View Single Post
  #3   Report Post  
Speedy Jim
 
Posts: n/a
Default Sickening sweet smell in basement. Dead mouse????

Dirk Puslich wrote:

Hello,

I just moved into an old house (build in the 1920s) with a finished
basement (finished about 10 years ago).

About a month ago we noticed a sickly sweet smell around the back
wall. It doesn't smell musty, but it is quite strange and we don't
like it. It seems to almost go away and then come back stronger
sometimes.

The former owner had some mouse poison out so my theory is that one or
more mice might have died in the wall and are causing the funk.

My problem is that I don't know what a dead mouse smells like, so I'm
not sure if that is it. It's hard to describe the smell but there is
definitely a "sweetness" to it, but not a "mmm someone's making pie"
kind of sweet, but one that is somehow unpleasant.

My 2 questions:

1) Is this a dead animal in my wall perhaps?

2) Anyone have any idea how long it will last?

It's driving me nuts so I'm thinking about busting holes in the
drywall this weekend.

Thanks!


I would hold off on busting any holes.

Smells like that are hard to pinpoint. Sometimes sewer gas
odors give a sickly sweet or sweet/sour smell (at least to my nose).
That particular odor seems to be less likely on septic systems.

Also, sewer gas odors may come and go depending on wind conditions
which affect the air pressures in the stack.

Have you looked for any floor drains with dried out traps?
Floor drains need to be refilled with water every few months.

Jim