A strange smell in one room has returned after not smelling it for 5 month..

TonyTurbo78 · 20 Apr 2018 at 20:26

Hi guys,

We moved into this house back in October last year. The house smelt particularly bad but looking at the state of the house and the previous owners, we put it down to that originally. Over October and November we gutted the house, lifted all carpets and underlay put down fresh carpets and underay right through the place. Redecorated rooms, plastered ceilings, fresh paint and rads throug out etc etc. Gradually the smell went from the house but remained in one bedroom a little longer. Around Xmas the smell totally left the house and we thought nothing more of it, until today. It' back again in the same bedroom but only in that one room. It's in our second bedroom. There is no smell in the loft above that bedroom. The bedroom is above the lounge which does have a fireplace which hasn't been used for years, I thought maybe the chimney brest or flu might be the cause but there is zero smell when I move the fire out and stick my head in the chimney so that rules out that. The smell just seems to be in that one room. When the Windows are open it doesn't blow the smell away either. I wouldn' call it a damp mouldy smell, but I've no idea what kinda smell to describe it as.

What can I do? Who would you suggest I call to figure out what in God's name this smell is and why it is back again? I guess it could be linked to the warm weather maybe?

It's really bothering me now not knowing what it is, who to call and how to get rid of it.

oap · 20 Apr 2018 at 22:37

Poltergeist!
Who you gonna call?

mjd · 20 Apr 2018 at 22:40

Without some sort of idea as to what it smells of, I can see your problem. Personally I wouldn't entertain getting anyone in until you can describe what it smells like.

Is the smell stronger at any particular part of the room - at the floor, ceiling, one wall?

I don't think sniffing around at the fireplace on the ground floor necessarily rules out a problem further up.

Is the chimney capped?
Has the chimney been swept recently?
Any chance something has crawled in and died?

Buffman · 20 Apr 2018 at 23:30

Probably dead rat under the floorboards or something dead behind the chimney

TonyTurbo78 · 20 Apr 2018 at 23:39

It hasn't been smelling for 4 or 5 months though guys, surely if it was a dead animal it would have been smelling 24/7. And 7+ months surely any animal would have decomposed completely by now. There' also no flies around at all.

Regarding chimney, it is capped. It's not an open fire brickwork chimney, it's got one of those metal caps on the very top so I doubt any animal could get in.

There is no smell at all in the loft directly above the bedroom.

Regarding describing a smell, that's a tough one. It' definitely not a damp smell. Definitely not a dead smell either. Maybe it's a bit musty/woody.

The smell is strongest closest to the window but now it' starting to spread into the upstairs hallway. Opening Windows does not get rid of it.

gEd · 21 Apr 2018 at 00:00

I guess the warm weather has warmed up whatever the source of the smell is.
Rotting window sill or frame perhaps?
are the walls in that room papered or paint on plaster?
Is the smell stronger near the floor under the window?
bizarre really...
The problem is that I find your nose can shut down after a while and you stop being able to detect the smell. Our semi-basement has an odour related to a small bit of damp. When we come back from a holiday or weekend away, it is easy to smell but 24 hours later, your brain has filtered it out.

Quartz · 21 Apr 2018 at 00:19

That absolutely screams 'DRY ROT' to me. Get it checked pronto.

TonyTurbo78 · 21 Apr 2018 at 00:20

Strangely, the smell in that room has totally gone, we closed the window this evening to try and really pin point where It was smelling strongest. I did smell the frame earlier but nothing, no strengthening of smell up close.

The room is painted on walls. New carpet, underlay, radiator and furniture.

gort · 21 Apr 2018 at 08:58

TTIUWP
Post a picture of the smell. Maybe someone can then identify it.

TonyTurbo78 · 21 Apr 2018 at 15:15

Still no smell today at all. We kept the Windows and blinds closed since last night thinking the smell might be coming in to that room only from that corner of the house. Annoyingly the sun isn' shining here today, I reckon it' something to do with the heat as the sun moves around to the back of the house around 3pm. I kinda recall only smelling it in the evening yesterday.

LOAM · 21 Apr 2018 at 19:31

Squirrel nest in the eaves?

ANDARIAL · 21 Apr 2018 at 21:11

Quartz said:
That absolutely screams 'DRY ROT' to me. Get it checked pronto.

Thinking the same here too

Sandycheeks · 22 Apr 2018 at 00:03

It must be your top lip.
I once had a strange fishy? smell and it turned out to be an old (but still in use) electrical socket.

jellybeard999 · 22 Apr 2018 at 18:12

Sandycheeks said:
It must be your top lip.
I once had a strange fishy? smell and it turned out to be an old (but still in use) electrical socket.

Parents had this and it was the shower switch.