We have a summer cottage where we've been dealing with a peculiar musty smell.
Currently, it seems that mold is not the cause, for several reasons; one being that the smell has rather decreased than increased over time (about 30 years).
A building consultant has examined the cottage and claims that the facade is built with pressure-treated panels and that type of treatment (used in the mid-70s when the house was built) has an odor. Especially when exposed to moisture.
The consultant suggests as a last resort replacing the facade for a "final solution to the problem." It might seem like a somewhat drastic measure. Other solutions are increased ventilation, which we have also tried (both increased passive and forced) without significant improvement.
Question: does anyone have similar experiences and has anyone replaced paneling and achieved a positive result?
/P
Currently, it seems that mold is not the cause, for several reasons; one being that the smell has rather decreased than increased over time (about 30 years).
A building consultant has examined the cottage and claims that the facade is built with pressure-treated panels and that type of treatment (used in the mid-70s when the house was built) has an odor. Especially when exposed to moisture.
The consultant suggests as a last resort replacing the facade for a "final solution to the problem." It might seem like a somewhat drastic measure. Other solutions are increased ventilation, which we have also tried (both increased passive and forced) without significant improvement.
Question: does anyone have similar experiences and has anyone replaced paneling and achieved a positive result?
/P
If it's just the facade that smells, it's not so smart to force ventilate out. That would draw in outdoor air, possibly through gaps past the facade planks, making the smell worse. I believe more in creating a slight overpressure indoors to keep the smell away. It doesn't work with the door and windows open :-/. I don't know how the cabin is built, but I would probably look for the explanation in the floor and below it. There could also be pressure-treated wood, and it's more likely the smell is coming from below. The floor construction has a somewhat more humid environment than the panel on the walls, I guess, and is at least more indoors 
. gaia
. gaiaI was just thinking freely... it's likely that underneath there is pressure-treated material that was treated with the same agent as the exterior panels. And it's just under the floor where it's the right place to invest in pressure-treated material... so... :-/
Houses from the 70s often have issues with bad odors due to impregnated boards directly on the concrete... or something like that. There are different technical solutions to ventilate floors in such houses... I don't know more than that... I'm not very well-versed in the 70s construction mistakes. I live in a 30s house Search for "ventilated floors" and maybe you'll get more info on which faults and deficiencies are remedied in this way. Then you can consider if it applies to your summer house.
Hope it gets resolved
gaia
Houses from the 70s often have issues with bad odors due to impregnated boards directly on the concrete... or something like that. There are different technical solutions to ventilate floors in such houses... I don't know more than that... I'm not very well-versed in the 70s construction mistakes. I live in a 30s house
Search for "ventilated floors" and maybe you'll get more info on which faults and deficiencies are remedied in this way. Then you can consider if it applies to your summer house.Hope it gets resolved
gaia