Source of Terrible Odor in Only One Room?

I moved into this house about 3 years ago. My husband has lived here for 20 years. There has always been a strange odor in his son's room. It smells a bit like sour milk and has been persistent for at least 5 years that I can remember. Anyway, I always thought it was probably something buried n the closet, but we have recently remodeled.

In short the entire room was emptied. The floor and subflooring were removed and replaced and the crawl space has been lined with plastic. The walls have been painted over and even though the closet wasn't painted, I washed the walls and shelves and a few items that were in there with bleach water. Well, that damn smell persists. It never goes away although sometimes it seems stronger than others. The only other thing I can think it might be is that the ceiling is textured and basically is raw plaster (he used the stuff you repair drywall holes on the ceiling). My husband says he can't smell it, but I do as have some guests when I ask them about it. Also we have had the door open for 2 months now without improvement. Help!

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cybergrannie
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October 2, 20180 found this helpful

Best Answer

You say it seems stronger at times - have you tried writing down the time of day it smells stronger? This might give you some indication as to where the odor is coming from. If it is in the afternoon then it may be on the side of the house that gets the most (or least) sun.

I know you have tried walking around the room checking for where the odor is the strongest but have you walked in the closet and closed the door for a few minutes? Take a chair and your phone; close the door and just wait for several minutes to see if it is stronger there so you will know whether to concentrate on the closet or the room.
This may seem silly but that may be the only way to rule out (or in) the closet.
If you rule out the closet, then you can concentrate on the room and since you have all new flooring and painted walls (no odor coming from the walls?) then you may have to concentrate on the ceiling. Others may think you are silly for walking around smelling the walls, floors, window frames, but you have to locate an odor before you can remove it.

Hopefully you used paint that kills anything on the walls but if not then the odor may just bleed through.
You may need to have someone inspect the outside walls of this room to see if there is mold from a leak that has been there for years. It could very well be in the insulation of that wall.
I hope it is in the closet as you may be able to paint the ceiling and reclean the shelves (or remove them?) as it could have been caused by something your husband does not remember happening.
As for your husband not smelling the odor, that is because he has become accustomed to it over the years and it is now just part of the house to him.
People become accustomed to having pets in their homes and do not realize what others may be smelling when they visit.

Judy
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts

October 1, 20180 found this helpful

Maybe there is condensation behind the walls. Check the roof for leaks.

Pghgirl40
Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 196 Feedbacks

October 1, 20180 found this helpful

You may want to invest in a mold check. If there is an outside wall or wall with plumbing it could have had a leak and caused mold. I hope it isn't because it is expensive to remediate, but best to check, know and rule out.

A good home inspection can tell you this. Look for a person who has mold as part of their specific look.

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