams are connected.

There are a number of concerns I have with this house:

  • There is a clear negative lap at the bottom of the first piece. It’s not just an exterior trim detail, it’s integral to the design. I don’t see how you would not always be battling water pooling up and soaking the wall.
  • It’s nice that it unpacks quickly into a full livable house but how are all those seams waterproofed? I do not think we have enough information on that right now.
  • Because it’s done almost entirely in a factory we would need to see a detailed factory tour to see if this is a good design (the company does not yet have a full-sized factory and is still raising money). There are so many details I would want to see including how the windows and all seams are waterproofed.
  • The house, like all prefabs, needs to be seen in person, especially during installation to see if there are any vulnerable to water areas. Because this company does not have a show house and is not in full production yet, it’s highly unlikely you will be able to see one any time soon. My prefab post goes over the due diligence needed here, and with this house, we don’t have enough information to even do the due diligence.
  • MgO and steel have not gone well together in the past. In Denmark, massive problems were caused when salts naturally leached out of MgO and corroded the metal in the buildings.
  • The website says that Boxabl “doesn’t use lumber or sheetrock” and in an email they said “we do not use wood or materials that can rot or mold”. But in multiple videos, wood appears to be the framing of the edges of the SIPs. Hidden wood in a metal-based house is a problem in my books.

Is this a reliable company?

Still in development

Well, I don’t think we know if this is a reliable company yet. As I discuss in my general prefab post I never go with the prototype of a prefab. They commonly have problems.

There could be situations in which we know a lot about the company, the construction details, and the testing of the prototype, but I don’t see enough information here to be confident.

The company needs to raise 10 million dollars to be in full production, and right now they are still raising money. They are not yet at production stages.

Inconsistencies

On the fundraising page it says “early investors get a discount”. When someone asked what the discount is they responded “It is possible there will be a discount. We haven’t announced it yet.”

In one of the videos, the rep states that you could install this without a foundation or permit. That sounds like very ill-advised advice.

It does not seem like the reps actually know what the floors are made of.

11. Hemp House

Hemp House Pods – a simple 8 x 12 structure meant to qualify as an ADU (without a permit) is made from hemp and a wood frame. Hemp may be mold resistant in certain climates.

I would have this reviewed just like all the others. I would use huge overhangs and I would look more closely at a foundation type that does not wick moisture up.

The cost does not include plumbing, electrical or the deck.

The houses are 15K and they say they go up in a week.

12. Concrete AirCrete Dome

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I reviewed the AirCrete dome for mold resilience and I have a few thoughts on it. (Note this is different from AirKrete with a “K” insulation, though it’s a very similar material).

AirCrete domes are made of a mix of concrete and a foaming agent. You can use a natural dish soap like 7th Generation.

They were originally used in tropical settings and I do think they might this is simpler in climates that don’t require heating.

Mold Preventative Design of the Roofs

I do not like any of the designs that have multiple domes coming together creating valleys where water will not drain well. In some designs, debris is even accumulating in those valleys. I would only do single domes with as steep of a slope as possible.

No valleys where water and debris collect and soaks in. This is always best practice for mold prevention in houses.

The steeper the slope the better it will shed water.

The Challenge of the Exterior Coating Creating a Vapour Barrier

The exterior is coated with waterproof exterior stucco and then acrylic or similar concrete sealer.

The coating would have to be waterproof which creates a dilemma in heating climates.

If it’s waterproof that is usually an exterior vapor barrier, which can cause condensation and mold in climates where heating is used. This is fine to use in climates where only cooling is used.

I might put this whole structure under a second rood, like a carport (or a souped-up metal roof like this house has). That way you don’t have the conflict of the need for a waterproof but also breathable sealant on the exterior of the dome.

You may also consider a sealer that sheds water but is breathable – a layer of concrete stucco sealed with sodium silicate might work. Just like polished concrete which is vapour breathable but should shed water. Consult with a building science expert to work this out.

Can Concrete go Moldy?

Conventional wisdom is that concrete cannot mold because it’s not organic. As a mold sensitive person, I would say every basement, most slabs, and almost every concrete building in the tropics shows otherwise.

Mold can grow in anything porous, I have found.

Humidity Control is Required

Climates that are hot and humid should use AC or a dehumidifier in any concrete building. AC acts as dehumidification.

It can take 2 years for concrete to fully dry and in humid countries that don’t use AC, concrete goes musty fast.

Many people might not notice this low level of mold but I can smell it and mold sensitive people do often react.

I’ve stayed in many simple concrete builds in the tropics.

Slab Must be Detailed Right for Mold Prevention

It’s also incredibly important to detail the slab right for mold prevention. Slabs are very prone to going moldy in all climates and are rarely detailed properly.

Because slabs are made of concrete and the dome is concrete you also have to take extra precautions with the slab and site details to not have wicking up of water from the ground up through the structure. This could easily happen in rainy climates.

The final flooring over any slab also needs to remain breathable to the inside in best practices for mold prevention. If the slab does take on water through wicking or through water coming in through the sides it needs to dry up.

Only polished concrete, tile (including stone tile), or earthen clay floors should be used as the final floor.

Does the AirCrete Dome Work for Extreme Chemical Sensitivity?

I think this dome would work for many people with MCS.

Admixtures are used in the concrete, you would want to check those out.

The foaming agent can be a non-toxic soap, if you tolerate one of those.

The interior can be finished with natural plaster which does not contain additives.

The exterior finish needs to be looked at carefully, synthetic stucco might not work for everyone who is chemically sensitive. That won’t work in most heating climates anyway. Sodium silicate is considered safe for the chemically sensitive.

The slab would have the same concerns as all slabs. You don’t have to use rigid foam in the slab in many climates, but you do need a thick vapor barrier like Stego. It needs gravel underneath and proper grading.

A polished concrete or tile floor works well for chemical sensitivities.

You can find the workshops and the tools needed to create the concrete foam mix at DomGaia.

13. Container Homes

I have not been a fan of container homes in the past because the exterior metal envelope creates a really tricky situation for condensation is every heating climate.

More on that below, but if you are somewhere where you only use AC or no heat or AC this can be just fine.

When I saw that a company is making exterior insulation for shipping containers this changed my mind on the topic. The foam contours to the container and insulating it on the exterior eliminates the condensation issue.

You will still have to detail around the window and doors, and make the steel envelope airtight (I would try to weld all seams) but I really like this idea.


A Note on Exterior Metal and Fiberglass Shells and Mold Prevention

A prefab house that has a metal or fiberglass shell that does not have a rainscreen system is extremely difficult to insulate in most climates where houses are heated. This includes container homes.

“In a cold climate during the heating season, moisture vapor inside a building is driven outward into exterior walls. When it reaches a surface that’s below the dew point, the vapor condenses into a liquid.” (source).

In this case that “surface” where moisture in the air condensates is that metal or fiberglass shell.

To try and work with this problem you need airtight insulation. This could be 2 part closed-cell polyurethane spray foam insulation. This offgasses too much for most people with chemical sensitivities. It also causes the challenges of exterior leaks going undetected. Arched Cabins has a nice design because there are no seams or permeations.

The second strategy is to use rigid foam insulation and make it airtight. This is also tricky. Foam can be taped or sealed with caulking or 1 part canned polyurethane spray foam, but it’s difficult to keep it airtight. And any gap of air behind the foam can have air with enough moisture to condensate in some climates.

Mold Preventative Design

Options:

  1. In heating climates, it’s easier to have a well-designed wall system that has the proper air barriers (likely no vapor barrier), and a rainscreen – in short, built like a regular house with all the complexities of the wall system but with great attention to design and execution of detail.
  2. A monolithic wall – I tend towards simple buildings that have fewer areas where mistakes can be made. Monolithic walls (a single wall, made of one solid material) is easier in this sense. Log cabins, solid concrete walls, and solid earthen walls are examples. This doesn’t mean they will work in any climate and are foolproof. You still need a building science expert (like an architect) to design the system as a whole and make sure that the wall type is properly designed and executed and well maintained.

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

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Filed Under: Healthy Building, Mold-Free Building, Tiny Homes and Trailers Tagged With: green building, prefab, tiny homes

Converting a Cargo Van – Mold Preventative Low-VOC Design

June 28, 2019 by Corinne 19 Comments

This post covers converting a cargo van into a camper for those sensitive to mold and chemical offgassing.

I will focus only on a few key areas:

  • Insulating a van in a way that will not go moldy – as metal walls are the trickiest material to insulate because of the condensation factor. Most vans are built wrong and have mold (or will go moldy).
  • Low or 0-VOC healthy materials for the walls, flooring, cabinets, and interior.
  • A bed platform and keeping the bed dry and mold-free.
  • A few appliances that are recommended.

Building a camper that will be both mold-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.

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.

For assistance with converting a van with materials that are healthy for you and mold preventative, you can contact me here. 

If you are not sure if you can tolerate the system for mold preventative insulation, I recommend getting in touch before buying a van.

Insulating a Cargo Van to Prevent Mold

The most important aspect of creating a mold-free camper is the insulation.

Here is the key point: no water vapor can enter the wall cavity, in most heating conditions, this means no air can enter behind the insulation.

With exterior metal walls, as soon as you are heating the van to the point where the exterior wall will hit dewpoint, you have a serious risk of condensation and mold in the walls.

So again, to keep it simple, no water vapor and no air can enter the walls if you plan to heat your camper when it’s cold.

Ideally, no air at all should be trapped behind insulation if you want to be extra careful to prevent mold.

If you are in a hot or tropical climate where you don’t heat you will not have this problem of the exterior metal causing condensation.

Rigid Foam Insulation

Camp Like a Girl, a book about converting a van, had a number of flaws and misleading instructions.

The writer uses some XPS and some EPS insulation. XPS is a vapor barrier (meaning no water can pass through 1.5 inches), and EPS is not.

Using XPS foam is one option to insulate your van. XPS or polyiso with foil backing are usually tolerable for most people with MCS.

However, just the foam on its own will not be airtight. You need canned spray foam to fill in the gaps if that is tolerable for you – the thorough system to prevent mold that is working in vans, and was reviewed by a top building science expert, is to fill in the area behind the foam with spray foam and squish it in, leaving no air behind anything.

You need to fill in all the crevices that are not big enough to take rigid foam with spray foam as well.

One part canned spray foam is not chemical-free, but I have found it odorless once cured. You will have to see if it works for you if you are sensitive to chemicals.

Handi-Foam is the safest one, as it is GreenGuard Gold certified. Great Stuff will work for many people. This method involves a lot of canned spray foam.

You can also buy one-part in larger quantities, I am currently testing out this DAP liner to attach foam to walls. They claim this is closed cell foam.

The rigid foam also then needs to be riveted to the frame.

I would not recommend the method in Camp Like a Girl of putting in EPS and not sealing it – this leads to condensation. Because she barely heated the van, and had hot temps in the day, this did dry out in the day and did work in those conditions.

Any foam with air behind can be a problem when heated. Breathable insulation is even more tricky. A few cold days in a row and this will start to be a problem.

A good way to go about it – if it’s warm enough – is to sleep in the van empty and slowly work on insulating and building it out. The other option is to get it all done and then wait for it to offgas. 

Rigid Foam in the Bed

Some have used insulation in the bed platform to keep the bed warm. I would be concerned here with flame retardants in the foam, and putting a bed on a flat surface is a no-no for mold.

In the bed section, I discuss how to use insulation under the mattress without causing moisture and mold.

Spray Foam Insulation

Spray Foam without any rigid foam is, in theory, your safest bet for preventing mold. The foam will get into every crevice and form an airtight layer that will prevent all moisture from getting into the walls. 

Two-part spray foams are much riskier than the one part canned spray foam discussed above.

The best spray foams are Heatlock Soy line at Demilic and Icynene Proseal (both GreenGuard Gold) (closed cell). Both are polyurethane foams, from reputable companies that are usually easy to source.

A reputable and very experienced installer is more important than the brand, as that is where the process goes wrong and can cause it to fail to cure properly. This causes major offgassing that may not stop.

The DIY kits for this type of spray foam are a definite no. And it must be closed-cell spray foam, which is a vapor barrier. 

I recommend these to healthy people who are set on spray foam. I don’t usually recommend them to people with MCS because of the possibility of prolonged offgassing.

The companies say they do not offgas, but I hear many many stories from moderately sensitive people that this does offgas noticeably in buildings. A small sample may air out quickly, but test this in a building before using it.

At least two years (if this is installed correctly) may need to be scheduled into offgas this for the moderately sensitive. If not installed correctly it’s a goner, you’re going to be scraping out the whole thing. 

If you are mold sensitive but not chemically sensitive you could consider this in a van. I have heard though, both in Airstreams and in vans, stories of spray foam pushing out the frame in areas causing problems. A skilled installer may be able to clarify why this happens.

Airstream as well as Winnebago, have moved away from two-part spray foam due to problems. 

Wall and Ceiling Materials 

Metal is your safest bet unless you are putting the plastic covers back on.

If you do put the plastic covers back on, caulk around the seams to prevent moisture from going into the walls. 

If you want your interior walls to be another vapor barrier layer, the metal or plastic should be used and caulked airtight. The drawback is another step to being able to check on your wall.

If tin/aluminum tiles are used it’s best that behind them is airtight (though if you have enough insulation this might not be necessary). If you don’t have enough insulation, you could have condensation behind the wall cover. 

Some folks are putting canned spray foam behind the tin tiles for an extra layer of air sealing.

I have also seen gaskets with solid silicone sheets used to make the walls airtight.

In a cargo van or trailer, instead of using metal walls, my preference would be to keep the walls as simple as possible so that you can open them up to check on problems.

You may want to use plastic sheets, or could simply tack up and cover the foam with the material of your choice:

  • Silicone “leather” which comes in rolls
  • Polyester fabric murals
  • The grey side of house wrap (which looks cool)
  • Painted foil or metal walls with AFM metal paint
  • Polyethylene wall tiles (if you can tolerate the glue)
  • Seal everything with shellac and then paint directly over XPS

There is no reason to use PVC, the most toxic plastic, in areas like the ceiling tiles. But real tin ceiling tiles could be used as a non-toxic alternative which also adds a fun look to your camper. 

While The Vanual, a popular van conversion, looks very pretty with its wooden ceiling, 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 there.

If that is possible, then you could use plywood with strips of wood over it to get the look in The Vanual. Use a wood that can take high humidity. 

Floor Materials for a Van

Linoleum and other Resilient Sheet Flooring Works Well

I wouldn’t use wood to raise the floor joists as the wood right against the metal is usually a recipe for condensation and mold.

Rigid foam may be your best bet for floors to solve the thermal bridging there, with the same system of canned spray foam above and riveting used to make it 100% airtight. 

Flooring materials that could be considered include:

  1. 1. Metal sheets, which could be painted with AFM Metal Primer with different designs for a pretty effect, or covered with rugs.
  1. 2. Marmoleum which is very tolerable. Be careful here as Marmoleum sheet has jute backing. Use plenty of insulation underneath and an underlayment with a thermal break to prevent condensation. The tiles have a polyester backing.
  • 3. Plastics: Hard plastic sheets, rolls of silicone, other rubber flooring if tolerable, Silleather, EVA mats (this formamide free one).
  • 4. Woven vinyl (that one is phthalate-free), or hard vinyl planks (LVP) like Armstrong brand (which is plastic through and through) or Cali Bamboo which has a limestone substrate. Both are extremely low in offgassing, though still could be bothersome for some folks.
  • 5. Plastic polypropylene click together tiles, super-duper easy to install. The brand is Europe is Bergo but in the US there are a number of them on Amazon like GarageTrac.
  • 6. Engineered wood flooring or laminate if you are sure you have enough insulation underneath to prevent condensation from forming under the wood, a thermal break, and that the wood can withstand the humidity in your area. 

Subfloor

If you are concerned about denting, use hard plastic sheets or metal. MgO board has worked for some but is prone to cracking (and is permeable).

Interior Structures: Bed, Cabinets

Bed Platform – Non Breathable Set up

Camp Like a Girl and The Vanual used plywood for their bed bases. If it’s softwood plywood it needs a little time to offgas formaldehyde.

The other option is formaldehyde-free Purebond plywood (I wouldn’t use a non-moisture resistant wood species in a van or small trailer).

Purebond does come in moisture-resistant species, even cedar, but the glue is not made to withstand high humidity.

It also doesn’t let the mattress breath. Mattresses are very susceptible to becoming damp in campers. Even in a house, one should never put a regular breathable bed on a solid surface.

To prevent this moisture transfer there are two strategies to use on a platform.

One, cover the mattress with a waterproof protector before installing it in on the camper platform. This one is highly tolerable. 

The other option is to use a bed that doesn’t transfer moisture and doesn’t mold, like this well-tolerated TPU air mattress (takes only a couple days to offgas to my standards).

An air mattress won’t keep you warm. I use the thickest Thermarest which is more comfortable than an air mattress for me (took a week or so to offgas enough for me) and I put a waterproof cover on it.

Bed Slats – Breathable Option

It would be best if the bed base was made of planks/slats that allowed some airflow. With this strategy, you may be able to use a bed that is not covered in plastic or isn’t an air mattress.

Either way, the bed should be flipped and checked often for dampness, especially if you cook or shower inside.

I would use bedding made of polyester, wool, or silk, (and not cotton) because these are more resistant to the high humidity in vans. 

How to keep warm in a bare metal van 

Since insulation is so tricky, many mold avoiders keep the van bare. The best way to stay warm is to have insulation below you and above you.

Extra protection from the elements would be to add a canopy over the bed and a heat source.

Insulate Under You

I like the method of adding insulation below you. There are a few ways.

A thick Thermarest like the Mondo King provides insulation under you.

But I like the idea of adding a layer of insulation below that. I like Thermacork, a pure cork insulation. You could use foam: EPS polystyrene (the kind made for packing or crafts should not have flame retardant), it is also a little bit breathable.

You then add your waterproof layer to your bed. (No air mattress in this setup). Then add a biomat or heating blanket.

Above you, you have your sleeping bag/blanket.

Ideally for warmth, if you can tolerate it, your heating blanket is actually inside the sleeping bag. Heating blankets can run off solar. The smaller ones are only 60 watts but will keep you really warm when inside a sleeping bag.

Stay Even Warmer by Creating a Canopy or Tent Inside

You can go one step further to stay warm and create a canopy or use a raised up tent inside the van. Anything to create a canopy – using the fabric of your choosing (as long as you have enough air) will keep this even warmer.

If the area inside my tent or canopy is large enough for this to be safe – I add a tiny heater. I use this tiny Honeywell heater in all my small structures. Be careful, you need to take a lot of precautions when adding a heater in a small space.

Cabinets

For cabinets, if you do use plywood, go for a formaldehyde-free plywood like Purebond (moisture resistant wood types only – the glues might not hold up to extreme humidity), offgassed APA exterior plywood, or use solid wood (which may warp in high humidity). I much prefer metal cabinets. 

Ventilation in a Van

You need fans that move air out – one above the shower if you have one, and one in the general space.

My CampLite trailer had two fans and we still have problems just with cooking humidity making the mattress wet.

The standard camper fans are called Fan-tastic.

Van 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 generally you will need to tolerate a fuel stove.

The Vanual and other van owners speak highly of Goal Zero solar systems because of how easy it is to install. Some people just use the solar charger outdoors.

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.

Right now I use an Instant Pot to cook everything and I release the steam outside. This is a really good way to reduce moisture in a van or little trailer. You can cook almost anything in that.

Using an electric blanket is a good heating option to save energy. The best kinds are the large ones with the 10 hour shut off time to keep you warm all night. If you don’t tolerate those, a biomat may be better tolerated.

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 in vans, so this could become a problem for some.

The Vanual recommends running this fridge on solar or the car battery.

Here is an example of a fully decked out custom van made for someone with MCS (you would want to see how the construction was done if you wanted to copy or buy this one).

Choosing a Van

Sensitive folks have reported liking the big 4: Nissan NV, Dodge Ram Promasters, Ford Transits, and Mercedes Sprinters.

Some have found that Chevy and GMC were not as good for people with chemical sensitivities.

Anyone sensitive should check out a number of brands. And of course, there are differences between the brands in terms of size and height and all kinds of things.

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

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

Carl Grimes, Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant, reviewed the mold preventative insulation system for vans. Extreme mold avoiders are using this system with success.

Filed Under: Tiny Homes and Trailers Tagged With: mold avoidance, tiny homes

Cargo Trailer Conversion

June 21, 2019 by Corinne 9 Comments

Converting a Cargo Trailer into a Travel Trailer – Mold Preventative, Low-Toxin Design

converting a cargo trailer into a camper

I’m converting a small cargo trailer into a tiny trailer that can be used for sleeping and living. In the end, this model is only useful as a portable kitchen and bath. Other models are sturdier and may work better as insulated conversions.

The cargo trailer is a TNT brand DBL ‘A’ 6×12, 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.

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.

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 vapor 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, 6×12 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:

plywood between skin and frame

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 through, 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

A 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 a computer etc, and there is one up high to string up a light and run any kitchen appliances.

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 customize one depends on the brand, the factory and the time of year. Add 2-3 weeks on to their estimate.

The back door in mine has structural plywood so that still has to be removed and needed metal reinforcements. 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 customize it with thicker frames. See the 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 mold avoiders have taken out the plywood and not added anything that would replace it structurally.

Mine started leaking and the company that sold it to me claims that the reason it leaked is that the plywood was taken out and this means there is less stability and it’s easy for pieces to come apart and caulking to come loose. I have braced mine since.

If they won’t customize it without plywood, remove that part yourself and reinforce it (or don’t) yourself.

custom aluminum aluminum framed cargo trailer

The first picture is a customized trailer reinforced with aluminum frames. Very robust. If you look closely you can see tape between the frame and the exterior, a mold 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). I have now braced/added strapping.

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. Mine is now a year old and not totally offgassed.

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 mold 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 was Done (The Second Time)

  • 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 vapor 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 backward, 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 should be placed behind the foam and 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. This then needs to be braced and riveted to the structure which is hard to do in many types of cargo trailers and I would not recommend these standard brands like the one I bought. 
  • GE 100% silicone for touch-ups to waterproof the exterior
  • 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.

There is a rumor that spray foam will crumble with movement in a trailer but speaking with the company Great Stuff and some folks who have taken apart trailers they have not seen this be a problem.

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.

Fixing the leaks

My TNT Mirage Trailer has a number of poorly built aspects. The company took no responsibility for this and the leaks.

What has to be fixed on this model or checked on any model: The back doors were leaking, the top sil needed caulking, the door seals were not done right, the doors were bulging at points, bending the doors and adding gaps for leaks. The front diamond plate had nothing behind it, it was a negative lap – a poor design, the front wall should come all the way down. The front plastic cap on the top roof is also a negative lap.

Vertical seams have the ability to let in water in a big storm or when driving it in the rain. Always check windows, doors, and any openings. Screws should be caulked as well. Look for a well-done roof design. This roof design is good. I have seen custom designs with vulnerable roof seams.

Aggressively hose test this before adding insulation and know where the weak points are. After moving it is when things are most likely to come open.

When recaulking metal parts, attempt to open things up and get caulking between parts and not just over the seams.

These trailers are difficult and I would not attempt insulation in this style/brand again.


Erik Johnson’s Cargo Trailer (MECU):

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 at first) between the foam and the exterior. He put in weep holes at the bottom in case condensation did find its way to the back. Some trailers like mine come with weep holes.

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).

This method did not work for me, major condensation formed behind the walls and I don’t know anyone that was able to get this to work.

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 greywater system. You will have to make sure you are following the rules with greywater 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 mold 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.
  • You could install a simple camping or composting toilet inside or use it outside if you need to: some of the options are Luggable Loo, Mini Porta Potty, or Laveo Dry Flush.

Finishing the Interior:

Walls

  • I was going to use these posters
  • AFM metal paint on the metal
  • polyethylene wall tiles

Floors

For now I’m using these mats on the floor temporarily. They smell like straw.

I am currently offgassing Marmoleum (takes one month in sun to offgas) but I don’t like that there’s a jute backing under the Marmoleum against the metal, that’s a mold risk).

I had considered 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). A year later I have not offgassed the cork floorings (though they were not out in the sun for a year).

If you have space, I like this organizer. 

Heating, Cooling, Lighting, Laundry:

  • I’m have this light bulb up (the cord smelled strong and offgassed in my car for a while but then was fine for me). I also like this little nightlight but it won’t provide much light.
  • I will mount this silent, energy-efficient, space-saving heater  (which smelled at first but did offgas quickly in the sun) with this thermostat. 
  • 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 moldy after one season or two and I have nowhere to store them. 
  • I’m using this clothes dryer to dry my clothes and I love it. I don’t want to add humidity in the trailer so I am using it outside undercover. It works well even in humid and cold outdoor temperatures (and it’s not as mini as it looks). I have used this successfully down to freezing. I have not tried it much before freezing but I’m still really happy with it. 

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 Walmart for fridges as well. 
  • I’m using this kitchen island which offgassed fairly quickly but you could use a metal version if you want to avoid wood (and wood sealers and glue). 
  • I offgassed this cutting board pretty fast. I’m just posting that because I love it so much
  • Thrift shop bowls 
  • This hanging basket to organize kitchen items 
  • 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 moldy.

My bed will be up on slats soon (right now I am turning the Thermarest over every few days – it went moldy so it is crucial to get it off the ground onto slats).

Cotton does not hold up well in high humidity, so I have used more mold-resistant materials.

  • I’m using my super-duper bed-like Thermarest 
  • Polyester sleeping bag 
  • Polyester pillow 
  • Polyester pillowcase and sheets (or the one that is made for Thermarest)
  • Microfiber towel (no cotton) 
  • This heating blanket keeps me warm on very little electricity. If you are worried about EMFs then an infrared heating mat is supposed to be

Consulting

I am available for consulting to help customize 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.

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

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Filed Under: Mold-Free Building, Tiny Homes and Trailers Tagged With: mold avoidance, tiny homes, trailers

Trailers for the Mold and Chemically Sensitive

March 6, 2019 by Corinne 47 Comments

Updated Winter 2020

There is no affiliate or sponsored content in this post.

Trailers for Chemical and Mold Sensitive Folks

1. Metal Travel Trailers

ATC Aluminum Toy Hauler

Photo via aluminumtoyhauler.com

ATC is a mix between a cargo trailer and a high-end trailer. They look industrial compared to the Living Vehicle below (made by the same factory).

They claim to have no wood whatsoever and similar construction to the old Camplite design. They do have fiberglass insulation in the ceiling.

The interior walls are Azdel.

The 24″ units have a bath, kitchen, eating area, couch that is made into a queen bed, and extra cabinets.

Bryan Rosner, a mold sensitive person, has a good video tour of one here.

Cost – The 20 ft base model with no upgrades starts at $38,390 USD. The 24 ft models start at $41,530 USD. When a client priced it out with taxes and fees and the options she wanted, it came to 55k.

Weight – The 20 ft base model weighs 4,500 lbs.

Camplite

The Camplite I owned

I had a Camplite by LivinLite travel trailer made to my specifications and you can find all the details about that here.

The key thing I look for in a trailer is moisture-proof walls and the laminated sandwich insulation.

This laminated metal-foam-metal was the key to moisture-proof walls in these old models.

You may still find a used one with sandwich laminated walls before they changed the wall system. The company is now out of business.

Cost – You can find a used 2014 (21 ft) for 18,000 USD (or less, depends on the size).

Weight – A 24 ft model weighs about 3,100 lbs (depends on the year and configuration).

Hero Camper

The Hero Ranger, Photo via www.herocamper.com

A new to me trailer, the Hero Campers are the most ideal design. The walls, floor and ceiling are all a sandwich construction just like the old Camplites, except those didn’t have insulated floors.

I was really excited to find this one. The envelope is constructed of fiberglass (on the outside)-foam-metal. Perfect. The best construction for mold prevention.

The interior is metal which is great for those with chemical sensitivities, though keep in mind all new trailers have offgassing from the construction adhesives.

It has a small kitchen on the exterior, two options for heater types, no bathroom.

This is a European company, they have many dealers throughout Europe. They also have a dealer in Arizona, one in Australia and one in Israel.

You can rent one in California on Outdoorsy.

Cost – The 2021 Hero Ranger is going for $21,995 USD through Tom’s Camperland in AZ.

Weight – The Hero Ranger is 15.8 ft and weighs 1,911 lbs.

The Safari Condo

Photo via safaricondo.com/en/travel-trailers-alto-serie-r-1713

The Safari Condo is another great option to consider. A bit of a hidden gem, this one.

The roof and walls are made of a “sandwich-type material with a plastic honeycomb core laminated with Alufiber on one side and aluminum on the other.”

That main core is not foam or fiberglass insulation, it’s a honeycomb polypropylene. You can see a video of how it is made here.

Alufiber is an aluminum and fiberglass product.

This sounds like a very moisture-proof design to me.

They say the only materials used in the Alto body are aluminum, Alufiber, plastic, Formica, and glass. The furniture is mostly made of aluminum and composite materials.

They need a fair amount of time to offgas for most sensitive people, though some less sensitive have used them brand new.

Cost – Their travel trailers start at $37,500 Canadian Dollars. The more popular 1713 model (17 ft) has the pop-up roof (built well) and that one is about $40,000 Canadian dollars.

Weight – The 17ft (1713) model is only 1,825 lbs.

Custom Metal Trailers

Customised

You can customize a small metal trailer custom made in the style of the Camplite, or more like a tiny home on wheels. Customizing these structures tends to get very expensive. And it’s not common to find someone with this expertise to build them. It’s better to work with a company that makes metal trailers already and make some alterations.

Metal SIPS

I have also seen cargo trailers and larger homes on wheels custom made with metal SIPS. This is metal-foam-metal laminated together. A very watertight construction if done well. It is supposed to have another siding on the exterior of the SIPS.

Porcelain Enamel

Another type of non-toxic trailer is porcelain enamel on steel. This is an extremely tolerable material but it is not cheap. It’s very rare to see a porcelain trailer for sale, many of them were made on poor quality RV shells which is a shame because the porcelain enamel is highly tolerable on the interior.

If you find one for sale you may be able to use the interior to rebuild a trailer around.

Cargo Trailers

My cargo trailer, converted into a camper

Joey, from HealClick, breaks it down to the essentials and delivers a safer trailer for $7000. Here is my post about my conversion.

There is a lot more that has to offgas in these simple trailers than you might think. They take about a year to off-gas.

And they are way trickier to insulate than you think as well. Common brands have leak problems. More robust brands should be used if you are going to insulate it.

Weeroll

The Weroll is similar to a cargo trailer but is more customized and you may be able to reduce the off-gassing with this option as well as streamline the process of converting it.

Those who bought the Weroll seemed to tolerate them right away. Probably due to high level of customization.

But insulating a cargo trailer, including a Weeroll, is no simple project. My post on vans describes the process.

Cost – The Weroll all-aluminum Silver Eagle 10 x 6 ft with insulation (no kitchen and bathroom), wired with outlets is $9,500.

Weight – Depending on height and options, the 10 ft can be as light as 1,080 lbs.

High-End Metal Trailers

Airstream

Airstream trailer

Airstreams with metal walls are far more tolerable for the chemically sensitive than most other trailer options that have a kitchen and bath.

The metal airstreams (they do have fiberglass ones now too) are metal walls and metal ceiling with, obviously, metal exterior skin. The flooring is vinyl over a plywood subfloor.

The offgassing is not too bad, and does go down at a reasonable rate. The resale value is very good for a trailer/RV.

I like the metal interior walls, they cut down on offgassing and they are way better made than your typical wood-framed crappy RV.

Some of their showrooms are inside warehouses which may help preserve them.

However, this needs to be 100% airtight on the inside walls and the exterior walls to not have vapor get between those skins where it will be mostly doomed to not come back out. (Some caveats would be that if you never heat or cool this then it’s not really a worry, unless it actually leaks).

The shells are sealed really well right out of the factory and they do perform aggressive water testing on the shells. They then add fiberglass insulation and an interior metal skin.

I would be sure to check every opening on the interior shell as well to make sure it is sealed. That also needs to be airtight.

If you are rebuilding one you also need to seal this as well as they do in the factory. Seal up every seam, every opening, install airtight sockets etc, then test again (with water or a blower door test), making sure it’s totally airtight.

You can prolong the life of any trailer by keeping a roof on it when stationary, not driving it in the rain, moving to climates that don’t require heating or cooling (heating is usually the cause of most of the problems in RVs but in this case with metal on both sides both heating and cooling can cause condensation if there is water vapor in the walls), and showering and cooking outside.

Always keep up with your inspection and sealing on the exterior and the interior.

You can find airstreams to rent on Outdoorsy and other sites, making this an appealing option that you can “test drive”.

I do think that they are still a strong option to consider, especially for folks sensitive to chemicals and mold. With a high resale, low initial offgassing, and an expected lifetime of a few years for extreme mold reactors it can work really well.

Cost: The aluminum airstreams start at $40,000 USD for 16ft. They have many sizes all the way up to 33 ft and about $170,000 USD.

Weight: The 16 ft aluminum model weighs 2,585 lbs and the 30 ft model weighs 7,788 lbs.

Living Vehicle

Photo via livingvehicle.com

A newer company making well-tolerated trailers is Living Vehicle. They use polyiso foam insulation sealed with tape in the walls. The interior is almost entirely aluminum including the cabinets.

The countertops are Corian Quartz. The flooring is roll down vinyl by Armstrong (common in trailers but fairly high in offgassing – it may not work for many but they could customize this with another option). See my list of safe flooring for trailers.

The cushions are polyurethane, countertops are 0 VOC. The offgassing of the trailer in general has been reported to be very low.

This is a rare find because of the almost fully aluminum interior, no structural wood (no hidden wood in the new models for 2020, and no wood in cabinets, only in the table).

The walls are made of metal framing, metal exterior, and metal interior walls with polyiso foam on the interior side of the metal framing (with the air gap left behind, between the framing members).

The trailer also has a crawl space where the plumbing is very accessible. Even if there was a leak in the all-aluminum “basement”, it would be easy to clean up and easy to fix because of the access.

The company is open to some customization. I have spoken to them about this, if you would like help customizing the insulation, or interior materials like the flooring please get in contact.

The 2019 had wood in the floors.

Cost: The 2020 models are 29 ft and start at 200,000 USD.

Weight: They weigh in at 10,700 lbs, meaning you need a top of the line truck to tow this.

2. Fiberglass Travel Trailers

Egg-shaped campers are made of solid fiberglass shells (either single or double hull) that are very mold-resistant and durable.

Many sensitive people say that fiberglass takes a year (or years) to offgas, but some find it offgasses to a satisfactory level in a few days or few weeks. It’s very individual.

This is the best design to hold up to mold.

In terms of used trailers, molded fiberglass trailers are the best bets since the walls are less likely to become moldy with time.

Though fiberglass trailers can have problems with the wood subfloor if it’s not encased, and if they have carpet on the walls that can go musty or get cross-contaminated.

Oliver

Oliver Fiberglass Trailer

The Oliver brand travel trailer is a popular trailer for mold avoiders.

I like fiberglass campers with molded fiberglass furniture like Oliver trailers. It makes for a simple, easy to clean, non-porous interior.

Very little wood is used, only in the cabinets.

They are double hull so they have a good R-value and can be winterized. The double hull overlaps at the same, unlike Casita which is rivited at that seam.

The insulation between the hulls is polyethylene closed-cell foam, with an airgap between the hulls. There are weep holes at the bottom in between the julls, meant for condensation that forms between the hulls to drain out.

They claim R-16. The windows are dual pane.

It does not have wood products in the floor, making it one of my top choices.

It does have a ducted HVAC system that is not accessible in the floor (or rather, only partially and with great effort). They use flex ducts in the floor for the heating. AC is on the roof.

Using the propane furnace is the only way to keep the pipes from freezing when the temperatures drop below 0 C.

Oliver uses vinyl flooring but they can make you one without the vinyl floor. They can make it without the cushions, which makes it one the best fiberglass option I have found.

Recently they have added a composting toilet option.

Many mold avoiders have done well with this brand, both brand new and used options. You can see a tour of the factory here.

Cost: They have two models, one is 18.5 ft long and starts at 50,000 USD, the larger one is 23″ 6″ and starts at $57,500 USD.

Weight: The 18 ft weighs 3,700 lbs and the 23 ft model weighs 4,900 lbs.

Casita

Follow Bryan Rosner’s healing journey on YouTube

Casitas use a carpet and foam that is glued on to the walls and floor. At the time of writing, they would not customize one without that element.

The nylon carpet and glued on polyurethane foam provide some insulation (R 6-7) and help prevent condensation.

Despite the carpet, many mold sensitive folks have done well with this brand. It’s been a staple brand in the mold avoidance community since the beginning.

It has a simple design, single hull (nowhere for water to hide) and mostly all visible components.

The floor is wood but it is totally encased in fiberglass on all sides. In reality, there is very little wood inside, and only in the cabinet storage areas.

Casitas are made in Texas, but recent reports were that new ones arrived clear of mold and other persistent outdoor toxins.

See Bryan Rosner’s video about his initial thoughts on the Casita for mold avoidance:

Cost: Casita makes two sizes. The most basic model is 16 ft and starts at around $18,500 USD. The 17 ft starts at around $19,500 USD.

Weight: Models range from 1,970 to 2,480 lbs.

Happier Camper

Happier Camper

Happier Camper is another company to check out as they don’t use carpet or padding on the walls and the floors are fiberglass too!

No vinyl on the floors is a rare find and will be preferable for many folks.

It’s double hull with Thinsulate in between the hulls.

The floors are composed of plastic honeycomb integrated with corrugated cardboard and fiberglass resin.

I like the modular nature of the HC1 interior. You can really simplify the interior if you need to or add the components that you need. The small units don’t include a shower but the larger ones do.

I’ve seen some problems with the first model (HC1). The friend who owns the one pictured had many problems on this unit when it was still brand new, and she claims the company took 7 months to make the repairs.

They are on the second model now in 2020 and have improved the doors and windows. I’m glad to see they have moved past the first prototype, made some changes and are still going strong.

Cost: The HC1 is 10 feet and starts at about $25,000 USD, the new 2020 Traveller is 14 ft and about $40,000 USD. These are highly modular so the base cost might not cover what you need – adding a kitchenette to the HC1 brings it to almost 30K, fully loaded it’s almost 34k.

Weight: The 10 ft model is 1,100 lbs, and the 14 ft is 1,800 lbs.

Trillium Outback

Photo via trilliumtrailers.com

Trillium is another great brand, they make The Outback. This one is single hull, made in Canada and has been in business for many years.

They have closed cell foam (probably polyurethane on the walls) with marine carpeting.

They were willing to build without plywood in floors but it was difficult to convince them to leave the padding off the wall.

The price is quite good (and even better for Americans because it’s in Canadian dollars).

They only have one size, but they have a couple layouts.

Cost: The 14 ft trailer, starts at about $18,000 Canadian dollars. However, you need to add on some basics, including brakes and lights. If you add those and a bathroom as well it comes to a little over 20K CAD.

Weight: About 1,450 lbs average weight.

Nest by Airstream

Photo via airstream.com

Airstream came out with a fiberglass model the Nest in 2018. It’s single hull.

The construction of them is not super clear, one video describes the interior walls as “flex foil” (it’s not clear what that is), then a polypropylene “fabric” layer, then an interior olefin fabric which also means polypropylene or polyethylene.

You can see the fabric is rather smooth, I like this much better than the “carpeted” walls in all the other single-hull fiberglass trailers. Though I don’t understand what the insulation is behind the plastic fabric walls.

The cushion covering are a faux leather, I’m not sure if it’s vinyl (which offgasss quite a bit) or polyurethane (which doesn’t offgas very much). But it does look very mildew and mold resistant.

The countertops are laminate with engineered wood products used in the cabinetry. The flooring is sheet vinyl.

The heating system uses some ducting, but the AC system is the usual roof system.

There’s a full kitchen and wet bath.

Cost: The trailer comes in one size, it’s 16 ft and it’s about 43,000 USD.

Weight: 3,400 lbs.

Other Fiberglass Trailer Brands in North America

Scamp – Made in MN. Plywood or OSB floor, with fiberglass underneath but not on top. Single hull, carpet walls with Reflectix behind them. Some wood in the shell. Old Scamp trailers had vinyl headliner but newer ones have fabric headliner. Video of the factory here.

Escape – Made in British Columbia, Canada. Fiberglass single-hull with frames constructed out of steel tubing. A factory tour shows hidden wood framing in the walls. Vinyl flooring. The headliner/wall covering is vinyl laminated onto 3/8” foam, creating an R-5 insulation value. An interior lining of vinyl fabric is not my ideal choice here for toxicity.

EggCamper – Double hull. Bubble foil insulation between walls but not contiguous all around trailer (only in some parts not others). Owner Jim hurt his back and wasn’t building for a while. The website claims they will start building again.

Burro – Out of business in 2001, you may find used ones for sale.

Boler – Out of business in the 80s. You would only find very old trailers for sale.

If you need help choosing a trailer that suits your mold or chemical sensitivities you can contact me for a one-on-one consultation.

European Brands of Fiberglass Trailers (Caravans)

Photo via sealander.de

In Europe, the Wigmann is a good fiberglass caravan (as they call trailers there). It has a solid fiberglass shell with no seams on the outside. The construction is fiberglass-spray foam-fiberglass, airtight. I like this design a lot and have not seen this in North America. No wood, no metal. It has a 10-year warranty on water ingress.

Sealander is another European fiberglass caravan that is all fiberglass on the inside, exactly what I’d be looking for.

UK company Freedom Caravans has a fiberglass exterior but it is not the same as the molded fiberglass models. They have a 25-year warranty on water ingress which is very impressive. Though with a fiberglass exterior and more standard wall, condensation could be a bigger risk than leaks.

3. Wooden Teardrop Trailers

Custom Built Teardrop

Pat’s trailer from my post on wooden teardrops

A small teardrop can be made of all wood like the trailer pictured that I showcased in this post.

The main challenges here is in heating climates the metal base, metal or membrane roof, and walls are all a challenge for mold prevention.

If this style of trailer is used in heating climates, you can build up off the metal trailer to avoid condensation and mold below, a technique illustrated in this post.

With the roof, you cannot have an exterior vapour barrier (and a double vapour barrier is too risky). You would need to fill in the ceiling with 2 part spray foam or rigid foam + spray foam as outlined in the van post.

The walls can be wood that in uninsulated, that can work. If you add insulation you get into much trickier territory.

This trailer would work really well in climates where you don’t heat the interior. Either AC use or no heating or cooling would mean you don’t have these issues with the metal trailer base and roof.

If you have high humidity use mold resistant woods like cedar.

A company that makes trailers similar to this, Homegrown Trailers, uses wool insulation, this means they have a challenge in heating climates that in my opinion cannot be overcome. I cannot see any way that this would be mold safe.

Cost: The 16 ft trailer came to $10,000 Canadian dollars in materials, the labor would be about an extra 10K. It has basic wiring, no plumbing, and a basic outdoor kitchen.

Weight: About 4,500 lbs.

DIY Teardrop

Photo via Chesapeake Light Craft

This is either a DIY kit or plans to make this wood-based teardrop trailer.

Although the main material is wood, it’s essentially a fiberglass trailer as it’s totally coated in fiberglass. This is built like a boat, and as long as all gaskets are done well this should not have moisture issues.

I have not seen this design in person however.

The kit includes the wood, cut to the right sizes, fiberglass, epoxy, and all basic parts. All surfaces inside and out are sealed with epoxy.

It comes with plenty of epoxy to coat and seal the trailer, the necessary final finish – varnish and/or paint – is sold separately.

The metal trailer is not included.

It’s not quite as simple as it looks, it takes about 250 hours to complete.

Someone with an illness related to toxicity could do some parts of the build themselves but not the fiberglass and epoxy. And probably not the varnish either. Though epoxy finishes generally come to a complete cure, so even those with moderate chemical sensitivities might do well with this option once it’s cured.

Check out their website and videos.

Cost: $2619 USD for the kit or $199 for the plans.

Weight: The shell is 250 lbs when fully outfitted and accessorized. With the trailer weight included, it will come to 500-600 lbs.

Vans and Truck Campers 

Cargo Van Conversion

Converted Camper Van

Here is my post on converting vans into campers in a mold-safe way.

Anything with an exterior metal wall is inherently tricky to insulate for weather where you heat the camper.

If you don’t heat the van in any way or only use AC, this is an easy solution.

The company Innovative Spaces can build out a cargo van. I don’t have direct experience with them.

Decommissioned Ambulances

Solona’s ambulance

When I first saw Solona’s incredible recovery from CFS and MCS I was immediately impressed with this converted ambulance.

Looking more into how they are made, I found there are a few different ways of insulating them. I was not able to identify which company made this one.

It looks like most of them use rigid foam (polyiso) in the metal-framed walls and then use aluminum as the interior walls. Whatever they did in these walls to make them so air and vapor tight, it’s working.

This mobile home has held up really well to mold – an unusual feat in the RV world.

On top of that, it was an absolute bargain. This is the best value for your money of any of the options here. If you can find one that is as mold-safe inside as this one you have struck gold.

Solona paid around 9K CAD for her used ambulance in the video (and pictured above).

This is similar or the same construction as the old Camplites, ATC and Living Vehicle, but much less expensive. It doesn’t have a bathroom or kitchen though. In the video, Solona explains how she is making that work.

The government sells these off every so often. You might also find one that was already bought and is being resold by a private owner.

Refrigerated Trucks/Vans

Via bushspecialtyvehicles.com

Refrigerated trucks come with insulation already attached in a way that looks quite well done to me. You would want to confirm with the vendor how the installation was done.

You will also need to add air via a window or roof fan.

I like this a lot better than converting your own van because it’s such a tricky process to get the foam installed correctly. This is far easier because it’s already done for you.

For me the ambulance and the refrigerated vans would be my choice before a custom conversion.

Conventional RVs

Some mold avoiders have been using conventional RVs and trading them in if (when) they go moldy.

A few companies that some people like are:

Bigfoot – Made of fiberglass, EPS, and luan, with vinyl flooring. This does have wood in the walls. Though one person who is not that sensitive has done well with it, it’s not what I would go for.

Forest River RV Sunseeker Class C. A “Greener” RV company. Sunseeker has 1 piece fiberglass roof, aluminum frame, block foam insulation, no fabric except valances and bedspread and is “low VOC”. I really like the roof on this model.

Other Forest River brands are low VOC and slightly better construction than usual.

Coachman is also low VOC, mold avoiders have liked the Freedom Express and Apex Ultra Lite. Bryan Rosner outlined the strategy of going with Coachman and trading them in as needed. Here is his blog post and youtube video about this.

Don’t expect a traditional RV to last very long in terms of mold. Be prepared to trade that in in one or two years.

Many people cannot tolerate this level of offgassing, though the level has been improving in the last few years as more models go greener. Many are formaldehyde-free now. This is a strategy for folks who are mold sensitive and not very chemically sensitive because you have to go brand new here.

Also factor in the depreciation and loss of sales tax in this strategy.

It’s a good idea to see one of these in person before purchasing, unlike some of the custom trailers.

Tiny Homes on Wheels (THOWS)

If you fancy a tiny home that is semi-mobile (can be moved around, but ideally not too much), I would go for a small wood or metal structure.

I no longer recommend Tiny Green Cabins, Swanson or Tiny Healthy Homes because of the issues I have seen with their production and construction.

There are no specific tiny home companies I can recommend at this time. However, if you would like to set up a consultation we can go over finding a good builder and how to supervise the build.

I don’t know of one for less than 60K. Budget at least 65K. Look into the experience of the builder, talk to past clients and look at what kind of warranty they offer.

See my post on the top 10 causes of mold in tiny homes and example of a well-built house mold preventative house here and here before proceeding.

My tiny house on wheels

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner with 6 years of experience helping others create healthy homes, including alternative homes, trailers, and shelters.

I have owned and lived in three trailers: my tiny house on wheels, a custom Camplite and a converted cargo trailer.

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Filed Under: Mold Avoidance, Tiny Homes and Trailers Tagged With: mold avoidance, tiny homes, trailers

Composting Toilets for those Sensitive to Mold and Chemicals

September 18, 2018 by Corinne 3 Comments

I want to talk about composting toilets and greywater systems from the standpoint of the chemicals involved, how likely they are to grow mold, the costs, and the benefits for someone with MCS to being semi (or totally) off the grid.

This post contains affiliate links on some of the products I use and recommend. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

1. First Generation Composting Toilets

I had the SunMar Spacesaver in my tiny house because it’s the smallest indoor self-contained composting toilet I could find at the time of building in my area, and the only one that would fit in my tiny bathroom.

It was also the best-priced unit at the time. I absolutely do not recommend this toilet as it completely fails at handling liquids. Here are a few of the other challenges followed by some recommended brands.

Toxic Additives in Composting Toilets?

I had a bad chemical reaction to the additives. I didn’t know that the toilet requires a significant amount of input in terms of additives (and money).

There are three things you need to add regularly: 1) an enzyme spray which smelled fine to me, like a very light non-toxic soap might smell, 2) a bulking material of hemp, peat moss…. and maybe sawdust. This material could be problematic for those extremely sensitive to mold.

You could definitely make/source your own bulking material to make sure it’s safe for you.

And 3) the microbes that you add to speed up the compost and keep it “odorless”.

I had such an acute reaction to the microbe mix. It smells somewhat like a urinal cake. Everything online said it was non-toxic and natural… hmm. I called them to ask what is in it and they said citronella.

Citronella contains methyl eugenol which repels bugs and is a possible health concern needing more studies to confirm its safety. There are a few essential oils I consider to be harmful for MCSers and citronella is definitely one of them.

I had to figure out what kinds of microbes were needed for the toilet and I found out that EMBokashi will work just as well and doesn’t have fragrance added.

After using the toilet for a few months, I can say that the enzyme spray is not necessary. You could just use the Bokashi or Bokashi and a bulking material.

However, I am not happy with this model at all. The upkeep is very smelly work and it often overflows with only one person using it.

Dealing with the overflow is horrible. Even before it overflows the system is such that liquid accumulates below the tray where it becomes very smelly, and moldy.

One person using this toilet full time requires that it overflows into a septic system or blackwater system. Not very self-contained at all.

Offgassing the Unit

Another chemical issue is with the unit itself. It needed some offgassing outside to get rid of the plastic and glue smells. I left it outside for a week. A month would have been ideal. I was extremely sensitive at that time.

Necessary Hook-Ups for the Compost Toilet

There is some installation necessary that ideally would be contemplated before building the bathroom of a new house!

A vent has to go through the wall, outside, and above the roofline. An emergency overflow valve needs to go through the floor and out to…. somewhere (a bucket)… or to the septic or sewage drain if you are on the grid.

You do not need to have water as an input for this type of unit or bolt it down in any way.

There are electric and non-electric self-contained units. The Spacesaver is electric. It does have a small fan which creates negative pressure, though it can easily be overpowered by a bath fan – pulling the odors back out.

There is a need for a special outdoor compost for self-contained indoor composting toilets; they say the humus the toilets produce is totally benign but there is no way it is in there long enough to be benign.

Benefits of Having a Composting Toilet

There is a huge benefit to being off the septic system and that is the freedom to put your tiny house/yurt/dome on any piece of land with some extra amps to spare & a freshwater hose (and of course you could get totally off the grid with solar panels and rainwater collection).

Challenges of Having a Composting Toilet

If you are comparing the initial cost and cost of (ongoing) inputs to just hooking up to a city sewage line, then the self-contained composting toilets are going to seem expensive.

If you are comparing the cost to installing a rural septic tank and the maintenance of that septic tank, then it starts to seem like a really good deal.

If you are extremely sensitive you’re going to want to make sure you can source some tolerable bulking material before you start.

A lot of the maintenance also includes some strong smells of excrement so you have to be able to tolerate that. It you don’t want things to start festering and producing bacteria and mold you have to empty this often, possibly every day.

I have seen some mold growing in the finishing drawer.

Another challenge for people who are disabled is that there is some work – there is the buying of the additives and maintenance. Maintenance involves turning a crank every second day for a minute.

Unclogging the mesh screen if that ever clogs up, checking to see if the system has overloaded via the emergency drain and other troubleshooting if anything goes wrong.

There is a fair amount of troubleshooting so far for me. The fan will have to be replaced or fixed if and when it stops working.

You also empty out the bottom drawer of humus every few weeks.

I’m having trouble with the Spacesaver as I don’t think it has enough capacity for one person let alone two. The tray is filling up too fast, which can be a major problem if you don’t have somewhere safe to dump it and it overflows liquids.

I don’t recommend this one as it does not handle liquids well. A urine separator would be the next type to consider.

2. Urine Separating Composting Toilets

Those who live in tiny houses began switching over to urine seperator toilets to get around the problem of the first generation of composting toilets.

Nature’s Head  and the Separett are well liked.

What’s different about these is they separate the urine out to a separate collector.

This is crucial. It is the reason the Sunmar was overflowing and going moldy in the tray for me. I would go with one of these for sure when I replace the Sunmar.

3. Dry Flush Composting Toilets

The other type that is popular now and is even more suitable for the chemically sensitive is the dry flush self-contained.

A dry flush self-contained uses bags to contain the human waste. It’s much cleaner and much easier.

The bags are somewhat expensive and you have to carry them out to a trash bin.

Some people are really happy with this and it eliminates a lot of problems with smells and mold with the other ones.

4. Incinerating Toilets

Incinerating toilets like the Cinderella are making a bit of a comeback. Some chemically sensitive folks have chosen this option for ease of use.

No human waste to collect, no bags to throw out.

Folks who are chemically sensitive can often tolerate the smoke but you will have to decide if that is right for you.

Those primarily mold sensitive may like this option.

5. Bucket and Bag Set up

If you live in a simple trailer or van or are camping you may want an even simpler toilet that uses bags. The Cleanwaste one is popular. And I have tried the luggable loo with success.

Other Types of Composting Toilets

This post deals with indoor self-contained units but other types of composting toilets include: an outdoor bucket system, an outdoor dug out (outhouse), indoor central flush, central dry, and indoor bucket systems. 

6. Greywater Recycling

Being off the septic system means you also need to safely recycle your greywater – which is the water that comes out of the kitchen sink, bathroom sink and shower.

These contain more bacteria than you think via raw meat and the bacteria on your body etc.

Eco-Sense has a really good free overview and guide including using a worm bin system to remove food scraps from the water. Here are the instructions for the worm bin filter system.

There are a lot of different types of systems and for more detailed instruction this book is super user-friendly and outlines the simplest options depending on the number of people you have on the system.

You need both some kind of filter and water dispersion. We tried just burying the pipe so that the water would simply drain into the ground but the water could not absorb fast enough and it backed up through the house. Gross, yes.

We dug a small pit and it still backed up. Right now I have a larger pit but it still has no filter on it, it worked fine for years with little upkeep. (Note it’s not technically safe to have the water drain above ground, but this did work fine for me).

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

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Filed Under: Healthy Building, Healthy Interiors, Mold-Free Interiors, Tiny Homes and Trailers Tagged With: healthy interiors, tiny homes

Non-Toxic Teardrop Trailer

September 2, 2013 by Corinne 8 Comments

While I waited patiently for my own tiny home to be ready, I thought I would check out natural builder, Pat Hennebery’s teardrop trailer.

Pat, of Cobworks (B.C., Canada) has built over 25 cob houses.

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

Lately, Pat has become interested in healthy homes on trailers so we sat down to discuss his lovely teardrop trailer.

The trailer is 16 ft long and weighs in at about 4500 lbs. It is wired with one 15 amp outlet and was originally set up to use solar panels. 15 amps is not a lot, but it is enough to run a space heater or AC unit, making it a seasonal trailer in colder climates. In warmer climates you could live in it year-round! This trailer was made for Canadian summers and Mexican winters, and has made the round trip twice already.

The trailer is made mostly out of wood with no insulation. The ceiling is tongue & groove wood, the floors are solid wood, and the exterior siding is cedar which has been painted. Cedar, while it may have too strong a scent for people with severe MCS, does really well in wet climates; it’s naturally quite mold proof.

Some plywood was used in the flooring and walls but Pat mentions it could be replaced with solid wood. This trailer could be made for a chemically sensitive person by using unscented woods, VOC-free glues, and natural finishes and paints.

The roof is stainless steel but Pat suggests that next time he would use aluminium to keep it as light as possible. I am concerned about this exterior vapour barrier used when the trailer is heated which could cause mould where the wood meets the metal. You would have to take a closer look at the roof design and possibly use foam up there to keep condensation from forming or not heat the trailer. You also want to look closely at the design of the floor. Here is a good example of a carefully made floor to eliminate some of the trickiest areas that cause mould.

It doesn’t have plumbing so this kind of trailer is best used when you have an outhouse and outdoor shower. You could use a solar camp shower in a pinch if it’s warm enough! I find those quite difficult to shower with though, I prefer an outdoor portable propane shower like this Colman one.

The back pop-out is designed for an outdoor kitchen. For those very sensitive to propane, this would not work very well, but since it is outdoors it could be tolerable. It’s perfect at the village where Pat lives in the summer which has a communal kitchen.

The materials alone for this trailer came to 10K – though Pat was not on a tight budget and did splurge a bit on the wood for the ceiling, a new trailer and stainless roof. Still, it’s good to keep in mind that even a medium-sized trailer, with no plumbing and no kitchen, just isn’t cheap.

The labour costs would add an additional 10K or so. The only way to do it on the cheap would be to spend a lot of time salvaging materials and building it yourself…. problem is, salvage materials can be very problematic for the chemically sensitive.

I think this simple chemical-free trailer would work well as a permanent dwelling somewhere warm, or, as a way to test out the locations effect and start trying chemical and mould avoidance. If you can build it yourself, it’s probably the least expensive chemical-free trailer option. Compare it to your other options: an aluminium trailer, 27K,  a chemical-free tiny home, 50-65K, or, a refurbished Airstream 40K+. A used (offgassed) fibreglass trailer could be a good option for around 11K. The cheapest option is hacking a cargo trailer.

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

For individual help on choosing a tiny house, trailer, or RV, you can schedule a consultation with me here.

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Filed Under: Tiny Homes and Trailers Tagged With: MCS, mold avoidance, tiny homes, trailer

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Hi, I’m Corinne, I am a Certified Building Biologist Practitioner with 6 years of experience helping people create healthy homes.

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