Preventing smells from next door through wall

TomsMom

Can anyone suggest a remedy for this please?

Part of our house was originally an old stone cottage. Part of one wall is attached to next door and this is in the understairs cupboard in the hall.

We have noticed different kinds of smells coming from next door - no idea what causes them but they vary from disinfectant/TCP type, sometimes a faint sewerage type smell, sometimes a garlic smell and today quite a strong burnt smell. No idea what the old chap next door does but he has made it quite clear he wants to keep himself to himself and it's impossible to speak to him (not just us, other neighbours too).

This cupboard has been cleaned out, concrete floor sealed and carpetted, any gaps between timber and stonework were filled with PU expanding foam then the walls painted with Weathershield as we had some left over from painting the outside.

We hadn't experienced any smells recently so thought we had cured the problem but today the smell in the cupboard is very strong and is coming through into the hall and living room.

OH is thinking of painting the walls with BIN Primer/Sealer/Vapour Barrier paint which is a shellac based paint. Is this a good idea or is this going to start off any problems in the future? There is no damp or anything else in this cupboard.

aliasojo

I've used Zinsser BIN a lot in the past. Wonderful stuff. I'm not convinced it will totally eradicate the problem though. How certain are you that there are no gaps anywhere?

Personally, I would have used both expanding foam AND fire rated sealant to fill gaps. The foam is good stuff but doesn't always dry in a solid manner, it can leave airholes. I would have filled with foam, trimmed back once dry, then overfilled with the sealant.

googler

Put a fan in the door of the cupboard, blowing into the cupboard, to force the airflow back into your neighbour's house?

TomsMom

googler wrote: »

Put a fan in the door of the cupboard, blowing into the cupboard, to force the airflow back into your neighbour's house?

Nice idea, but we don't want to go to that much trouble - no electricity to this cupboard and as we've just renovated we're not having the electricians back to mess everything up now. Thanks anyway.

TomsMom

aliasojo wrote: »

I've used Zinsser BIN a lot in the past. Wonderful stuff. I'm not convinced it will totally eradicate the problem though. How certain are you that there are no gaps anywhere?

Personally, I would have used both expanding foam AND fire rated sealant to fill gaps. The foam is good stuff but doesn't always dry in a solid manner, it can leave airholes. I would have filled with foam, trimmed back once dry, then overfilled with the sealant.

OH used the PU foam to fill any gaps, trimmed it level with the bottom of the woodwork then used a piece of wood which he sealed between the wall and the wood with mastic sealer and nailed it into position (he's dictating this!!!). He then painted over the joint between the wood and the wall at the same time as painting the walls. He's thinking that everything that needed sealing, ie. gaps, has been sealed and that the smell may be permeating through the stonework and the Weathershield which we think must be breathable.

Our worry is if he uses the BIN Vapour Barrier whether it might cause any problem.

aliasojo

Gaps are pretty much covered then.

I'm not sure what problems you may be thinking of? I can't think of any issue the BIN might cause, but I'm sure others will advise shortly too.

TomsMom

aliasojo wrote: »

Gaps are pretty much covered then.

I'm not sure what problems you may be thinking of? I can't think of any issue the BIN might cause, but I'm sure others will advise shortly too.

I could just be being over cautious. Thinking of if the wall can't breathe will it cause future damp problems, will putting BIN over the Weathershield cause some reaction and all the paint peel off, that sort of thing. Maybe I'm worrying too much. Not sure if it causes a problem whether that would ever get remedied IYSWIM .

Thanks for input, much appreciated. I expect all the boys (pretty and otherwise ) are watching footie!

Penny_Farthing_2

Hi
Could you try ringing the local environmental health department to see if they have any suggestions?

TomsMom

Penny_Farthing wrote: »

Hi
Could you try ringing the local environmental health department to see if they have any suggestions?

Thanks for that PF. Never gave it a thought. Worth a phone call I think!