What the hell is this smell??!

[MiniMaxi]

Two weeks ago, one of our rooms smelled weird for a week, like an animal had sprayed in it (or possibly a dead rodent under the floor). Then that smell disappeared and has been replaced by a weird vinegary/citrus smell that I can only detect from around 11am to 8pm (I think when it’s warm).

I’ve given the floor a good sniff (!) and can’t find anything - in fact, having assumed it was something under the floor, it actually smells more in the middle of the room around head height.

Other possibly relevant info:

• Son saw a mouse a couple of weeks ago
• Room was painted a couple of months ago with VOC-free paint, and had some shelves put in - I wondered if the mdf was off gassing but the shelves don’t seem to smell.
• We know there’s some damp / joist damage in the corridor next to this room, and also one of the cupboards is mildewy. But the cupboards don’t have this distinctive whiff.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated as it’s driving me nuts!

Definitely sounds like dead rodent.

@TSJ19 thanks. This is what I assume tbh I just can’t find a “hotspot” of where it might be. Unless of course it’s in the ceiling but the room above doesn’t smell…

Hi unfortunately if the mouse has died in the walls or under the floorboards its very hard to pinpoint where the smell is coming from. It just smells everywhere.
You will know if it is that when you get the flies in a week or so.

Some paints give off smells when the sun hits them. Valspar had a huge problem with it but other brands also have the issue too.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40655163

@Hairbrushhandle oh lord maybe it is that. We used an eco paint that is supposed to be odour free… have a builder coming tomorrow to see if he can advise at all but don’t really know what to do about it

@Hairbrushhandle had the builder round today and he concurs… argh. Thanks for the heads up.

Dry rot
Dead rat under floor or in the ceiling.

That it's paint? If it's eco paint, I'm surprised- what brand?
On the evidence so far, including the change in the smell, on balance I'd have suspected a dead rodent.

@BlueMongoose yes that it’s the paint. Because it doesn’t smell at all under the floor (he lifted a board), and apparently we have solid walls so it won’t be anything stuck in the walls. I would’ve thought rodent more likely too but apparently this paint issue is not unusual.

The paint company is Graphenstone. I’m in touch with them and they’re going to test the batch. I’m not actually sure what the solution is to be honest - there’s a huge forum discussion on the Screwfix website and nothing seems to be a cast iron fix. Sigh.

If your son saw a mouse then chances are you do have a ton of mice though. Mice are never just one mouse. And they'll be weeing on everything which would also make a stink. I'd be tempted to get a pest control person round too as well as pursuing the paint issue.

Thanks, that's a company I don't know about. Paint -especially water-based paint-can do funny things- if it's badly mixed in the vat, or if it gets frosted (then it can really stink), or if it 'livers' . Thinning paint with water and then saving it can cause stinkiness too. Contract matt is like that once the pot is open even if not thinned it can go stinky if left for months. This very weekend I got a tin of Dulux- I've been using their stuff for over 40 years with no problems at work and at home. It was a crock of shite, never had a worse pot of paint since Texas DIY went bust. The shop were very good, they took it back.
[Note to self- never buy Dulux Weathershield water-based gloss again. Ever. Normally I use spirit based gloss as it is miles better and easier to put on for almost every application, though water based usually gives an acceptable result if used carefully. But this was yuk. Like PVA with a bit of black dye in it, it would have taken at least 5 coats to cover, if not more, even over dark grey undercoat.]

While we were talking in the shop, they told me that they had had a batch of base from another manufacturer that smelt very 'off'. The rep wasn't convinced, but the next thing they heard, the whole batch was being recalled.

It seems to be happening a lot more than it ever used to. I suspect that stopping using tried and tested components of paint in favour of 'eco' ones may be part of the problem. However, I use a lot of claypaint, which is very eco friendly, and that has neither gone off nor skinned, even if I have kept an opened tin (lid back on of course) for over a year. Earthborn is the brand I use.

I'm so sorry this has happened to you.

Thanks @BlueMongoose. There’s a company called Little Knights or something that sells VOC-free antibacterial paint - they say some customers have had success nullifying the cats pee smell by painting their antibac paint over the top. That kind of makes sense but it isn’t a definite solution and would obviously be ££ to repaint…

Agree @Hairbrushhandle we definitely will have mice! Victorian terrace near a canal…! I’ve plugged in a deterrent which has been useful in another property. Will call out pest control too in due course.

We had mice in the ceiling, dead ones gently roasting next to the ceiling lights

Make sure pest control block every single hole with steel wool. It's the only way to keep them out. Terraces are worse cos your neighbours could be breeding them below while you're trying to eliminate them.