AboutDavid Deal Expertise Indoor air quality, mold, compliance questions as well. Also, expert on lead, asbestos, radon, and most any other environmental/industrial hygiene issues.
Expert: David Deal Date: 4/10/2008 Subject: Strange odor in home
Question We built a new home and moved in Dec 2006. Shortly after we moved in I began to smell a strange odor on one side of the house. My home is a 1.5 story. At the top of the stairs there is a 8 x 10 landing. If you go left you walk into a very large bonus room w/ a full bath that is over our garage, powder room, and laundry room. If you take a right you have a bedroom. The odor exists in the laundry room powder room area and I almost always smell it, but it stronger at different times. The smell is a bit strange, I would not say kinda smells like dirty water or trash. I can't really describe it. Also, the room over that area also smells, but not the bedroom upstairs, and the doors are always open. I have had plumbers come out and no one can figure it out. I thought it was the studder vent that is located in the attic (also over the same rooms) but we changed it out and it is still there. My husband seems to think it smells more in the Summer. I smell it all the time. The smell upstairs is a bit different than the smell downstairs. Any ideas of where to begin and if it could be plumbing? We also have a septic tank just to let you know. I read one of your other answers about the septic tank not being plugged, would I have a smell like that in my house? Any ideas how to figure this out, it is driving me crazy.
Answer Well, the possibilities are rather endless as to the source. From the odor description, have you considered pests? Cockroaches have a pungent odor similiar as do rats. roaches are rare to be in a home in quantity that new but rats can easily. So can other insects such as bees, ants, etc.
I would think about getting a home inspector, www.ashi.org is good source, to check it out. Get one that specializes in plumbing and one with extensive experiance. Maybe a professional engineer. Cross reference PE claims on anyone with your state's Secretary of State to make certain they really are a PE. You may even check with a commercial inspection group.
I would suspect something with the drains in the rooms combined with the odor.
