| Handyman Advise
Posted: 9/2/2006 3:16:33 PM | I am hoping that someone or many someones might have some ideas.
I have been trying to get an odour out of my teenage daughter's room for a while now. Thinking of course that she had some moldy dishes or something in her room :P
I have had no success.
Today I decided that I would rip up her carpet and see if I could discover anything.
Have you ever been to summer camp? The smell of damp and musty mattresses? Well that is the smell....and it got worse as I pulled up the carpet.
She has a basement room, and upon looking at the floor I can discover no water marks or any indication of water coming throught the floor.
The carpet and underlay are slightly damp.....nothing more, there is no mold to see, but the smell is almost enough to kill you.
Now that I have figured out where the smell is coming from, I am stuck. What do I do next? How does one get rid of the smell? Of course finances become an issue, as I think of ripping the whole carpet out and starting over, as well my skills as a handywoman are limited (I can hang pictures)
Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated. | |
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Posted: 9/2/2006 3:19:25 PM | | Paint the floor with a sealer and romove the dead body from her closet!!!!! | |
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Posted: 9/2/2006 3:25:26 PM | Wash the floor and walls down with some mold/mildew remover....and rinse it good...be careful not to breathe in too much of that stuff but it will get rid of that musty smell. I don't think I'd put more carpet in though because since it is the basement it's probably damp...maybe flooring would be better-even better on a raised sub floor...maybe a dehumidifier would keep the moisture down too...
Good luck. | |
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Posted: 9/2/2006 3:38:01 PM | is the carpet damp to the touch at any location?
Sounds like there may be a small crack somewhere and just enough moisture is coming in that it won't dry up, but at the same time, doesn't show where it is coming in.
This has been a year for this kind of thing to happen, as mentioned above, a sealer, some wash down and ,may be some luck. Can't give a real opinion without actually seeing it and checking things out in full detail.
I just did a job where it was discovered a section of wall was not poured back in the fifties, and with all of last years rains, it only started leaking this year. It was a 1 month fix up and to the tune of 6 grand.
Hope your situaion is not as bad as that one!! | |
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Posted: 9/2/2006 3:39:16 PM | | well its unlikely the floor but have u checked the insulation in the walls? u may have a crack or seepage thru the walls soaking into the insulation making it stink, also make sure the insulation doesnt go right to the floor as it should only go down 4 ft from the top of the foundation ie frost line.to do that u may have to pull the sheeting off the walls tho but i guess thats all ya can do to find out , foundations crack over time depending on the grade of concrete used , but better to find out for sure tho before the repair is to far along | |
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Posted: 9/2/2006 4:10:23 PM | When all else fails a girl phones her mom. Her opinion was much like some here. Buy some stuff to clean it and seal the floor. However that is a technical as she got buy some "stuff" She also told me to rip out the carpet and get rid of it, as the mold is in the carpet and you can't get it out.
As for the walls, I felt around and pressed on them to see if they were weak, didn't find any evidence.
Question? If I clean it and seal it, will it come back if there is that small crack that was mentioned?
Maybe I need to move  | |
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| Handyman Advise
Posted: 9/2/2006 5:06:40 PM | | If you want to know if you've got mold in your insulation, remove a chunk of baseboard by an outside corner. Take a screwdriver, stick it through the drywall, and see if you can pull a peice of insulation through. If it's black, it's moldy. | |
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Posted: 9/2/2006 5:16:16 PM | u cant just seal the floor if thats not the problem are ur walls drywall or panelling?
the smell most likely is in the walls
or could even b dead mice in the ceiling
or livin ones pooping alot lol | |
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Posted: 9/2/2006 5:53:12 PM | I have ripped out all the carpet and the underlay....already the room is smelling better already.
My next step is to clean it all with TSP. Then gonna get some sealer.
Pretty sure now that it is not in the walls at all.
But the thought of live mice was sooooooo appealing!! | |
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Posted: 9/2/2006 5:57:24 PM | hhaha well b thankful it was snakes
i pulled 5 pails of garter snakes outa my basement walls when i bought my house 5 yrs ago lol | |
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Posted: 9/2/2006 5:59:50 PM | Geez!! What a thought!! I am only crawling around on my hands and knees at the moment. Don't want to find ANYTHING like that.
Didn't realize how much garbage one would have after doing this.......my house looks like a freaking cyclone has hit it.
Wonder if I could just put a for sale sign up now and get the hell out | |
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Posted: 9/2/2006 7:27:01 PM | with any luck it was just damp air collecting in the floor etc.
after you seal it up, if it comes back, you might want to hit it with a good dose of febreeze and SELL!!! | |
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Posted: 9/3/2006 8:12:38 AM | hmm i just thought ya may wanna check the sewer drain as well.it might b backing up or gurgling in the night that could b expelling gasses into ur basement as well
the water evaporates over time as well and may open the trap enuf for smells to come in. , just someething to look at
try dumping 5 gallons of water down it n see if it goes down fast n good | |
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Posted: 9/3/2006 8:24:22 AM | If you suspect moisture/water damage i Immediately suggest (as a quick fix mind you) a primer/sealant for the bare basement floor under the new layed carpeting. with that being done a Fresh coat of paint on the walls, trim & ceiling may be in order as well. a clean room is a happy room lol.
-Brad | |
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Posted: 9/3/2006 8:28:42 AM | In the past i have run into a damp musty smelll when there is poor air circulation in a basement. Make sure that there is good air flow when the furnace comes on or put a room fan in so that it keeps the air changing out in the room with the rest of the house. If you have a low air movement area it does not have to be damp to the touch to have that smell.The mold remover and a Sealer for the basement floor are good ideas as well but they have already been mentioned.
If that does not work maybe you will have to have an open coffee for all the adviser's and a prize to the one that comes up with the most original....err the solution i mean. | |
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Posted: 9/3/2006 10:05:49 AM | | what would Keneau Reeves have done in a situations like this? | |
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Posted: 9/3/2006 10:42:46 AM | Vin you kill me!! Cgyguy...here is a question about the air circulation. Kinda makes bells go off in my head when you said this.
My daughter is a freak. She fears bugs coming through her window. So I sealed off her window with plastic and it has been that way for a year. She never opens her window, and hardly every opens her door (which is probably safe for the rest of the household)
Could the fact that was little to no air circulation cause the moisture to have happened on the floor under the carpet?
The room smells much better already just getting rid of the carpet and underlay...and of course washing the floor with bleach. Today I am out to buy that sealer.....(wish I was rafting instead) But for future occurances, the air thing has my attention.
Anyone know how to lay carpet? | |
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Posted: 9/3/2006 10:51:21 AM | | Might be easier just to get rid of the teenage | |
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~Dew
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Joined: 10/7/2005
Msg: 19 | |
| Handyman Advise
Posted: 9/3/2006 10:56:17 AM | | How rough is the concrete? I know someone who (in their basement) once the concrete was sealed, they painted it with the type of paint used on boat decks then threw an area rug over it! Was easy, and much less expensive then re-carpeting. | |
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Posted: 9/3/2006 12:39:41 PM | Yes it could trap what moisture is in the air and with out any air movement after a while it will develop that moldy smell. if you are not going to change anything else i think you are going to have the same problem again in time... there are things you can do to encourage more air flow in the room, air ducts are they open or closed a cold air return close by?
how close to the floor does the door come? it should have some space to allow air movement there too.
just a thought or two.... | |
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Posted: 9/3/2006 5:54:46 PM | Telsa4:
I have a friend that can get you a good deal on crpet, and do the install. He has been an installer for quite a few years. contact me if you want his name and number | |
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Posted: 9/3/2006 5:59:11 PM | Do not do a thing until you have discovered where th excess moisture is coming from, lest you wanna do it over! Is there a sump pump? How close is it? Is it working? Too many factors!
Of course, I tend to overdo things ever since "holmes on homes" came on! | |
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Posted: 9/3/2006 6:02:00 PM | Shhh don't say that now......I have already painted the floor!! I don't like to leave things undone, and when I start something I want to get it finished quickly.
I will have to let you know about the carpet.....need to save my pennies up first. | |
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Posted: 9/3/2006 6:08:26 PM | | Allrighty then, an area rug and "for sale" sign tends to do wonders! | |
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Posted: 8/25/2008 12:15:20 AM | | If she never opens the door to let fresh air in moisture just from a body after time would build up in the mattress(futon especially) and transfer to the carpet you could tell simply by the fact that the carpets socking wet just around the mattress and away from it dry that much moisture in a mattress makes for a very cold sleep health wise and if you smell mold even worse for your daughter. raise the bed so ventilation gets under and you will get rid of condensation and have a warmer bed to sleep. Ran into this problem years ago at a friends basement apartment. | |
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