Gassy/Old Person Type Smell In Our Master Bedroom

[psrs0810]

We have lived in our home for over 2 years. During the summer months we get this smell in our bedroom. It only surfaces during the hot part of the days. So in the morning and evening we don't smell it.

We had a smoke test done to our sewer system to see if there were any leaks. No leaks but the way they flanged our pluming above the roof line it may allowed some sewer gas back in - we fixed that right away.

I can not find a dead animal.

We can not figure it out.

Also, the house is a split level. So the master bedroom it the highest point.

[AHI in AR]

Sounds to me like you have a gassy old person living in the home. Specifically, in the master bedroom.

Seriously, I suspect that there is something (like animal droppings) in the attic. Animals as big as raccoons are known to inhabit attics around here. Squirrels/mice/rats are also common. And then...are there bats in your gable louvers?

Also, it occurs to me that some people equate the smell of mothballs with old people. (No jokes, please.)

It isn't unusual for people to throw mothballs in the attic to deter rodents. When the attic gets warm, you may notice the smell.

If not, I go back to the animal theory. Whatever the critter is, (or was) the smell finds its way into the living areas under the right conditions.

[waynesoper]

Have you primed and pained all the walls. Sounds like Humidity is activating old farts in the drywall or flooring. Or mabey it's the smell of MONEY. The Money he stuffed in te walls.

[Jim Katen]

. . . Whatever the critter is, (or was) the smell finds its way into the living areas under the right conditions.

Where's that?

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[kurt]

Figuring out smelly houses can be surprisingly tricky.

[SonOfSwamp]

My humble experience is that nasty smells in a house either go away eventually, or they get so bad that anybody can find the source.

WJ

[Terence McCann]

Ever had your home and attic checked for mould?

[AHI in AR]

. . . Whatever the critter is, (or was) the smell finds its way into the living areas under the right conditions.

Where's that?

- Jim Katen, Oregon

Where's what?

[Chad Fabry]

Chinese drywall

[psrs0810]

. . . Whatever the critter is, (or was) the smell finds its way into the living areas under the right conditions.

Where's that?

- Jim Katen, Oregon

Where's what?

[psrs0810]

Thanks for all of your replys.

I have checked for animals and other related things, but I have not come across anything so far.

We did have an air quality test done when we bought the home and one of the tests was in the attic. They did find a little bit of mold, but we had it remediated before we moved in. we also replace the old insulation at that time.

And no chinese drywall. The house was built in the late 40's

Today it's rainy and cool and I can not smell a thing in there.

It baffles us.

[AHI in AR]

Is is possible that it's simply something in the carpet?

[Scottpat]

Some homes just have an odor that you can never find. If it is periodic and only present during certain times of the year or in certain weather conditions, I would say that it is more than likely in the ground and has little to do with the home.

[hausdok]

Dang!

Guess when they boarded up Aunt Ethyl in that wall they didn't seal the plastic well enough.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[RickSab]

I have come across the smell problem twice. Once it was the rubber carpet padding. The second wasa bathroom that was paneled. The walls behind the paneling was never washed. There were 4 young boys in the family that owned the house. All the bleach in the world could not get the smell out of the bathroom. This wasn't found till the bathroom was gutted.

[ktobyk]

??Ozone the room?? ??Thermo-fog the room??

Possible causes

(1)Check for leaking plumbing vent pipes or sewer drain.

(2)Ventilation system could be contaminated, ie dead rat, mice, other.

(3)Vapor intrusion

(4)Paint contaminated

[Erby]

Dead shrimp in the curtain rods???

=============================================

The Curtain Rods

She spent the first day packing her belongings into boxes, crates and suitcases.

On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things.

On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candle light, put on some soft background music and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar and a bottle of Chardonnay.

When she had finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimp shells dipped in caviar, into the hollow of the curtain rods. She then cleaned up the kitchen and left.

When the husband returned with his new girlfriend, all was bliss for the first few days. Then slowly, the house began to smell. They tried everything cleaning, mopping and airing the place out.

Vents were checked for dead rodents and carpets were steam cleaned.

Air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which they had to move out for a few days, and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting.

Nothing worked. People stopped coming over to visit. Repairmen refused to work in the house. The maid quit.

Finally, they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move.

A month later, even though they had cut their price in half, they could not find a buyer for their stinky house. Word got out and eventually even the local Realtors refused to return their calls.

Finally, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.

The ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going. He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly, and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house back.

Knowing his ex-wife had no idea how bad the smell was, he agreed on a price that was about 1/10th of what the house had been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day.

She agreed and within the hour his lawyers delivered the paperwork.

A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home......Including the curtain rods.

[Rob Amaral]

This occurs at the hottest time of the day in summer only... that is when the 'thermal stack-effect' in a house is at it's weakest...

Could be from your attic... that 'ball of hot air' up there wants to get into your house and it can bring 'stuff' (odors) with it..

If you are running AC inside, cold air in your house is sliding-down the basement stairs, pulling attic-air IN..from theattic. I'd bet this is in the attic... have to mosey-around move insulation.... , etc. Need more info though...

[Richard Moore]

Nice hell-hath-no-fury story Erby. Myth or truth?

[Erby]

I've always just heard it as a joke.

But most jokes have some basis in truth, back there somwhere.

Myth or truth? Beats me! Funny nonetheless.

-

[Steven Hockstein]

We have lived in our home for over 2 years. During the summer months we get this smell in our bedroom. It only surfaces during the hot part of the days. So in the morning and evening we don't smell it.

We had a smoke test done to our sewer system to see if there were any leaks. No leaks but the way they flanged our pluming above the roof line it may allowed some sewer gas back in - we fixed that right away.

I can not find a dead animal.

We can not figure it out.

Also, the house is a split level. So the master bedroom it the highest point.

How old are you? What do you eat that is different during the summer?[:-paperba

[Steven Hockstein]

Are there a lot of trees over the house. Did you check the gutters? I see some really disgusting and smelly stuff in gutters. Maybe when the roof is hot it causes some type of convection air flow and brings the odors from the gutters into house.

I suspect that based on the age of the house there are 2 x 6 rafters with no ventilation and there are some sloped roof areas in the upper bedroom.

Just a wild guess.

[robert1966]

Is the bathroom used regular, could be a p-trap or lack of a trap that allows sewer gas to enter the bathroom during hotter periods.