Sour Smell in Newer House (built 2009)
by
M B
+2
My house is built on a concrete slab in low lying land. There is a french drain about 3.5 feet away on one side of the house. After a few days of decent rain a sour, cheesy smell permeates the house. The drains, wall cavities and ceiling space have been checked and all is well there. I have been told that pockets can form under the concrete slab but how do I check this and what can be done if this is the case? The smell will usually fade or go away after some good drying weather but in the mean time you smell the stench when you walk in the door. It's hard to troubleshoot the source because it becomes un-noticeble within minutes. I do not believe this is a mold problem as the smell is sour and there is no evidence on damp spots on the wood flooring.
5 answers
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Sounds like the water is seeping into the foundation. Divert the water with berms or retaining walls.
Adrianne C
on Mar 27, 2014
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Is the smell coming from the drains? That sounds like the smell from my drains when the hair is the point that I need to pull of the gooseneck and pull out the nasty hair LOL. It also occurs in my master bathroom shower because the previous owner was a bad DIYer who had a drinking problem and the shower and drains were not installed correctly-this smell only happens on hot humid days from hair and soap that is rotting in the drains (I know gross but plumber told me that we are safe it is just the smell of decomposing hair and gunk )
The Garden Frog with C Renee
on Mar 27, 2014
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how long has it been since you bought this house? I am sure that the saler has to tell you of these types of problem , I read that , talk to whom ever you dealt with when buying this house they are by law to tell buyers everything wrong with the house when saling , check this out ,
Shirley Hendrix Weber
on Mar 27, 2014
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All above comments above are valid. Without seeing the site, it could be that the French Drain has been clogged with debris it it was installed incorrectly. The smell could also be coming from the concrete slab if it was not sealed. There are products available at most hardware stores that absorb odors until you resolve where the source of the problem is.
Joy Hendricksen
on Mar 27, 2014
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Put out lots of lavender sachets and a for sale sign!
Johnchip
on Jul 15, 2015
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