Locating the Source of an Odor in the House?

cybergrannie
Gold Feedback Medal for All Time! 949 Feedbacks

March 30, 20180 found this helpful

Sounds like you are more sensitive to smells than your husband (lucky him!).

• You say you have wood floors and dirt below. Does this mean your house has open area under the wood floor? If it is closed in, has anyone checked to see if the odor is coming from a crawl space under the house?
• Varmints can get in to "warm" areas through very small openings but sometimes die and can cause a bad odor even inside the house.
• If you have AC/heating duck works under your house or even pipework, this could also be a source.
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• The smell will be the strongest when you open up a previously closed room/area so that is why it seems stronger when you open the door.
• I dislike saying this but the smell may always be there but you kinda become "accustomed" to it and cannot tell how strong it is.
• It sounds like it may be a dead varmint either from under your house or in your walls (even small mice smell terrible for several days/weeks).
• You may have to get someone (that has a stronger sense of smell) to check different places with you.
• Maybe walk around outside (low to the ground) and inside; especially in closed up areas (like closets).

Judy
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March 30, 20180 found this helpful

I would check the roof and plumbing for leaks. You also may have some animal or rodent that died between the walls.

attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts

March 30, 20180 found this helpful

How long has the smell been there? If it's musty or rusty, it's probably your piping (we just had that). If it's like death, it probably is a dead animal! I'd want to see what is below.

15mhhm15
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,298 Posts

March 31, 20180 found this helpful

I would call some companies and see if they offer free estimates. My dad had home problems, and we came across honest estimates and they even showed us the problem. :)

haysie
Silver Answer Medal for All Time! 424 Answers

April 1, 20180 found this helpful

It sounds like you will have to get a contractor in who could possibly identify the odor. A really strong odor would seem to be a dead animal, either the crawl way under the house, or a dead animal between the walls.