Searching for "unpleasant odor" in a 70s villa. At purchase, a property inspection was done, and the inspector pointed out microbial growth on the roof sheathing. Now we have moved into the house and had an expert from Ocab who suspected that the sheathing is pressure-treated (since he thought it had a greenish hue when he shone a flashlight on it). I find it strange that one expert suspects mold and another suspects pressure-treated wood in the same place.
How common or uncommon is this?
The house was built in '73. Neighbors in the area with experience of this house type say that it is not pressure-treated wood except in the sills. I am confused.
How common or uncommon is this?
The house was built in '73. Neighbors in the area with experience of this house type say that it is not pressure-treated wood except in the sills. I am confused.
I've never seen printed tongue and groove roofing, but I've seen recycled timber a couple of times, such as spruce floors and rough wall panels, so I assume it's not entirely impossible that someone used an old deck, but it's highly unlikely.
Recycled timber is also very uncommon in modern houses, which yours is still considered.
And I find it hard to believe that mold growth or impregnation would cause a bad smell indoors.
Recycled timber is also very uncommon in modern houses, which yours is still considered.
And I find it hard to believe that mold growth or impregnation would cause a bad smell indoors.
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I live in a house with treated wood that smells really bad. It's not uncommon at all since houses were built that way around the 70s.O Okänd said:
Currently, I'm in the process of replacing all treated wood and people are already pointing out that the smell has significantly diminished.
Bring some clothes to someone you know and ask them to smell them. If it smells like a typical basement odor, it's probably treated wood in the beams.
I've lived with this for almost 10 years and now that we're tearing out all the impregnated materials, people are starting to mention that they've always noticed a smell. It's a bit unfortunate that no one said anything earlier since you get used to the chemical smell, which is characteristic of the 70s, in about 3 seconds.
If you're unsure, do a check.
No one has claimed that pressure-treated timber doesn't exist elsewhere. But it was the tongue and groove boards that Ocab claims were pressure-treated. I can't even recall seeing any type of tongue and groove wood that is pressure-treated, but that doesn't mean it couldn't exist/have existed.
I don't think a raw tongue-and-groove under a roof is particularly humid for many days of the year for that, but I'm absolutely not an expert on it, so I'm just guessing. But even if it smells bad, I don't believe it will find its way indoors to any great extent.M MagHam said:
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The interesting thing is not primarily if it is impregnated but rather with what. Today's copper salts are considered harmless, but pentachlorophenol, which was used until the 70s, can convert into foul-smelling pentachloroanisole.
TS @Unknown is it the same object as in this thread?
https://www.byggahus.se/forum/threads/dalig-lukt-i-och-utanfoer-70-tals-villa.337479/
Inprenerad Tretex used in the 70s as a wind board has a pungent headache-inducing smell that many react to. When this was installed, there were no problems as a standing lock panel was used outside! This was painted with a paint consisting of pigment, linseed oil, white spirit! This paint was completely open, and with raw-sawn panel boards, there were plenty of gaps to release the smell from the impregnation.
After 30-40 years, it was time to paint and renovate, some replaced the panel, and today it is dry and planed panel on one side, so the wall becomes tight, too tight. At the same time, it's painted with completely sealed paint, so now the smell can't escape and gets concentrated inside the panel, which naturally has no vents at the top.
Simultaneously, a new recommendation was issued that there should be a negative pressure in the house via a central fan that should always run!
With a few mm water column pressure difference between the strongly smelling Tretex and the residence, it doesn't take many months for the smell to contaminate everything in the house: clothes, hair, beds, etc.
I have it myself in my house, but the boards have, in places, 1 cm wide gaps so the smell disappears and only a fan over the stove that rarely runs. Also, skylights without seals in the shower!
https://www.byggahus.se/forum/threads/dalig-lukt-i-och-utanfoer-70-tals-villa.337479/
Inprenerad Tretex used in the 70s as a wind board has a pungent headache-inducing smell that many react to. When this was installed, there were no problems as a standing lock panel was used outside! This was painted with a paint consisting of pigment, linseed oil, white spirit! This paint was completely open, and with raw-sawn panel boards, there were plenty of gaps to release the smell from the impregnation.
After 30-40 years, it was time to paint and renovate, some replaced the panel, and today it is dry and planed panel on one side, so the wall becomes tight, too tight. At the same time, it's painted with completely sealed paint, so now the smell can't escape and gets concentrated inside the panel, which naturally has no vents at the top.
Simultaneously, a new recommendation was issued that there should be a negative pressure in the house via a central fan that should always run!
With a few mm water column pressure difference between the strongly smelling Tretex and the residence, it doesn't take many months for the smell to contaminate everything in the house: clothes, hair, beds, etc.
I have it myself in my house, but the boards have, in places, 1 cm wide gaps so the smell disappears and only a fan over the stove that rarely runs. Also, skylights without seals in the shower!
How did it go? I've been dealing with the same crap for 8 years... installed nivellgolv, replaced everything in 2 toilets, bathroom, tore out all interior walls. Now the roof and then we're told that both råspont and trusses might be treated, either dipped or brushed, but not fully pressure-treated. Sent off råspont for analysis now.O Okänd said:
Hello! Yes, the problem persists. We have confirmed through laboratory analysis that the tongue and groove boards contain pentachlorophenol. Most likely this has been painted on. The question now is whether there is anything else in the house that has been treated. Apparently, it was not uncommon for wood paneling and door/window frames to be treated this way. You mention roof trusses, something I've also worried a bit about. I also regret not taking more samples from the studs in the interior walls when we renovated a few years ago, as that is the only way to know.Cillisa said:
We've postponed the roof replacement since it's a very large expense. I am currently experimenting with mechanical ventilation of the attic; creating negative pressure using a fan. This lowers the temperature in the attic and can lead to moisture problems, but given the circumstances, it's still worth a try. It seems to have some effect. Someone says our indoor air has improved. However, I'm not as certain.