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Heating & Air Conditioning Home Repair Other

Sicklingly sweet odor cause?

Kari Dobrzynski

last year

So I'm moved into an older house, with a new installation of a walk in closet in my bedroom. I'm getting a sicklingly offensive sweet like smell, coming from the closet. I don't know what it is. If it's the exposed fiber glass insulation, newer paint, a leakage in the baseboard heaters (there's no sign of a leak), or if there's something dead upstairs beyond the walls. It's causing minor throat irritation. I current have the close doors open and have my window open for air cicrulation and ventilation . Any ideas what it could be and what I could do?? Landlord doesn't seem concerned to even cover up the fiber glass...

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Comments (4)

richardparker
last year
I can't believe I am reading this! I came to Houzz tonight to find out what the icky sweet smell is in my walk in closet of the new condo I bought one month ago. It is very faint but there is one area in the closet that has this strange smell. i smell it every day but other who have come in don't really notice it. It smells like an old lady smell that has a cheap cologne to cover it up. I think it is coming from a person living below me on the first floor, but I have the second and third floor, so could the smell skip a floor? One contractor said they get rid of smells that may be coming in from another area by using an incredibly strong paint (Zinnser odor-removing paint?) that they paint the walls with and then go over with a regular paint, but another contractor said if it is coming from below, paint on the walls won't stop it. I am so scared after reading another article on Houzz that bat guano has a sweet smell. I'll have to get a contractor in and see if there are bats in the attic- they would be right above this space. HELP.
cat_ky
last year
Better to get the contractor to check it all out, so you know and can have repairs made if necessary. I think it is highly unlikely you would smell something from first floor up on your floor, and especially in a closet that is basically closed in completely. If it does turn out to be a health problem, then, at least, you will know, so you can take care of the problem. Its impossible for us here to tell you what it is, all anyone can do is make a guess. They could be spot on with the guess, or way off base. Its something you need to have someone there in the space investigate.
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PRO
Charles Ross Homes
last year
Hi, Kari,

Do you have any heating/air conditioning supply registers in the walk-in closet?
PRO
Charles Ross Homes
last year
Hi, Kari,

I've detected objectionable odors with certain unfaced fiberglass insulation materials prior to drywall installation. Once drywall has been installed, I don't detect them. I suspect they may be still be present, but at low concentration. Many closets--even walk-in closets--are constructed with no HVAC supply registers. If so, there can be poor air circulation and the concentration of indoor pollutants and odors can be higher than in the rest of the home.

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