New home came with lingering odors. Help

[Morac]

I just moved into a 10 year old townhouse. I found out from my home
inspector that the previous owners were very untidy people. They
hardly ever cleaned (I'm guessing they didn't at all) and they never
changed the furnace air filter in the 5 year they owned the place (the
thing looked like a giant dust ball). The vent fan in the master
bathroom was broken, but my home inspector said he saw no signs of
mold or mildew in the bathroom. The fan was replaced. There were
lots of other little problems and a few major ones (garage door was
rotting and sliding door seal broken and moisture got in).

The previous owners must have been using an air freshener (I think
they had scented candles) because the moment I stepped into the door
after they moved out I smelled a strange musty smell throughout the
whole house. It's kind of hard to explain, kind of an "old dingy
closet" smell. In addition the bathrooms had a "soap" smell to them,
most likely because of all the soap scum on the tub. The water in the
place has a mild taste/odor to it but not bad enough to explain what
I'm smelling in the whole house.

The first night there I noticed my nose started to get stuffed up and
my snot was slightly bloody. Over the next few days I've started
coughing a lot and have had a runny nose. Today I feel somewhat weak
as if I have a cold or flu (though I'm not coughing as much).
Getting sick might have been a coincidence or due to stress, but I'm
beginning to doubt that.

The previous owners had a tiny little dog (it didn't seem to smell)
and a baby so I had the carpets steam cleaned with a truck mounted
device. They put down deodorizer and use detergent and hot water.
They did not use any sanitizing agent such as bleach or the like.
Even after doing some areas twice the carpet was still discolored. I
was told it was worn out and that it would have to be replaced.

I then had a cleaning service come in and do a rather thorough job of
cleaning the place. They didn't wash down the walls or ceiling
though.

Finally I spray Fabreese all over the house.

The smell went away (or was masked) for about a day and then returned.
It seems worse in certain places like the master bedroom closet
(there's a panel in there going somewhere, not sure where), one of the
guest bedrooms and the storage closet in the finished basement (which
raps around under the stairs and is partialy carpetted). The stairway
down to the basement also smells, but that smells more like motor oil
since the door to the garage is halfway down the stairs. The basement
has carpetting and a "cardboard" tile ceiling (like you see in office
buildings). I saw no sign of water damage at all, but the place was
very dirty and the air intake vents were filthy.

Yesterday there was a damp dank smell to the place which seemed
strongest in the basement and the master bedroom closet. It went away
partially after opening all the windows and letting the house
temperature go down to about 50 degrees F. I also left one window
open last night.

I was told I can spray diluted bleach on everything, but that sounds
drastic and has a potential to damage things. I've also been told I
should get an allergenic (carbon) air filter for the furnace and to
just run the fan.

My question is what can I do to get rid of these odor(s)?

Should I have my ducts cleaned out since the previous owner never
changed the air filter?

Any ideas?

[HS]

Morac,
I feel your pain. I have a bloodhound nose and any type of smell can really
affect my mood quite a bit. You definitely need to replace your carpet and
the padding. I'm sure that will improve your situation quite a bit. Clean
the walls and repaint - that would help too. After the old carpet is
removed, you may notice damp areas or mold, I don't know. Time to bleach
that old floor. If the previous owners were untidy, that's already a
negative. Having a pet is a double dose of the problem. As you already
found out, carpet steaming will not help your situation at all. After doing
all these which will cost you $$, you may want to invest in a whole house
air cleaner system that would installed near the air filter.

Don't worry, take it one step at a time :-) Congratulations on your new
home. Once all this work is done, you'll be alright.


"Morac" <morac99-usenet@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c9758464.0310231115.1ba69a4e@posting.google.c om...
> I just moved into a 10 year old townhouse. I found out from my home
> inspector that the previous owners were very untidy people. They
> hardly ever cleaned (I'm guessing they didn't at all) and they never
> changed the furnace air filter in the 5 year they owned the place (the
> thing looked like a giant dust ball). The vent fan in the master
> bathroom was broken, but my home inspector said he saw no signs of
> mold or mildew in the bathroom. The fan was replaced. There were
> lots of other little problems and a few major ones (garage door was
> rotting and sliding door seal broken and moisture got in).
>
> The previous owners must have been using an air freshener (I think
> they had scented candles) because the moment I stepped into the door
> after they moved out I smelled a strange musty smell throughout the
> whole house. It's kind of hard to explain, kind of an "old dingy
> closet" smell. In addition the bathrooms had a "soap" smell to them,
> most likely because of all the soap scum on the tub. The water in the
> place has a mild taste/odor to it but not bad enough to explain what
> I'm smelling in the whole house.
>
> The first night there I noticed my nose started to get stuffed up and
> my snot was slightly bloody. Over the next few days I've started
> coughing a lot and have had a runny nose. Today I feel somewhat weak
> as if I have a cold or flu (though I'm not coughing as much).
> Getting sick might have been a coincidence or due to stress, but I'm
> beginning to doubt that.
>
> The previous owners had a tiny little dog (it didn't seem to smell)
> and a baby so I had the carpets steam cleaned with a truck mounted
> device. They put down deodorizer and use detergent and hot water.
> They did not use any sanitizing agent such as bleach or the like.
> Even after doing some areas twice the carpet was still discolored. I
> was told it was worn out and that it would have to be replaced.
>
> I then had a cleaning service come in and do a rather thorough job of
> cleaning the place. They didn't wash down the walls or ceiling
> though.
>
> Finally I spray Fabreese all over the house.
>
> The smell went away (or was masked) for about a day and then returned.
> It seems worse in certain places like the master bedroom closet
> (there's a panel in there going somewhere, not sure where), one of the
> guest bedrooms and the storage closet in the finished basement (which
> raps around under the stairs and is partialy carpetted). The stairway
> down to the basement also smells, but that smells more like motor oil
> since the door to the garage is halfway down the stairs. The basement
> has carpetting and a "cardboard" tile ceiling (like you see in office
> buildings). I saw no sign of water damage at all, but the place was
> very dirty and the air intake vents were filthy.
>
> Yesterday there was a damp dank smell to the place which seemed
> strongest in the basement and the master bedroom closet. It went away
> partially after opening all the windows and letting the house
> temperature go down to about 50 degrees F. I also left one window
> open last night.
>
> I was told I can spray diluted bleach on everything, but that sounds
> drastic and has a potential to damage things. I've also been told I
> should get an allergenic (carbon) air filter for the furnace and to
> just run the fan.
>
> My question is what can I do to get rid of these odor(s)?
>
> Should I have my ducts cleaned out since the previous owner never
> changed the air filter?
>
> Any ideas?

[Vox Humana]

"Morac" <morac99-usenet@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c9758464.0310231115.1ba69a4e@posting.google.c om...
> I just moved into a 10 year old townhouse. I found out from my home
> inspector that the previous owners were very untidy people. They
> hardly ever cleaned (I'm guessing they didn't at all) and they never
> changed the furnace air filter in the 5 year they owned the place (the
> thing looked like a giant dust ball). The vent fan in the master
> bathroom was broken, but my home inspector said he saw no signs of
> mold or mildew in the bathroom. The fan was replaced. There were
> lots of other little problems and a few major ones (garage door was
> rotting and sliding door seal broken and moisture got in).
>
> The previous owners must have been using an air freshener (I think
> they had scented candles) because the moment I stepped into the door
> after they moved out I smelled a strange musty smell throughout the
> whole house. It's kind of hard to explain, kind of an "old dingy
> closet" smell. In addition the bathrooms had a "soap" smell to them,
> most likely because of all the soap scum on the tub. The water in the
> place has a mild taste/odor to it but not bad enough to explain what
> I'm smelling in the whole house.
>
> The first night there I noticed my nose started to get stuffed up and
> my snot was slightly bloody. Over the next few days I've started
> coughing a lot and have had a runny nose. Today I feel somewhat weak
> as if I have a cold or flu (though I'm not coughing as much).
> Getting sick might have been a coincidence or due to stress, but I'm
> beginning to doubt that.
>
> The previous owners had a tiny little dog (it didn't seem to smell)
> and a baby so I had the carpets steam cleaned with a truck mounted
> device. They put down deodorizer and use detergent and hot water.
> They did not use any sanitizing agent such as bleach or the like.
> Even after doing some areas twice the carpet was still discolored. I
> was told it was worn out and that it would have to be replaced.
>
> I then had a cleaning service come in and do a rather thorough job of
> cleaning the place. They didn't wash down the walls or ceiling
> though.
>
> Finally I spray Fabreese all over the house.
>
> The smell went away (or was masked) for about a day and then returned.
> It seems worse in certain places like the master bedroom closet
> (there's a panel in there going somewhere, not sure where), one of the
> guest bedrooms and the storage closet in the finished basement (which
> raps around under the stairs and is partialy carpetted). The stairway
> down to the basement also smells, but that smells more like motor oil
> since the door to the garage is halfway down the stairs. The basement
> has carpetting and a "cardboard" tile ceiling (like you see in office
> buildings). I saw no sign of water damage at all, but the place was
> very dirty and the air intake vents were filthy.
>
> Yesterday there was a damp dank smell to the place which seemed
> strongest in the basement and the master bedroom closet. It went away
> partially after opening all the windows and letting the house
> temperature go down to about 50 degrees F. I also left one window
> open last night.
>
> I was told I can spray diluted bleach on everything, but that sounds
> drastic and has a potential to damage things. I've also been told I
> should get an allergenic (carbon) air filter for the furnace and to
> just run the fan.
>
> My question is what can I do to get rid of these odor(s)?
>
> Should I have my ducts cleaned out since the previous owner never
> changed the air filter?
>
> Any ideas?

First, I would suspect that the place is damp. You don't say where you
live, so it is hard to be too specific. I would first get a dehumidifier
for the basement. Running the AC if the climate is warm will help. Put the
furnace fan to the "on" position so it runs 24/7 to keep the air moving.
You can get electrostatic or electronic filters for your furnace, but that
won't help with the smell, just particulate. Most duct cleaning is a scam.
The only thing that I would consider having done is a cleaning that steams
the ductwork. Anything else is a waste of money.

You can use bleach on hard surfaces, but it will damage most fabric. The
problem is that you don't often see mold on hard surfaces except for shower
surrounds. I would suspect that the carpeting is an issue. I would get rid
of it. I just took out all my carpeting. I cleaned it religiously with a
Steam-N-Vac unit. I couldn't believe how much crap worked its way through
the carpeting and pad. I replaced it with laminate flooring that I got at
Lumber Liquidators for a very good price. The laminate is much easier to
clean and doesn't absorb smell and harbor dust mites.

The next issue is probably the walls. If I were you I would clean them with
TSP and a little bleach. Then I would put on a sealing primer to seal in
the smell. Then I would paint. Don't forget the ceiling. Go to a real
paint store like Sherwin Williams and ask for advice about product
selection.

The combination of the dehumidifier, improved furnace filter (like a 3M
Filtreat filter), running the furnace fan 24/7, cleaning all hard surfaces
with bleach, cleaning/priming/painting the walls, and replacing the
carpeting should take care of your smell problems. If not, sell the place
while it is freshly painted!!!

Remember, moving is very stressful. You may just have a cold and a smelly
house. There might not be a cause and effect relationship between the two.

[Speedy Jim]

Morac wrote:
>
> I just moved into a 10 year old townhouse. I found out from my home
> inspector that the previous owners were very untidy people. They
> hardly ever cleaned (I'm guessing they didn't at all) and they never
> changed the furnace air filter in the 5 year they owned the place (the
> thing looked like a giant dust ball). The vent fan in the master
> bathroom was broken, but my home inspector said he saw no signs of
> mold or mildew in the bathroom. The fan was replaced. There were
> lots of other little problems and a few major ones (garage door was
> rotting and sliding door seal broken and moisture got in).
>
> The previous owners must have been using an air freshener (I think
> they had scented candles) because the moment I stepped into the door
> after they moved out I smelled a strange musty smell throughout the
> whole house. It's kind of hard to explain, kind of an "old dingy
> closet" smell.

<SNIP>

I'm very sorry to say that I think you are in for a "problem house".
You may be particularly sensitive to allergens and/or toxic products
given off by molds. It's quite possible the previous owners were
not sensitive to it and lived happily there.

The "musty" odor is a tip-off to underlying problems. Always an
indicator of moisture problems. Tracking down the source is not
easy. But the fact that you have localized it to the closet area
may be a big help. Start doing detective work. You may have to open
walls up to find the problem. Spraying bleach around willy-nilly
is not the answer and may compound your sensitivity.

Most insurers have dropped mold coverage, but it may be worth asking.

The molds produce what are called mycotoxins. It is these which can
produce severe health problems, not unlike what you have experienced.
There is a wealth of info on the 'Net on the subject. Do this search
to begin your research:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=mycotoxin

There are home test kits and there are commercial inspection services
which may help. Do a search for "mold remediation" or similar.

Not all molds are the dreaded "black mold", but its effects are
serious. To find out about this strain, go here:
http://www.thefairways.com/index.htm

Here's one (commercial) site with some good tips:
http://www.moldcheck.com/MoldCleanUp.asp

Take your time. Don't rush into a hasty "fix".
Do the detective work and the research.

Jim

[Phisherman]

Sheesh. Next time you buy a house check it out. I would not buy a
house with anything rotting, a smell of any kind, or without an
extensive evaluation. If you are in the market to buy a house, buy
and follow a house inspection book first. Okay, I know this doesn't
help your current condition. Remove carpeting, padding, draperies,
etc. A leak or pet stains can cause bad odors. Use a detergent with
bleach added and clean everything. Then go on a weekend vacation
(you'll need it after all that cleaning) and run an ozone generator
while gone.

[John Grabowski]

Lift up your carpets, have your ducts cleaned, and paint the walls are my
suggestions in addition to what everyone else said.





"Morac" <morac99-usenet@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c9758464.0310231115.1ba69a4e@posting.google.c om...
> I just moved into a 10 year old townhouse. I found out from my home
> inspector that the previous owners were very untidy people. They
> hardly ever cleaned (I'm guessing they didn't at all) and they never
> changed the furnace air filter in the 5 year they owned the place (the
> thing looked like a giant dust ball). The vent fan in the master
> bathroom was broken, but my home inspector said he saw no signs of
> mold or mildew in the bathroom. The fan was replaced. There were
> lots of other little problems and a few major ones (garage door was
> rotting and sliding door seal broken and moisture got in).
>
> The previous owners must have been using an air freshener (I think
> they had scented candles) because the moment I stepped into the door
> after they moved out I smelled a strange musty smell throughout the
> whole house. It's kind of hard to explain, kind of an "old dingy
> closet" smell. In addition the bathrooms had a "soap" smell to them,
> most likely because of all the soap scum on the tub. The water in the
> place has a mild taste/odor to it but not bad enough to explain what
> I'm smelling in the whole house.
>
> The first night there I noticed my nose started to get stuffed up and
> my snot was slightly bloody. Over the next few days I've started
> coughing a lot and have had a runny nose. Today I feel somewhat weak
> as if I have a cold or flu (though I'm not coughing as much).
> Getting sick might have been a coincidence or due to stress, but I'm
> beginning to doubt that.
>
> The previous owners had a tiny little dog (it didn't seem to smell)
> and a baby so I had the carpets steam cleaned with a truck mounted
> device. They put down deodorizer and use detergent and hot water.
> They did not use any sanitizing agent such as bleach or the like.
> Even after doing some areas twice the carpet was still discolored. I
> was told it was worn out and that it would have to be replaced.
>
> I then had a cleaning service come in and do a rather thorough job of
> cleaning the place. They didn't wash down the walls or ceiling
> though.
>
> Finally I spray Fabreese all over the house.
>
> The smell went away (or was masked) for about a day and then returned.
> It seems worse in certain places like the master bedroom closet
> (there's a panel in there going somewhere, not sure where), one of the
> guest bedrooms and the storage closet in the finished basement (which
> raps around under the stairs and is partialy carpetted). The stairway
> down to the basement also smells, but that smells more like motor oil
> since the door to the garage is halfway down the stairs. The basement
> has carpetting and a "cardboard" tile ceiling (like you see in office
> buildings). I saw no sign of water damage at all, but the place was
> very dirty and the air intake vents were filthy.
>
> Yesterday there was a damp dank smell to the place which seemed
> strongest in the basement and the master bedroom closet. It went away
> partially after opening all the windows and letting the house
> temperature go down to about 50 degrees F. I also left one window
> open last night.
>
> I was told I can spray diluted bleach on everything, but that sounds
> drastic and has a potential to damage things. I've also been told I
> should get an allergenic (carbon) air filter for the furnace and to
> just run the fan.
>
> My question is what can I do to get rid of these odor(s)?
>
> Should I have my ducts cleaned out since the previous owner never
> changed the air filter?
>
> Any ideas?

[jriegle]

Reminds me of my house when I bought it. It didn't smell so bad when I was
looking at it, but when I moved in - Whoa! I found that they left their dog
inside and it pissed all over the place. I ripped up the carpet to find it
stained the oak floor under it. Then came the fleas I was getting attacked.
My ankles were getting bit up and I couldn't sleep. I pitched a fit and made
the previous owners pay to have the place sprayed.

After scrubbing and new carpeting I got the smell under control.
John



"Morac" <morac99-usenet@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c9758464.0310231115.1ba69a4e@posting.google.c om...
> I just moved into a 10 year old townhouse. I found out from my home
> inspector that the previous owners were very untidy people. They
> hardly ever cleaned (I'm guessing they didn't at all) and they never
> changed the furnace air filter in the 5 year they owned the place (the
> thing looked like a giant dust ball). The vent fan in the master
> bathroom was broken, but my home inspector said he saw no signs of
> mold or mildew in the bathroom. The fan was replaced. There were
> lots of other little problems and a few major ones (garage door was
> rotting and sliding door seal broken and moisture got in).
>
> The previous owners must have been using an air freshener (I think
> they had scented candles) because the moment I stepped into the door
> after they moved out I smelled a strange musty smell throughout the
> whole house. It's kind of hard to explain, kind of an "old dingy
> closet" smell. In addition the bathrooms had a "soap" smell to them,
> most likely because of all the soap scum on the tub. The water in the
> place has a mild taste/odor to it but not bad enough to explain what
> I'm smelling in the whole house.
>
> The first night there I noticed my nose started to get stuffed up and
> my snot was slightly bloody. Over the next few days I've started
> coughing a lot and have had a runny nose. Today I feel somewhat weak
> as if I have a cold or flu (though I'm not coughing as much).
> Getting sick might have been a coincidence or due to stress, but I'm
> beginning to doubt that.
>
> The previous owners had a tiny little dog (it didn't seem to smell)
> and a baby so I had the carpets steam cleaned with a truck mounted
> device. They put down deodorizer and use detergent and hot water.
> They did not use any sanitizing agent such as bleach or the like.
> Even after doing some areas twice the carpet was still discolored. I
> was told it was worn out and that it would have to be replaced.
>
> I then had a cleaning service come in and do a rather thorough job of
> cleaning the place. They didn't wash down the walls or ceiling
> though.
>
> Finally I spray Fabreese all over the house.
>
> The smell went away (or was masked) for about a day and then returned.
> It seems worse in certain places like the master bedroom closet
> (there's a panel in there going somewhere, not sure where), one of the
> guest bedrooms and the storage closet in the finished basement (which
> raps around under the stairs and is partialy carpetted). The stairway
> down to the basement also smells, but that smells more like motor oil
> since the door to the garage is halfway down the stairs. The basement
> has carpetting and a "cardboard" tile ceiling (like you see in office
> buildings). I saw no sign of water damage at all, but the place was
> very dirty and the air intake vents were filthy.
>
> Yesterday there was a damp dank smell to the place which seemed
> strongest in the basement and the master bedroom closet. It went away
> partially after opening all the windows and letting the house
> temperature go down to about 50 degrees F. I also left one window
> open last night.
>
> I was told I can spray diluted bleach on everything, but that sounds
> drastic and has a potential to damage things. I've also been told I
> should get an allergenic (carbon) air filter for the furnace and to
> just run the fan.
>
> My question is what can I do to get rid of these odor(s)?
>
> Should I have my ducts cleaned out since the previous owner never
> changed the air filter?
>
> Any ideas?

[I-zheet M'drurz]

(Sorry, I can't seem to pull up he original post...)

>> It seems worse in certain places like the master bedroom closet
>> (there's a panel in there going somewhere, not sure where), one of

On the other side of the wall from that "panel" - your bathroom
by any chance? (and probably specifically your tub/shower?)

>> Yesterday there was a damp dank smell to the place which seemed
>> strongest in the basement and the master bedroom closet. It went
>> away partially after opening all the windows and letting the house

Wetness. Would you recognize sewer gas if you smelt it? But
that's not necessarily it. Rain much in your town? If so,
you might have a big old roof leak around a vent stack and be
catching a lot of outside water making its way down into the
house and eventually mildewing. Or it could be the fixtures
in that bathtub leaking bend the wall. You might want to
start by pulling that mystery panel and having a look/smell.

Beyond that? Babies don't leave smells like that, neither do
most pets. Pull some registers and eyeball some ductwork.
If they're full of crud or wet, then you've got a possible
solution.

Daring to speak for the newsgroup: please let us know what you
come up with.

--
Baisez-les s'ils ne peuvent pas prendre une plaisanterie
--------------------------------------------------------
Tom Pendergast e-mail is for sissies, say it on line