As I've mentioned in a couple of threads, we've recently bought a house. Well, a triplex actually. It's a huge 1918 stucco house, originally a duplex, that in the 50s was turned into a triplex by dividing one of the sides into two units. Twice, since moving in, that house has smelled like...well, like crap frankly (and literally). It's not us. It's not the catbox, or the cat choosing to relieve herself somewhere other than her box. The smell has been present either in the upstairs or downstairs hallway (both halls are connected by the stairs), but never both at the same time. We use all of our drains, so it isn't that there is a trap that has gone dry. I'm pretty sure that the stink pipe isn't plugged, so that's not it. The smell is only occurring in rooms that have neither pipes nor drains in them. The previous owner of the building says that she was unaware of this ever happening, but I would guess that her tenants simply didn't tell her about it. I'm going to ask my tenants if they ever smell anything like that, but I'm really at a loss, at this point, as to what this might be.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
Could be a dead body beneath the floors or in the walls or something.
Bad smells in places (like hotel rooms) are often because of dead bodies... it's one of those urban legends that's true.
Icky thoughts.
-Katarain
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Did you hire a building inspector to evaluate the property?
I'm guessing no, or if you did, he didn't notice the smell. Which suggests either it's a recent phenomenon or the inspector can't smell.
Is there something in the area? Does it smell like frankly crap when you step outside?
If not, then start from the ground up - possibly something got under the house or something died in the vent system.
-Trevor
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
My first reaction is to check the diaper and see if it needs changing. That's probably not much help, though.
Posted by kaioshin00 (Member # 3740) on :
Maybe your drains and pipes are scented, and thus the rooms that don't have them contain the 'true' smell of the house.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
Also could be something rotten in your garbage or fridge.
-Katarain
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
i'm assuming these rooms aren't carpeted, or you've already checked the carpeting?
My local carpet cleaning company once said something about they have a spray that they can apply to carpets -- and it makes the areas of "stain" really stand out (like if a pet peed on a rug -- it would show it up brightly so they would know where to pre-treat). Perhaps you can get something like that to see if there is a residual smell???
Sometimes increased humidity in the air will make smells come out that you don't notice otherwise.
FG
Posted by skillery (Member # 6209) on :
Empty traps in your floor drains? Do you have one in the basement or in your laundry room? There's usually one near your water heater.
Posted by dabbler (Member # 6443) on :
Could be a dead squirrel or dead mice. Ick.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Quit eating the beans for breakfast.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
We did have the house inspected before we bought it, of course, and the inspectors did a really great, really thorough job--I followed them around for all four hours of the inspection, and there definitely wasn't any kind of stench at that point. This smell comes and goes--a week or so ago was the first time I smelled it, and my wife called me and told me that she could smell it this morning after I'd left for work. When we first smelled it last week my initial thought was that something had either died or gone to the bathroom in the walls, but since the smell abated after about 18 hours, I assume that that wasn't the case.
Farmgirl, your idea about the carpets and increased humidity is a good one. The areas in question are carpeted. We had them steam cleaned before we moved in, but I don't think that the cleaners did the best job in the world. Now, I did get down and sniff at the carpet in the effected area last week, and didn't notice anything that seemed like the source of the problem, but my nose isn't very sensitive, so that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I'll have to call a carpet cleaning place and ask them about the substance you were talking about. I know that urine shows up well under a black light. Maybe in the meantime I'll go buy a black light and see what it reveals--if there were pets crapping on this carpet, they were undoubtedly peeing on it as well.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Dan's and everybody else's funny comments.
Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
When we bought our last house, the owner's dog was left in the master bedroom all day while they moved. Of course it peed - a lot.
The carpet was ruined and had to be removed. But the flooring underneath was also stained. We had to let it air out several days before we could put new carpet down. Even if your carpets have been cleaned, you still might be getting a smell from underneath.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Septic system?
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
I agree that it's a body.
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
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Dan's and everybody else's funny comments.
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