Hello,
during the two years we've lived in our house, we've had very significant issues with the "air" in the bedroom. Both of us have developed major respiratory problems. The house was built in 1974 and consists of one floor with a basement. Above, there is an attic with a truss roof.
After much effort and the involvement of several different investigation companies, the problem has been narrowed down to the subfloor in the bedroom. At the seams of the chipboard flooring, there is a greenish filler. We have scraped this off, put it in a freezer bag, and then smelled it in a neutral environment. It smells very strong, a pungent chemical odor.
Since I have taken out a so-called buyer's responsibility insurance through Anticimex, they have also recently been involved. They drilled out a "core" from the subfloor (with filler on it) and took it as a sample. I wanted samples to also be taken from the subfloor, not least because the insulation reeked of mold. But the investigator couldn't smell anything and thought it unnecessary to take a sample from the insulation. We have smelled it, and friends have smelled it, and we agree there is a smell.
My suspicion about the filler is that it might be casein, but shouldn't it only precipitate in the presence of moisture? The investigator suggests it can precipitate with high humidity? I am skeptical, although this might possibly explain why the insulation in the joist also smells moldy. However, the insulation doesn't smell exactly the same as the filler, which has a more pungent odor.
We also experience a very pronounced mold odor in the bathroom, something the investigator claimed not to smell at all. The bathroom might be what has dampened the floor in the adjacent bedroom.
Like all insurance companies, they would, of course, prefer that a damage is not compensable.
I wonder if there are any tips? Or if anyone has similar experiences? Would it help (or rather, is it sufficient) to "just" replace the subfloor in the bedroom? Or is it likely that the emissions have also impregnated other materials?
Buggaren
during the two years we've lived in our house, we've had very significant issues with the "air" in the bedroom. Both of us have developed major respiratory problems. The house was built in 1974 and consists of one floor with a basement. Above, there is an attic with a truss roof.
After much effort and the involvement of several different investigation companies, the problem has been narrowed down to the subfloor in the bedroom. At the seams of the chipboard flooring, there is a greenish filler. We have scraped this off, put it in a freezer bag, and then smelled it in a neutral environment. It smells very strong, a pungent chemical odor.
Since I have taken out a so-called buyer's responsibility insurance through Anticimex, they have also recently been involved. They drilled out a "core" from the subfloor (with filler on it) and took it as a sample. I wanted samples to also be taken from the subfloor, not least because the insulation reeked of mold. But the investigator couldn't smell anything and thought it unnecessary to take a sample from the insulation. We have smelled it, and friends have smelled it, and we agree there is a smell.
My suspicion about the filler is that it might be casein, but shouldn't it only precipitate in the presence of moisture? The investigator suggests it can precipitate with high humidity? I am skeptical, although this might possibly explain why the insulation in the joist also smells moldy. However, the insulation doesn't smell exactly the same as the filler, which has a more pungent odor.
We also experience a very pronounced mold odor in the bathroom, something the investigator claimed not to smell at all. The bathroom might be what has dampened the floor in the adjacent bedroom.
Like all insurance companies, they would, of course, prefer that a damage is not compensable.
I wonder if there are any tips? Or if anyone has similar experiences? Would it help (or rather, is it sufficient) to "just" replace the subfloor in the bedroom? Or is it likely that the emissions have also impregnated other materials?
Buggaren
Hello,
I don't know for sure if it's protein-rich putty, although it seems likely. It would be very interesting if someone has experience with decontamination, how the smell "settles," how much needs to be replaced, etc.
Buggaren
I don't know for sure if it's protein-rich putty, although it seems likely. It would be very interesting if someone has experience with decontamination, how the smell "settles," how much needs to be replaced, etc.
Buggaren
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