May need to move due to mold. Tiny home or mobile?

I'm kind of new to this. Done a bit of research but still pretty overwhelming.

I'm very very ill with chronic lyme, co infections, bad mold mycotoxin infections, gut issues, it's a long list.

The place I'm in now, friend's basically, I believe have (but will confirm with testing) mold under the carpet and my lyme Doctor thinks may be why I've not improved in 8 years of lyme treatment. I even had moved out of my parent's water damaged house and still can't win.

My considerations are I'm broke... All of my 630/month disability goes to basics... Insurance car, food, supplements. And I still have 6900 credit card
debt. My dad helps pay for my medical appointments and supplements, none of which are covered, so that's about 1500/month.

So, cost is a massive consideration. My Doctor warned about Volotile organic compounds in prefab or mobile homes and said make sure it off gasses 1st for a month. Ive seen some prefab companies have mold resistant materials, as well as low Volotile organic compounds, which is pretty cool. But seem quite expensive so far. Log cabins was suggested as a good alternative for mold illness people. I really love the look of log cabins too.

My question is, is a small house better or a mobile home like an RV? Mold is a huge consideration so I need to know if these places are suseptible and/or how to keep it low mold (no home is mold free).

Mobile seems less costly. But just from little research I've done. Can we (more my dad) get financing for these?

I may have a property to put it on (dad's girlfriends guest house large backyard--and no I can't live there, the mold is off the charts) but I don't know about zoning or what requirements are.

Thanks

Mould does not just appear, it needs certain factors for it to appear and stay.
Moisture being  the main one.
Removing the water source and improving ventilation and humidity seem to be key factors.
Have they been considered?

Welcome to permies and I'm sorry for your struggles to find a safe place to recover.

I suspect that either a pre fab house kit or a log house would be better.  RVs get really moist inside and hold that moisture in, even though a log cabin can be drafty its better, because mold will be less likely with a draftiness.  Mold loves warm, moist places that struggle to dry out, whereas if the air can flow then mold won't be so happy so is less likely.

Given the right climate and conditions, log homes go moldy too. You need a good overhang on the roof and good air circulation.  Also,   borax and boric acid are your friends.  Dissolve either or both in boiling water till no more dissolves, and then paint it on wood or even drywall and let it crystallize.  This will kill any mold it touches, and prevent it from coming back.  But it won't get rid of spores, and their toxins, that have already formed so with your issue it might be more of a preventative.

The owner has talked of ripping out the carpet and replacing it w/wood but he does not have enough money.
Even if that was done, it'd have to be by people who really know what they're doing and I've heard of many crap jobs in my lyme forums. And don't know if he'd listen to my recommendations. He's stubborn.
The way the mold formed is that their dogs, from the 80s onward, always have pottied on the carpet. You can smell it. And they clean it w/a soap/water vacuum type appliance. So...viva la mold. I tested the house and cleaned what I could feeling as I do. It wasn't too bad. But I never tested the carpet areas.

I've seen in a thread here, on which several comments stated how DRY log cabins are and how, in the 10, 20 years they lived there, no mold issues.
And thanks for the RV info.

Yes I use borax on my clothing.

I am in the sw chicago suburbs. We have cold winders and hot, humid summers.
If anyone lives in a low VOC and low mold area and is looking for a roommate, let me know as well as I'm considering that too.

No matter where you move there is a risk of chemical reactions to materials used in new construction.

Any structure is at risk for mold.

Money wise I don't see a lot of options.

Find someplace to live and have the place tested for mold before moving.  Also do a test in the duct works for mold.

Look at structure without carpeting.

Inspect the attic for water stains from leaks in the roof.

Check under bath and kitchen sinks for water damage.

I hope you will let us know how this all turns out for you and I wish you the best in your search for a better place.

I just ran across this article that I thought might be of use to you:

But eliminating everything potentially problematic is impossible to do all at once. Some of the tips here are easy to incorporate into your life starting today; others take time and money. Go slowly, and know that any change you make for your health is a good one.

https://www.prevention.com/health/a35944213/how-to-detox-home/

https://www.prevention.com/health/a39651855/detox-body-and-home-guide/

Hi Brianna,
That is a rough place to be. I have been diagnosed with CIRS... which is most generally caused by mold toxins. I do know of people who have camped out in tents in their front yard for a couple weeks to see if it helps. It did for many of them. That doesn't work so well in a cold climate though.

I have some thoughts, but these are in no particular order.

1. Wherever you are, I would suggest lots of house plants. Many are known for helping clean the air and all of them will increase oxygen and most people feel better with plants around. If you put something out to friends and family that you are looking for these types of house plants, I'll bet you could get a bunch for free or cheap. Just looking up which ones are best for your situation.

2. I agree that a tiny home is probably better. Less likely to get moldy and less fake materials adding to the lack of air quality.

3. If you have a tiny home on a trailer... it can sometimes count as an RV... and the zoning restrictions are much less than for a house because it's "mobile".

4. Look into old fashioned white washing. This was a "paint" with lime that people used on all sorts of surfaces. The lime helps prevent mold and bacterial growth. Painting walls in a house that way would be beneficial.

5. Clean everything. It's not expensive and the more you can clean, the less the mold spore load is.

6. Keep the windows open to allow as much fresh air in as possible.

7. I would take out the rug now. There will be subflooring under it. Even if your friend does not have money to put a wood floor down again... what about just leaving the sub floor? What about painting the sub floor? Yes, it will have a little VOC... but nothing like mold in a carpet.

8. Check out https://www.survivingmold.com/ which has a ton of information from the top experts.

9. Don't give up. I know from personal experience how much this sort of thing can affect your life because it hits all different kinds of systems in your body. It's easy to want to give up, but keep cleaning, keep fighting, keep looking for side ways to make money, and I believe you can get to a healthier house.  

Yes when I had been looking for an apt, I had to stress I'd need to test for mold. And if I found some, I'd have to break the rent agreement and move. But never got that far b/c my father said it'd be too expensive along w/the med bills he was paying. (however now I have no choice).

I have one plant in my room...my room is cluttered b/c all my life stuff is kept there as I can't put it anywhere else in the house. It also gets very little light so it's a cactus type. Every surface is covered necessarily. I hate it.

Even if I had something on wheels, I'd be afraid b/c we get tornadoes here.

I highly doubt I'd be allowed to paint the walls here. If was MY house, then yah. I do have my window open most days a crack, as that's all I can manage w/my suction cup block out curtains. I cleaned a few rooms literally ceiling to floor following a mold remediation cos guidelines after I had the house tested. And I clean my own room in a basic way every few weeks. All I can manage.

I think there is concrete under the 50 yr old carpet as that's what it feels like. I dont think the owners would allow just that to be, and the mold on that part (the concrete), if is any would need to be cleaned. ..vs putting some type of paneling over it.

And yes that's been bookmarked for years. I just ordered a book from there as well.
I can make money on side jobs only if it's under the table, and I'm def NOT reliable w/the pain I'm in.

I was about to suggest maybe some yurt type house... but then I remembered you said there are tornados there. Probably not the best place for a yurt.

I have a chemical free tiny house 8x16’ with 80” head height, that is for sale. All solid wood, no plywood, insulated with sheep wool, no plastic except for a few feet of pex. No bathroom inside. All natural, I lived in it to heal my chemical sensitivities while I built my natural home. If you’re interested PM me.