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Help with VOCs from strong basement outgassing (Kilz)

T Bone
3 years ago

So I bought a flipped house 1 month ago. When I toured the house there was a strong chemical / paint odor, but my agent said that most flipped houses smell this way as it was just renovated. Fine, that makes sense.


I moved in and tried to air it out, but the very strong chemical odor has persisted particularly in the basement. House is not large, 1100 sq ft ranch. I can get the smell essentially gone on the main level with fans / open windows, but as soon as I close off the windows and turn on AC or heat, the smell is cycled up from the basement and returns. I've been running fans in the basement w/ open windows every day, smell returns within hours once things are shut off.


The smell is so strong it permeates all clothing and fabric. I trade my 7-year old with her mother every other week, and she has complained that all her clothes and stuffed animals reek of the odor - and it cannot be rid even after washing the stuffed animals. Bought 2 air purifiers based on top reviews on Consumer Reports, not clear they help (though they might some).


So I bought a VOC sensor that also tracks Temp, Humidity, CO2, and 2.5um particles. It is a TVOC sensor (total VOC), so it does not differentiate individual components. I extensively tested the sensor after purchasing it. I left it sitting for one day in same conditions (fresh air from windows/fans), then brought in old bottle of motor oil and opened it right in front of the sensor. It responded within minutes going up on VOC reading by 50%. Once I removed the oil bottle the VOC reading went back down to previous level. The readings also seem to make sense - they track with (but lag behind) temperature, and it is fairly well established that higher temperature causes more VOC outgassing.


The VOCs respond generally as you would expect - when the windows are open and fans are going they drop like a rock. When everything is shut down w/ AC or heat they go up, but they go up much more with heat. With the heater on the range for VOCs is 400-500 ppb, which is absolutely *unacceptable*. World Health Organization standard is less than 100 ppb TVOC for indoor air. Even with fans and windows it rarely falls below 100 ppb. CA standard is less than 20 ppb. European standard is very low as well.


I have a 7-year-old in here half the time and must get the levels *down*. Had the flipper's contracting worker in here to fix something (not the company owner but one of the guys that actually did the work to flip my actual home) and I took him into the basement and asked him what he thinks the smell is. Right away he said its the Kilz oil primer used to seal the basement walls, has a very strong odor that lasts a while he said. This guy does this work all the time, he probably knows.


How can I get the VOCs gone ASAP? Please help if you can.


Thank you!



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