Browse Forums DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair 1 Feb 08, 2007 8:17 pm Hi all
I am at my witts end . There is a disgusting smell in our kitchen area that I cannot find the source of. I could only describe it as a mixture of really off parmesan cheese and sweaty sports socks. Does anyone have any ideas what it could be? I have done the following to find this: Remove the dishwasher and check behind Remove the fridge from space and check behind Empty out the fridge and clean with vanilla fridge wipe Checked the oven, which was clean Found kitchen tap was leaking, repaired and replaced the water damaged melamime (but this wasn't the source of the smell) Got up on the roof, removed tiles and looked in the space for something dead - could not smell anything Got inside the roofspace, removed all the insulation around the area and checked, could not find the smell in there Stuck my head in the ducted heating air return, but could not find source Removed the vent cover on the duct in the kitchen to try and find smell Removed the skylight cover, could not find the source The smell seems to be coming from the ceiling area which made me think something must have died up there. Any ideas would be appreciated, short of me ripping the plaster off the ceiling. Thanks Tony Re: Disgusting smell in the house, driving us mad 2Feb 09, 2007 1:09 pm Could something be stuck in the U bend of your sink? I found it 3Feb 10, 2007 1:51 pm Thanks 3timesbuilda, I put draino down the sink but this did not solve the problem. I was sure it was up in the roof so I got back in there and checked again - still no luck.
Then I noticed that the pot plant on top of the fridge was looking sad. Turns out it had been overwatered and there was a heap of smelly water in the tray. Anyway, at least the smell led me to find a leaking tap and damage kitchen cabinet which needed repairing. Re: Disgusting smell in the house, driving us mad 6Jun 11, 2007 11:30 pm Wow man, you are having a hard time-sorry to hear that!
If it's any consolation, I have been dealing with odour problems for many years and am an accredited odour remediation technician. Clearly, you have been pretty damn exhaustive in trying to locate the SOURCE of the odour, so you are on the right track. Locating and removing the odour source is the first principal of odour remediation. A few questions and comments..... Can you describe the general building materials and construction? Think carefully..... are there any patterns or cycles as to when the odour is most prominent? (with various weather, day/night, time of day etc) How long have you been having the problem? Did it suddenly or gradually occur? Has it diminished in that time? The more info you can provide, the better the chances of finding the solution! It may be worthwhile having a qualified technician attend the property. Can you tell me which suburb you're in, and if you like, I can source a tech for you. (Costs may possibly even be covered by insurance depending on your policy). My gut feeling is that the odour is related to the water-damage you reported. A tech can inspect and measure* to see if there is any remaining water-damaged materials that may be supporting the odour. Keep in mind that many materials will remain damp for months after exposure, and unless professionally remediated, may remain damp. As it does, it can support abundant microbial growth, including various species of fungi. Only a qualified tech can determine these factors. * In certain cases, specialists with IR cameras are required to detect moisture problems in difficult to access areas. If I'm right and odours are related to moisture, effective drying procedures are necessary. Anti-microbial treatments may also be required. Ash. Re: Disgusting smell in the house, driving us mad 7Jun 12, 2007 1:09 am Tony, just thinking a bit more about your situation...
Have you emptied the pantry? I'd suggest being very thorough, and look for any areas that food may be. Decomposing food can get pretty high! Also, you say the odour seems to be in a certain area, but try thinking laterally.... its not uncommon for there to be transferred odours from other areas. Certain eddies and air-currents from various sources can make an odour from a totally different area become high in another area. Think about ventilation, fans, draughts etc, and consider if it may be coming from another area altogether. Ash. Re: I found it 8Jun 12, 2007 7:13 am uncle_ant Then I noticed that the pot plant on top of the fridge was looking sad. Turns out it had been overwatered and there was a heap of smelly water in the tray. I think the offensive odour has been found... back in February. Re: I found it 9Jun 18, 2007 10:25 pm Cookiemonster uncle_ant Then I noticed that the pot plant on top of the fridge was looking sad. Turns out it had been overwatered and there was a heap of smelly water in the tray. I think the offensive odour has been found... back in February. Hi Cookiemonster Yep, you are right. I laugh now that I turned to the forum for an answer. You know the smell of when water goes bad in a vase of flowers? Well, it was nothing like that more like something was dead in the roof. Ash, I went mad trying to find it as the plant was not obviously the source. The smell was also general, you couldn't really tell where it was coming from, except it seemed to be up higher. This made me go into the roof space and start pulling up the insulation to see if I could find it! I also, cleaned out the fridge and underneath the sink. The sink had been leaking so I replaced the melamime and stopped the leak - but that wasn't it. I think it took about three or four days to find the problem, and thankfully no visitors in that time. Tony Re: Disgusting smell in the house, driving us mad 10Jun 18, 2007 10:41 pm Will pay MUCH MORE attention to dates of posts in future! Thought it was a current issue when I responded.
Anyway you got to the source and sorted it (and a few other things that needed attention) so that's the main thing. A final word...... Having pot plants inside the home is not a good idea. I've studied indoor air quality quite extensively, and would suggest if anyone has them, take them outside where they belong! Ash. Re: Disgusting smell in the house, driving us mad 11Jun 19, 2007 7:54 am royalblue Having pot plants inside the home is not a good idea. I've studied indoor air quality quite extensively, and would suggest if anyone has them, take them outside where they belong! Really? Everything I've seen in my limited reading on the subject has said that plants are great air cleaners? Can you elaborate on your reasoning please? Re: Disgusting smell in the house, driving us mad 12Jun 19, 2007 10:56 am In a lecture I attended some years ago by a leading environmental toxicologist, there were a lot of studies outlined. From memory, what he said was that a study was conducted to test the concept you refer to.
Yes, plants in theory are good 'air cleaners' (absorbing CO2 and releasing oxygen) but to have a beneficial affect, there would almost need to be a forest of plants in the room, something like 3 per square metre, and there was statistical data he presented. So, the real benefit in these terms is negligible. The real problem is that the plants grow in wet microbe laden supporting materials. The fungi etc in the soil when introduced into an indoor living environment can have a very negative impact on air quality, and become quite unhealthy. The possibility of water damage to local materials due to spills, leaks and over-watering increases too. I have seen many carpets that have rotted due to pot-plant spills. Keep in mind that the microbes that exist in soil are a natural part of the outdoor environment, but outside, the organisms are kept in balance by outside elements such as sunlight. Introduce these same microbes into a sealed indoor environment without the balancing sunlight, and fungal spores and mycotoxins can quickly proliferate and contaminate the air. Don't understimate the potential toxicity of these things! Ash. Re: Disgusting smell in the house, driving us mad 13Jun 19, 2007 11:01 am Interesting.
Did they suggest a solution to the problems of chemical releases from carpets/furniture etc? Re: Disgusting smell in the house, driving us mad 14Jun 19, 2007 11:25 am Yes............
Open windows allowing cross-ventilation on a regular basis. Again studies were presented, showing dramatic reduction in indoor pollutants with this simple practice. Funny that we need a university and umpteen experts to tell us what is basically common sense. Ash. Re: Disgusting smell in the house, driving us mad 15Jun 19, 2007 11:33 am I guess a lot of people are trying to avoid too much ventilation because we're always told to prevent all drafts (spelling?) to be energy efficient. Re: Disgusting smell in the house, driving us mad 16Jun 19, 2007 7:31 pm Parker you are exactly right!
Buildings have become more and more tightly sealed over the last few decades, and that is the main reason that indoor air quality has become a major issue, and is rated by the world health organisation as (from memory) the 5th most serious health issue. Asthma and chemical sensitivities have become commonplace. And all because we create tight little micro-environments and fill them up with all sorts of toxins and allergens. In many cases, the air we breathe at home will be at least 5 times more toxic than outdoor air in a heavy industrial area. We are seeing a lot more intelligent building designs these days though. Sure, thermal efficiency is certainly important, and by insulating and sealing our homes, we may be using less energy, but we should be aware of the need to regularly open up so that the load of airborne pollutants is diluted and the air refreshed. It doesn't take much, but it should be routine. I'll see if I can find a site with more info to post here. Ash. Re: Disgusting smell in the house, driving us mad 17Oct 31, 2007 10:22 pm this has been a good show to watch
http://isyourhousekillingyou.sbs.com.au/home/ Re: Disgusting smell in the house, driving us mad 18Oct 31, 2007 11:03 pm Fu Manchu this has been a good show to watch http://isyourhousekillingyou.sbs.com.au/home/ Yes, I know Dr Peter Kemp and Dr Peter Dingle that were behind that program. Peter Kemp and his wife Dr Heike Neumeister-Kemp run a Perth based business called Mycologia Australia. see www.mould.com.au Ash. You’re on the right track, wire brush in a grinder then a zinc rich epoxy primer then a top coat of some sort, like a waterproofing membrane. Raising the concrete would… 1 7020 How good is Simeon?! Always taking time to help others out! Wish we were building in NSW and could work together. Thanks for all that you do! 7 6550 Really tight at the top of the stairs- how to get furniture into those rooms? Study books - does anyone really use them these days? Large storage closet would be more functional. 2 6882 |