Re: Mold in Dirt?

September 4, 2006

Shea,

The key to your question is a concept called " separation. " How well

will your house be separated from the dirt that was under the

trailor?

Outside walls, for example, are excellent separators between inside

and outside until you break the separation by opening a window or

door. Concrete over dirt is a very good separator between dirt and a

basement, for example. However, crawlspaces are usually terrible

separators, especially if there is forced air unit and/or ducts in

the crawlspace. So whatever is in the crawlspace air gets blown into

the rest of the house.

Despite what I said above about concrete, it is a very good separator

for particles and most odors but not for moisture. Moisture can still

come through, although very slowly. You can improve the separation by

putting a barrier (plastic, with a proper rating) on the dirt and

then pouring the cement over it so even the moisture is stopped.

Utilizing this concept, you could put a slab over a manure pile or a

fungus patch and it would not penetrate the separator.

There are some subtleties involved but that is the general concept.

If you want to know more, you or your contractor can get specific

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

-----

> We recently found out our travel trailer has mold, quite a bit of it

> actually, in the plywood floor and the wood studs in the wall. We want

> to move the travel trailer and build a home over the same piece of dirt.

>

> Is it safe to put a new concrete slab over the same spot a moldy

> trailer once occupied? I'm chemically sensitive so I don't want to

> treat the dirt with anything toxic.

>

> TIA, Shea

>

> FAIR USE NOTICE:

>

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