Replacing sill plates on a facade with asbestos cement panels

[Gargamel777]

Could it be them contributing to the bad odor??

If the asfaboard is damaged or has been exposed to moisture for a long time, it can emit an unwanted smell and contribute to a worse indoor climate.

I'll check with the inspector to see what he thinks about that. But from what I understand, it should smell like tar or asphalt then, which it didn't in this case.

 

[Jansson69]

OK, and these don't contain asbestos even if they are from that time?

Not if it's an Asfaboard they are soft, asbestos was used in cement-based boards and insulation..

OK, I'm not quite sure which sill plates are there and which exactly need to be replaced.
The companies I've contacted wanted to replace from the outside anyway (they wanted pictures of the house, etc.)

Can't sill plates under floor joists (I thought all sill plates were under floor joists) disturb indoor air if they are, in this case, impregnated with some substance?

I should add that neither I nor the inspector sensed the smell when we were in the crawl space. But it was felt quite clearly (came in gusts) in certain parts of the house. Only on the ground floor and mostly in the hallway.

Here you see a common solution for joists and walls..
Note that the joist has a sill plate under it and that the wall has its sill plate..

 

[Jansson69]

The smell from the sill and the asphalt board located in the subfloor framing would smell indoors seems a bit far-fetched, but it cannot be ruled out.
However, I suspect it's the sill in the wall that smells and it's closest to the indoor environment.