Formaldehyde

[Jockwee]

We have lived in our manufactured home (Marlette) for 18 months. When we purchased the home, the FIRST question we asked was about the levels of formaldehyde used in construction. Both the sales person and the dealer himself assured us that the use of formaldehyde in construction had been greatly reduced to safe levels through regulations imposed beginning in about l985. We were therefore very surprised to see a large notice regarding the use of formaldehye taped to a door of the kitchen cabinet after the unit was set up and we were permitted entry. When we asked the dealer about the notice, he said it was not to worry about, the levels of formaldehyde were safe but that builders were required to notify owners that there was some level of formaldehyde in the unit.

We enjoy the home immensely; however, my husband, who's never had a sick day in his life, is now experiencing some health problems that we are beginning to wonder may be attached to formaldehyde exposure. We are, of course, seeing medical doctors, doing blood testing and other things in an effort to find out what is wrong.

Our questions are: (1) Does anyone have information about whether or not there were regulations put in place to lower to safe levels the exposure to formaldehyde, and (2) does anyone have any knowledge that Marlette does or does not adhere to building practices that would prevent inordinately high levels of formaldehyde exposure?

Thank You.

[rmurray]

Let me try to answer your questions....First that sign should have been clearly displayed in EVERY model on the model center you bought from..

Formaldehyde is in nearly everything you touch or used...it is Formaldehyde that makes press free clothing "
press free". There is Formaldehyde in newspaper ink...most paints..many glues...It is safely used in schools ( remember the frogs )..It is likely if your hubby had an allergy to Formaldehyde he would have know long ago...He should be tested by an allergist for sensitivity to this stuff and other things in his life..

Your sales rep was very creative...I have been in the business for many years..I have never heard of any changes in the building industry to address
"safer"materials...The 1985 story was just that..a story...

The highest concentration of Formaldehyde seems to be in home with a lot of pressboard..such as pressboard floors, cabinets, counters..pressboard in made with a Formaldehyde based glue and out gasses much of it over time..

2) Marrlett might very well have pressboard floors...this would only raise the concentration of Formaldehyde.. But Marrlett is owned by the largest builder of homes in the US...Clayton industries and I am sure they do not build home in violation of any federal standards...

I wish your hubby luck with the doctors...This is the best approach to dealing with illness..sometimes illness is nothing more than the years creeping by...

[trmimo]

I would say the retailer was more correct than Rmurray. Before 1985 formaldehyde emmissions were essentially unregulated. Since that time hud has had maximum allowable formaldehyde levels for materials used in large quantities by manufacturers such as plywood, drywall, osb, particleboard etc. Also, in those years most homes transitioned from plywood based wallboards to drywall and celotex based ceilings to drywall both of which have lowered the amount of formaldehyde in new homes.
That said, many people are more sensitive to formaldehyde than others. And keep in mind there are hundreds of components in a new home that your husband could be allergic to.