Bad smell in downstairs room.

searchlight123

i can only describe it as rotting vegetables. it is in my dining room extention that opens onto my patio. it was built around 12 years ago, the house was built in 1986. the smell comes and goes and is not weather related (it can occur in heat / dry conditions as well as wet).

there is no visible damp anywhere in the room. the nearest drain is quite away from it (but i have removed any silt from it and it functions correctly).

i can only assume its something under the floor (laminate flooring fitted). what does wet / dry rot smell like? i did have a dripping gutter at the top of the house in this vicinity but that was fixed about a year ago and this smell started around 8 weeks ago, then disppeared, but then has come back in the last week or so.

i have no idea how to proceed with this and just wonder if anyone on here can give me any pointers as it will soon be too chilly to leave the back doors open!?

many thanks.

armchaireconomist

Go and check your gutter isn't still leaking. If that's OK, i'd rip up the floor to be honest - is it suspended timber? You'd be surprised what you can find under there.

victoriavictorious

Could it be a dead mouse / rat under the floor? It could very easily happen and the smell is awful.
I doubt it's dry rot - in my experience it doesnt smell like rotting veg.

searchlight123

victoriavictorious wrote: »

Could it be a dead mouse / rat under the floor? It could very easily happen and the smell is awful.
I doubt it's dry rot - in my experience it doesnt smell like rotting veg.

This was my thinking also but I cannot see how a rodent could get under there. I think the floor will have to come up I'm afraid.

searchlight123

armchaireconomist wrote: »

Go and check your gutter isn't still leaking. If that's OK, i'd rip up the floor to be honest - is it suspended timber? You'd be surprised what you can find under there.

The gutter is not leaking now.
It is a timber floor so that is looking more likely to be the cause I feel.

TheBiggerPicture

I take it theres no fireplace in there, only i had the same thing and it was a dead bird fallen down a boarded up chimney breast. It might be a damp fungal scenario under the laminate, maybe its not getting correct ventilation and mushrooms are growing. I think theyd have to come up anyway to check. Good luck

that

tonygold wrote: »

The gutter is not leaking now.
It is a timber floor so that is looking more likely to be the cause I feel.

Mmmm, timber floors normally have a woodish type smell I believe . Unless you have animals, or neighbour has a missing pet skunk, think it would be prudent to lift a plank or two. Also follow the various drainage pipes in your house as that may give a clue too

searchlight123

UPDATE:
i managed to find the photos taken when the extention was built (2003) and it proves that in actual fact it is a solid floor so no timber underneath!

there is a paved over manhole on the side return outside quite near to this area so think that needs to come up but it seems well cemented in so not sure how much damage to the patio that will do getting it up.

only other thing i can think of is what was suggestedby TheBiggerPicture and that is something happening under the laminate?

trailingspouse

That rotten vegetable smell could very well be a dead animal. Our cat brought a rabbit in and hid it behind the fridge freezer - we didn't find it until it started to smell. To me, the smell was similar to overcooked/burnt broccolli (don't ask me how I know what burnt broccolli smells like...).


If that's the case, it should go away in time.



Mice can get into phenomenally small spaces (if you can get a pencil in, you can get a mouse in), so it's perfectly possible that one has crawled in and shuffled off this mortal coil.

searchlight123

trailingspouse wrote: »

That rotten vegetable smell could very well be a dead animal. Our cat brought a rabbit in and hid it behind the fridge freezer - we didn't find it until it started to smell. To me, the smell was similar to overcooked/burnt broccolli (don't ask me how I know what burnt broccolli smells like...).


If that's the case, it should go away in time.



Mice can get into phenomenally small spaces (if you can get a pencil in, you can get a mouse in), so it's perfectly possible that one has crawled in and shuffled off this mortal coil.

thanks for input. the fact i now know the floor is a solid floor kind of rules out the dead animal scenario i think, and it really doesn't smell like a bad drain issue either.

i have even resorted to crawling on my hands and knees and sniffing around but i just cannot pinpoint where its coming from at all.

Lorian

There are lots of possible causes, but here are some people haven't already mentioned:

Painted with Valspar paint (preservative issue)?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/20/bq-customers-compensated-complaining-paint-smells-like-cat-urine/

Ceiling Rose for the light burning?

Any hot drink spilt with sweetners in it

What's the humidity level in the room?