sweaty room in new flat

[theshyretirer]

I got the keys to my new flat a week ago and realised that the master bedroom reeks of stale sweat. It's pretty overpowering and I could smell it on my clothes after I'd left. Grim. The flat was empty for about 4 months before completion and there is no furniture left in it, no curtains, just a fairly new (2 years?) old carpet that looks in good condition.

I can't think where the smell is coming from if it's not the carpet ... tried Rug Doctor and baking powder in it and I've washed down the walls but it still stinks. Any ideas, or am I going to have to get a new carpet?

This may sound silly, but are you sure it's not the smell of cooking onions from a neighbouring property (downstairs)? Sometimes sweat and onions are pretty similar.

You say a flat.

It might have been the previous occupant, but yes, it could still be coming from an adjoining flat.

I once had a (fairly new build) flat where the bedroom smelt sweaty. The person downstairs was partially disabled and elderly, and I moved in midsummer.

You could have a look at the floor and walls. Especially in an old building there may be cracks, especially around pipes and inside cupboards or fireplaces.

Attempt to engage your neighbours in conversation and see how they smell.

If the odour is in your room, steam cleaning, washing down and redecorating will help. I saw that this Zinsser product is supposed to seal in odours.

I did wonder if it's downstairs - would smell travel sideways from someone on the same floor?!! It is only noticeable in that room, not the adjoining ones.

I really don't think it's cooking because cooking smells would come and go, this is constant and not through the whole flat, just that room.

How could I stop smells coming through the floor (old flat)? Underlay?

Might go and "introduce myself" but I've passed the neighbours on the stair and they didn't seem overly whiffy

I'll have a look at the Zinsser thing, thank you.

You might be able to put an Impervious layer under the underlay, it would have to be securely tucked under the skirting though (that's where gaps usually are).

If you can identify any gaps, you could seal them with expanding foam (pref the pink fire-foam variety, I think). In an old house there are usually holes in the plaster ceiling for light fittings and their cables. Some people actually make big holes in their ceilings deliberately, to put inefficient downlighters in. You can get smoke hoods to seal them, fitted from above.