am i paranoid (mdf story) please read you might laugh

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Hi Enigma,

Just wait until you use some types of real wood. Like Iroko for instance.
It doesn't bother me, but it makes some people sneeze and cough like crazy. You'll think MDF is sweet scented in comparison! :mrgreen:

John
 
MDF is safe compared to Iroko. :p

You have had many professionals and serious wood workers say don't worry. Like you say your self "how can they be legal" simple someone whispered MDF dust contains so and so, if you swallow so and so in this amount it can do this. After the whispers got around some what at them medlin strong headed DIY'ers who really know nothing got wind it was some more like "MDF kills you after breathing 2 specs of dust oh and grandma now has to use the loo every 2 minutes as she had some MDF in her home and breathed the chemicals that leaked through some plastic laminate, you could see it leaking out, it was bright green and glowing, it even turned the cats nose orange".

In reality it does contain so and so but in no amounts that can do so and so to you within 2 days of breathing in a bit of its dust or living with it bare. Its all just so and so. Wear a mask and be aware after 40 years of daily use without protecting your self from ANY dust will do you harm.

The internet is a powerful place. I have read that tomatos cause cancer and using baby wipes on your baby gives the baby cancer...... Oh two things thats still available in large quantities in any supermarket.

Just look at the facts.
Would a country that uses any excuse to make regulations and enforce you have licenses for anything really be allowing DIY stores to sell the stuff to the public? If fags print cancer warnings on packets, MDF, if really just as bad would print warnings on the sheets :roll: . If it was as bad as you think, only tradesmen with a license that had been on a course and paid a fortune on a special van and MDF extraction could buy it and use it :shock: . Large kitchen companies wouldn't use it in kitchen construction, Ikea would go bankrupt =D> . Stop your worrying and just buy a mask. There are other things to worry about like the harmful vibrations cheap jigsaws give off that rattle your brain into an early death (hammer) <= another joke by the way, no threads on harmful jigsaws please. :lol:

Not all man made sheet material uses the same glue. Plywood is made of sheets of real wood glued to each other crossing grains, so a different glue type is used. Some Plywood uses glue that is whether and boil proof. Strand or chip board is made of chips of wood, again as these are chips of wood a different type of glue is required and used. Hardboard or (HDF - High Density Fibreboard) is made in a very similar way to MDF (medium density fibreboard) so may use the same glue, im not sure on that one. MDF and HDF is made buy mixing sawdust in to a glue and pressing that mixture at high pressures, which as its made differently to other man made boards a different glue is used which just happens to be toxic in large doses.

Burring some wood in soil can produce methane pockets which can under the correct conditions and series of events cause an explosion. There are no notices on wood about this as your more then likely to suffer brain damage from harmful jigsaw vibrations :p
I have swallowed no end of MDF dust in my time and I have always made it to the hospital and got a lung donor before it stops your man hood from erecting. :arrow: It effect women differently, they grow a man hood which never goes floppy :wink: , im now in a civil partnership than a marriage and can only sit on them air rings pregnant women use in comfort :cry: . :lol:

Just to make it clear, I have never been to the hospital for treatment of MDF, I still have my own lungs and a healthy bedroom life. Im not married or in a civil partnership nor do I own a ring pregnant women use. (hammer)

Oh one more thing, as some plywood is boilproof don't mean the non WBP will boil under normal conditions or in hot houses (hammer)

PS. You could a suppose get white finger from the vibration of jigsaws but I would say the chances are to slim to even consider.
 
hi just seen all the replys

yeah im sorry so many paranoid posts lately its just cause were in a small mobile home that i dnt think was built by any rules or regs (more like jack and jill)

i started to worry cause the following

as long as the following is cleared up ill be at ease

im just looking out for my mum/bro (infact im trying to move them out if i can get the money)

1.all the walls are hardboard (yes hardboard or something of the same thin...very flexible and thin as hell (its one of those aluminum outside mobilehomes)
should i be worried?

2. behind the hardboard is fiberglass or asbestos (its black wool? maybe fiberglass gone black in time...praying not asbestos) im very shocked that loose fiberglass or asbestos is allowed to be just loose in between the whole mobilehome (aluminum sheets outside/hardboard inside)

3. what worries me most is my bros bedroom (all the walls are mdf, well one side of wall is hardboard other 3 is mdf)
not wallpapered just green paint (very thin not sure what paint) is painted over the mdf
is this safe as my bros nose nearly touch's the mdf while hes asleep (bed against wall he sleeps facing/touching mdf...few cm from nose)

4. yes i have become paranoid to some extent...but when you grow up the 17 years of early life in a nice big 3 bed council house then
go to a very small mobile home....you get worried (especially when you didn't know your mum moved....plus the mobile home guy on site told her not to buy it as bad inside........so why she still bought it god knows)

anyway sorry for all the weird posts
but you guys have helped loads (guess im just going through hard times and worrying)

sorry

but thanks
 
All mobile homes I've stayed in (which admittedly aren't many) have had aluminium outsides with hardboard inside. I suppose it's just the cheapest and lightest way to build them.

As far as I know it's impossible to tell the difference (for sure) between asbestos wool and fibreglass wool by eye. Having said that since the UK banded the use of blue and brown asbestos in 1980 I think it's unlikely to be asbestos unless the mobile home is very old. I do wonder though if it's black because of mould which could be a problem - you don't want to be constantly breathing in mould spores if you can help it.

As long as the MDF isn't producing dust then I think your brother should be ok. If there is damage to the edge for example I would seal it with PVA and paint it.
 
wobblycogs":3c9oz7vl said:
All mobile homes I've stayed in (which admittedly aren't many) have had aluminium outsides with hardboard inside. I suppose it's just the cheapest and lightest way to build them.

As far as I know it's impossible to tell the difference (for sure) between asbestos wool and fibreglass wool by eye. Having said that since the UK banded the use of blue and brown asbestos in 1980 I think it's unlikely to be asbestos unless the mobile home is very old. I do wonder though if it's black because of mould which could be a problem - you don't want to be constantly breathing in mould spores if you can help it.

As long as the MDF isn't producing dust then I think your brother should be ok. If there is damage to the edge for example I would seal it with PVA and paint it.

i think its older than 1980 (its 1970ish i think...ill get bk on that one)

and yes the whole mobilehome suffers from bad mold the whole time we lived here (now see why im paranoid about the daym thing

i might post about the mold (but after i have done all other stuff first)

the mold is quiet bad though has been for 9 years we been here

clothes stink if put in draws after a week

constantly washing walls etc

im sick of it

anyway will do a post on it later

thanks

see why im shocked im alive now lol (mold/ cooker probs/ mdf)

god i miss london :cry:

thanks though
 
don't worry about the MDF, You really need to do something about the mold that is quite dangerous.
first you need to kill it then you need to seal the surfaces it forms on. usually it will be on external walls where there is a small pocket of air that doesn't get ventilation, like behind units, Draws and so on, the moisture in the air condensates on cold surfaces and is ideal for mold to grow.
To kill it you can use watered down bleach, or a commercial mold killer.
To seal it use pva
To prevent it coming back fit some trickle vents, get a dehumidifier, try to eliminate any small gaps between furniture and exterior walls, when taking a shower or cooking, open any windows and shut any doors, if possible fit extractor fans.
 
DOOGYREV":209dj5vz said:
don't worry about the MDF, You really need to do something about the mold that is quite dangerous.
first you need to kill it then you need to seal the surfaces it forms on. usually it will be on external walls where there is a small pocket of air that doesn't get ventilation, like behind units, Draws and so on, the moisture in the air condensates on cold surfaces and is ideal for mold to grow.
To kill it you can use watered down bleach, or a commercial mold killer.
To seal it use pva
To prevent it coming back fit some trickle vents, get a dehumidifier, try to eliminate any small gaps between furniture and exterior walls, when taking a shower or cooking, open any windows and shut any doors, if possible fit extractor fans.


jesus been exposed to this bad mold for 9 years....yickes

how much dsamage has it prob done to us????? :cry: :cry: :cry:

anyway

thanks

i have alot to do (prob is just re wallpapered living room)

but will do everything you said to battle the mold

im wondering if roof might be leaking or something

as alot of oth on the site dnt get mold (but we do bad)

will your method permanetly get rid of it?

anyway i am so hopeing to move asap

thanks
 
Check the roof anyway, where ever you see mold figure out how that area is getting damp, if its in the top corner of the room then it could be the roof, if its behind stuff like the sofa, draw units ect... its probably caused by condensation, and lack of ventilation.
It is very difficult to get rid of it completely, it can lie dormant for years just waiting for the right conditions, but if you get rid of it as best you can, its quite easy to prevent it coming back, if the mold is in the timber you will need more then bleach.

I would suggest you first identify the type of mold you have, just Google it, you can start here
http://www.homesforharingey.org/damp_leaflet.pdf
 
DOOGYREV":34xw228k said:
Check the roof anyway, where ever you see mold figure out how that area is getting damp, if its in the top corner of the room then it could be the roof, if its behind stuff like the sofa, draw units ect... its probably caused by condensation, and lack of ventilation.
It is very difficult to get rid of it completely, it can lie dormant for years just waiting for the right conditions, but if you get rid of it as best you can, its quite easy to prevent it coming back, if the mold is in the timber you will need more then bleach.

I would suggest you first identify the type of mold you have, just Google it, you can start here
http://www.homesforharingey.org/damp_leaflet.pdf

thanks

well in a week or 2

ima get crackin with one thing at a time

thanks so much for the help,

one thing though

im thinking to bin alot of things when i move (thats smell of mold)

should i bin consoles like the wii (does mold efect plastic/electrical stuff?)

also alot of things not just clothes smell of mold (like my bro swimming goggles/snorkel etc) ALOT OF DIFF THINGS

are anything totally cleanable to new or not?

i mean when we move im going to keep clothes that i can wash

but big coats that arnt meant for wash (like my £200 jacket i might just bin :evil: :evil: :evil: )

anyway thanks......cnt believe my family and i have been breathing in death for 9 years.....

does this permanently damage the brain? (as i did a quick google and read can cause young children brain damage)
VERY WORRYING I WAS ACTUALLY CRYING LAST NIGHT...as my lil brother came here at 4 years old and now 14

prrob explain why hes been doing bad at school

anyway

thanks
i just hope i can find a way to get my mum/bro out of here

thanks all
 
I'm not a doctor but I believe moulds mainly affect the lungs more than anything else since they like the warm damp environment that is found there. The spores can also cause asthma and other breathing problems.

I certainly wouldn't go throwing stuff away without having a shot at cleaning it first. I think it's highly unlikely that any electrical equipment that has been on for a reasonable amount of time would harbour mould, the warmth from the equipment would make it too dry for mould to get established. Unless the the clothing is very badly mouldy I would just wash it a couple of times and see if it still smells mouldy. The larger non-washable items might be able to be put through dry cleaning.

If you have mould on any surfaces a wipe over with bleach will kill it stone dead and it's a lot cheaper than mould removers. We used to get terrible mould around the windows in our first flat but a wipe over with bleach would sort the problem for months at a time.
 
wobblycogs":342muuec said:
I'm not a doctor but I believe moulds mainly affect the lungs more than anything else since they like the warm damp environment that is found there. The spores can also cause asthma and other breathing problems.

I certainly wouldn't go throwing stuff away without having a shot at cleaning it first. I think it's highly unlikely that any electrical equipment that has been on for a reasonable amount of time would harbour mould, the warmth from the equipment would make it too dry for mould to get established. Unless the the clothing is very badly mouldy I would just wash it a couple of times and see if it still smells mouldy. The larger non-washable items might be able to be put through dry cleaning.

If you have mould on any surfaces a wipe over with bleach will kill it stone dead and it's a lot cheaper than mould removers. We used to get terrible mould around the windows in our first flat but a wipe over with bleach would sort the problem for months at a time.

i was thinking the mold might damage the ruber & foam bits on the pvc windows?

i heard that dettol mold and mildew remover is good? (could i use this also on the walls ? im thinking not on wallpaper though?)

or is bleach deff better to use than any product? (and can that be used on walls as well?)

i think i will look for a cleaning house forum later on

for now im under alot of stress

so im going to do 1 thing at a time (water tank first other forum)
 
Greek Enigma":2razbrkf said:
i was thinking the mold might damage the ruber & foam bits on the pvc windows?

i heard that dettol mold and mildew remover is good? (could i use this also on the walls ? im thinking not on wallpaper though?)

or is bleach deff better to use than any product? (and can that be used on walls as well?)

i think i will look for a cleaning house forum later on

for now im under alot of stress

so im going to do 1 thing at a time (water tank first other forum)

I think your windows should be ok

I wouldnt say bleach was better, but at the end of the day they are doing the same thing, killing the mould, use it on everything exept the wii
 
DOOGYREV":biozkvrt said:
Greek Enigma":biozkvrt said:
i was thinking the mold might damage the ruber & foam bits on the pvc windows?

i heard that dettol mold and mildew remover is good? (could i use this also on the walls ? im thinking not on wallpaper though?)

or is bleach deff better to use than any product? (and can that be used on walls as well?)

i think i will look for a cleaning house forum later on

for now im under alot of stress

so im going to do 1 thing at a time (water tank first other forum)

I think your windows should be ok

I wouldnt say bleach was better, but at the end of the day they are doing the same thing, killing the mould, use it on everything exept the wii

lmfao

ok so go ahead and buy the dettol mold thing i thinks

and ummm the electrical stuff hasnt been used like 2 years (think they will have mold inside....aka need to be binned)

anyway im done with this thread for a while everyone

cheers all though
 

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