Quick question mold

[help4MH]

Hi,
Just wondering... I'm the one w/ the darned marriage line separation going on. I'm under control w/ that , meaning I'm going to get a contractor and have it re leveled.

My question is, whenever I walk into my bedroom, I smell a moldy smell. I've looked everywhere. Now, if there was a h20 leak b/t the walls, or under the floor, wouldn't it be wet? I've been smelling this for about 2 months.

I had my friend who works construction at a golf /hotel , come over and listen w/ the water running and then he crawled under the Mh, and I ran the hot/cold both , separately, and I hear a "drip, drip drip " noise below the closet floor. I made him listen . It only drips, or that noise, only makes that noise, when the HOT water is on. So again ,he crawled under, and I ran the hot h20. He found no evidence of leakage. When we turned the h20 off, I checked the h20 meter, and no spinning red, so no water dripping w/ the faucets off.

My friend says that w/ an 10 yr old MH, the hot h20 will make the pipes make that noise until the pipes warm up. So I ran the hot h20 for about 10 mins, and the 'drip ,drip ' noise did decrease. It's never gone away. But whenever the h20 is off inside, the meter isn't moving-that little red twirling thing that lets you know the h20 is on. So, is my friend right? And if so, why do I smell a slight moldy smell? I know you can't know. But just thought I'd throw it out there.

IF I had a "slow" leak , wouldn't I have evidence of it over 2 months, by now? Like the floor sinking, or the walls falling apart? It's sheet rock. Don't know what the floor is made of. Never had a new rug in.

Oh, by the way, I absolutely LOVE this website!!! All you guys, people. I'd be a crazy lady by now, if it weren't for you.
Barbara

[Greg]

Barbara, I don't want to worry you but any "dripping should checked to find out what it is and fixed before it becomes a major problem. Any time mold is present, so is moisture. It may take some more looking to find out for sure what is going on but it should be done. Greg

[help4MH]

Hi,
Thanks. That was my impression too. I kept telling my friend, this guy, that even thou he couldn't see anything under the coach, couldn't there be a leak b/t the walls, under the floor, b/t the floor, if there is such a thing? He said "No' it would show by the little red twirly thingy on the h20 meter. And he turned on the h20 just a drip, and it goes around. So I don't see that happening.

I have heard the dripping for a long time, and I don't know who or what kind of person checks that out? Last time I called a plumber for a "fill valve" leak, he wanted $400 to replace the toilet. Is there any way to look for leaks? W/o me crawling under, cause I can't do it. Physically.

And on that note, here's another question. Since I've had this place, and this is my fault. I didn't know much about MH's and I'm still learning. But, the window, double-paned, sm. one they put standard in most bathrooms, well after a shower or bath, there are always H20 droplets b/t the double paned window. Not the screen side, the solid side. Could that be causing the moldy smell? And how do I go about fixing that? Thanks.
Barbara

[Greg]

My first bit of advice is to buy Mark's Book - "The manual for Manufactured home repair". Mark wrote in a generic manner so weather or not YOU are doing the repair you have an idea of how to do it and what is involved.
You may have an access panel on the other side of the wall where you are hearing the drip, if so open it up and take a look.
As for the condensation in the shower, that could be a source for mold & musty smells. Try leaving the window open for a while to let it dry out.
JD lives "out your way" perhaps he will see this and advise you on a contact for repair. Greg

[Harry]

Hi

I chased a smell like that.

Mine turned out to be a rotting rim joist.

Harry

[help4MH]

Thanks Greg. I'll take a look, and I'm in the process of getting the book. You guys are really great. Appreciate all the help.
Barbara

[Maureen]

Hi Barbara,

The mold smell can be coming from anywhere! It may be a slow leak somewhere! It might be your insulation that is moldy, it could be the underside of your subfloor, or as Harry mentioned, it could be a joist!

There are numerous areas where water can leak in our homes and cause mold. You need someone to open up the belly of your home under the bedroom and give it a real good inspection. Maybe the contractor that is releveling your home can check this out for you?

Maureen

[Yanita]

Hi Barbara...

Heres my thoughts on the drip. Since the meter is still while the water is off, then it leads me to believe that you might have a slow leak in a drain pipe.

Moldy smell, as others have said, could be anywhere or anything.

Have you looked under your sink to see if anything is leaking there? I ask because just a month or so ago, I noticed a musty smell in my newly renovated bathroom. After checking all the areas of water sources I discovered that where I keep the towels under the vanity was the slow leak. This was not from the incoming lines. From constantly retrtieving towels apparently I had managed to loosen up the nut at the P trap under there. Everytime water went down the drain it would slowly drip onto the towels in the back. Quick fix and only a load of laundry to be done.

I do not know if your area is humid, but can say that mine is. I notice that alot of mobiles and stick builts smell musty, hence the reason I hate wall to wall carpet. Does your home have good air circulation?

The condensation in the bathroom window, again do you have good air circulation during and after showering/bathing. A good rule of thumb is to turn the vent on BEFORE showering and leave on for up to an hour after. This will assure removing all the moisture from the air.

Glad you have found a contractor for your relevel, please let us know how that turns out for you.

Have a good day,

Yanita

[help4MH]

I was hoping you wouldn't say that. The part about opening up the underbelly. Or a joist, or any of it.

It's Not Humid here. Just gets hot during the summer. I "had" a leak from the outside wall, by the electrical Fuse box holder. Seems some h20 got in at the seams of it. I caulked it, then went inside and re primed the area that I could see the h20. (this was 2 yrs ago, and I think has nothing to do w/ the dripping noise I am hearing). I could see on the sheet rock, the starting of mold. I had a few 'handymen' look at it, and they said "Spackle it, and don't worry". So I didn't. I worried. And I primed it to watch to see if my caulking would do the job, figuring the next rain, it would show thru the primer if it came thru. It didn't. So I've left it alone. To see this winter. It's about 6 ft, from where I hear the dripping noise under the floor of the closet.

Yanita, thanks, I've looked under all sinks, and everywhere that I know to look. It's just a "drip,drip" noise when only the hot h20 is on. It slows down after 20"s, thus the guy, my friend, saying the pipes were heating up.

I've been hearing this for 2 yrs now, so wouldn't I see some deterioration? Especially w/ sheet rock and the particle board or the floors they use?

Thanks for all the tips. The contractor I've contracted, well contacted, and am going to go w/, I haven't spoken to him about this, and I'd hate to add more to the job, since he's coming from out of town.

Would you guys recommend a plumber, a MH repair place? And if so, I'm definitely going to have to look into financial help, like someone said, thru the city. Don't know where to look. But I'll search the internet, phone book, etc.

Oh, what the heck is a joist? Don't worry, I'll get the book. But for now, what , where is it? And thanks for the vent in the bathrm info. Never used it before. Kindof naive. I don't know much about construction.


Oh, how much would opening the belly of the MH cost? That sounds very expensive. I know , allot of questions. Sorry. Just was hoping it'd go away. Thanks you guys, all of you.
Barbara

[Yanita]

Hey Barb,

I guess I would not be real concerned if you heard this noise for 2 years. Your right if it was a water leak either from a drain pipe or in line you would have damage long before now!

As for the cost of anything labor, parts etc, it's really hard to even guestimate a cost. Labor rates vary from company to company and from coast to coast.

Whomever you have contracted to do your relevel, you should ask them about checking this out PRIOR to there arrival. Most contractors have a real close idea of how long a certain job will take and adding anything on top that will cost more I assume. Also this is something that might have to be search for...again changing your total cost.

JMO, and hopefully others will add more to this.

Yanita

PS, get Marks manual as soon as possible, this will answer so many of your questions....

[FSinmyplace]

Hi,

Could it be your water heater making the dripping sound? Every time I use the hot water I get a perfectly normal dripping kinda sound as the water heater refills.

Just a thought...

[help4MH]

Hi,
Just turned on the hot h20 again. I don't use it, due to the dripping noise, except to shower. I can hear the drip, drip, loud and clear , in the closet. The other side of the wall is a bathtub too, one I don't use, a spare.

So wouldn't w/ all that dripping, the sheet rock crumble? Wouldn't the floor just sink? Or can the floor absorb a leak, over time and show up at the marriage line? Just asking. I did get ahold of a local contractor. I asked him to call me tomorrow, have plans today. He says a basic re level is $1500-$2500 here. I told him about the leak. I'm praying he will crawl under. But if the leak has been building up does he have to open the bottom of the MH? And will he know if it's a leak? w/o cutting into sheet rock? Or ripping up carpet? I have wall to wall Berber carpet. I don't see anything. Just the lump and indent at the marriage line. And what I described that everyone else thinks is a re level. The $2000 Contractor thought it was a re level.

The guy coming for the re level has to travel 4 hours to get here. So if it turns out to be a "remodel" which I don't have that kind of money, his workers would have to get hotels. That's expensive. Any ideas? Thanks. I have to go , but be back later. HELP.
Barb

[Yanita]

Hi Barbara,

Ok, your manual is on the way. Stay calm and wait until the book gets there and then read threw so you understand the parts of your home.

Since you think that the drip is between the walls inside the closet area, move whatever is in there, check the floor for wetness as well as the walls. Are the clothes that are hanging in there damp?

If the contractor that is traveling the 4 hours is the one to check this then do all that you can to get things out of the way so they can work. Anytime spent moving your personal items out of the way is "clock" time for them.

The workers would need to make an access panel in the wall to see into the area and check for leaks, if there are any. This is not a real long process and you might even already have one if you look closely. Look at where the pieces of sheetrock line up, are there some sort of fasteners in place? Any competent worker that makes an access panel can do it relatively quickly, and make it look good. All homes should have these anyways.

As for opening up the belly...well, that depends on how difficult it is to get under the home, hopefully you have access panels in your skirting, not just the vents, those are not access panels. Opening the underbelly itself is quick, generally the slice of a utility knife. Finding a leak, well, that's something that no one can guarantee in advance on how long that can take or how much of the underbelly would need to be opened up. Water can travel a great distance depending on what it is dripping on.

My best advice to you is not to stress on this, heck its been this way for 2 years. Yes, I think if it was a water leak then you certainly would have noticeable water damage by now.

Now, you have said that you notice a musty smell, and also said you never use the other bathroom. Do you at least once a month go into that bath and run water in the tub and sink? This needs to be done to keep water in the P trap. A "P" trap is the U shaped pipe in your drain lines. A small amount of water is left in that trap to prevent sewer gases from coming into the home.

For now I would sit tight other than checking and emptying out that closet where you here the dripping before the service men get there.

Have a great day!

Yanita

[help4MH]

Anyone, do you know if I have a "slow leak" would I feel the wetness thru my wall to wall berber carpet? I've heard this leak for a long time.

I've got a contractor coming out tomorrow , and he said "you don't need to be there, I'll just crawl under and see if it's a leak or a relevel and then write you up a bid". Now shouldn't he come in and take a look? So he can hear the leak? So he knows where to look?

And does anyone know where I'd look for State wide financial help? On the internet? I can't afford this.

One more question: I asked the contractor if he would open the vapor barrier , or the bottom of the MH, and he said he didn't need to do that. That he could tell just by looking. This is not the info you guys have given me. Can I ask him to open it up w/o expecting him to want $? I mean isn't it just a cut? It's the repair that costs, right? If someone opens it, and there is no leak, and it's not repaired for awhile, can animals get in? Or rodents? If I keep the access panel shut tight? PLEEAASSEE HELP.
Barbara

[Greg]

I would want to be there if for no other reason to be sure he is looking in the right area.
If the panel is cut in the right spot, you can get a couple of screws into the section you cut out to close it back up untill a proper panel is made. Greg