Something stinks

[ShowOfHands]

Pleeeaaaasseee help. I am at a total loss.

There has been a smell in my house for 2 or 3 weeks. It seemed to coincide with the building of our extension but having sealed the extension completely for a few days while we await the next phase, it seems to be in the open plan kitchen/dining room. The extension doesn't smell.

It's most like an ammonia type smell. We have a cat but she doesn't wee inside and I've tried a UV light to check. I can't find the source. It doesn't seem to be on or in anything. It's in the air almost.

I've deep cleaned everywhere at least 3 times using all sorts. I've tried zoflora, a thing from the pet shop which neutralises cat wee, plain old bleach solution.

It's getting worse and worse. I feel quite sick now. And ashamed. I can't let the DC have friends round. Can't have family round. I don't want to be in my house. It's like a wall of stench when I walk in.

Can you suggest anything at all? Something I might have missed?

I'm getting desperate.

Hooray @ShowOfHands that must be a massive relief!

@ShowOfHands I'm happy for you and extremely jealous 🤣🤣

Why aren’t you sharing what the issue is?!

Because the builders have not explained it to them yet!

Please do let us know what it was (if the builders will tell you!) and I hope the whiff is gone soon.

I will. No builders since Tuesday as I have brought a vomiting bug home from work (school) and we have a big cross on the door.

AFAIK, it's something to do with the concrete and I think from the cursory information we have and the work they've done since they had a look for us, it's where they've disturbed the concrete floor of the hall/dining room as it adjoins the new extension. I have money on it being some shitty bodge job by the previous owner. It was probably concrete mixed with veg juice from their compost bin. We've found such ridiculous bodge jobs every time we've done a room. Holes hidden by carpets? Holes literally papered over on the ceiling? External render on interior walls and ceilings? An entire hidden bloody room? Cork board walls in a bathroom? Condemned electrics? Running a fire off the gas mains yourself, using TAPE to hold it all together? The list goes on.

An entire hidden room?!

God, I'd love one of those. I could put some of my crap stuff in it.

Sorry about all the other stuff though. (Remembers the bodged patio doors in our house when we bought it, that our builder could just lift out of the frame by hand, no tools.)

Totally missing the point of the thread, obviously.

That is shocking by previous owner. When I moved to my then new house, (20 years ago) the kitchen had literally fallen apart when the original owners removed the cooker fridge etc. So I decided a new kitchen was in.order, my brother said get the electrics done while you're at it. Just as well , the previous owners had rigged up some weird electrical situation in the.roof space. The electrician said I was lucky I had had the electrics done because I was a hop skip and jump away from a house fire. To my mind this should be a mandatory check with all house purchases by the new owner.

I was wondering where the UV came from! This is slightly hilarious OP. Can imagine you roaming round in a dressing gown in the dark with a giant light muttering to yourself 🤣🤣🤣

Really glad you got to the bottom of it!

It is in France. Also termites, lead, sewage, gas, asbestos and natural hazards.

We did a viewing once where the owner proudly showed us around- 'I built that rockery. I installed the central heating myself etc etc'. Put us right off.

Though DH was tempted by the 'nice blue bathroom'. The suite, curtains, carpet, tiles paint- even the loo roll- all in a fetching, immaculately matched, pale blue. Gave me nightmares.

Did you find out what the stinks was Op?

OP decided she wasn’t going to tell us @MissMarpleRocks

Ahh thank you @mangoskip

Builders, ammonia and undisclosed cause make me think it is a soil pipe or lavatorial leakage. Quite old ones smell like that and can be under the floor or encased in concrete. It might be the builders broke it, or opened up old damage.

The OP has had flu @mangoskip

Sorry I haven't been able to update before now. We've got 130 students off sick at work and today slipped below safe staffing levels. Its ripping through our local community.

The cause, it turns out, was very old work done when the house was originally extended beyond the once outside toilet in order to add a kitchen and bathroom to the house. It was disturbed by the new foundations. The builders have fixed it and a very nice chap from the council came and inspected it and signed it off.

All fixed now, the extension is finished and my house currently smells of gingerbread!

hope you feel better soon op & so pleased you have a result.

So glad it's sorted.👏
I also empathise with you on the 'previous owners were bodgers' thing. (who doesn't?)

(You just have to tell us about the hidden room....we're dying of curiosity. Well I am, anyway. 😊)