Garage Not Air Sealed..

[Wrench97]

There should not be any water there, dampness leads to mold growth attic spaces are normally pretty warm this time of year and should be dry as a desert.

 

[tonyciambrone]

None of this is standard and it sounds like a very bad situation. Aside from the smell, the garage should be sealed for fireproofing considerations.

Building code requires a firewall between a garage and living spaces. There should be at least two layers of 5/8" drywall in the garage and everything sealed. If you don't have this level of protection, I suggest you reach out to your local building department. (It sounds like you are able to see how they have it layered on the wall.)

Whatever your landlord has planned to "make this right" is probably not going to get you to code. (If your municipality is subject to the IBC - International Building Code.) Your building department can confirm this and I would ask them this question, also.


BTW - My wife and I built our house like this. Bedroom over the garage. We have a proper firewall and fireproofing and the only gasses we smell come from my body.

Everybody knows code is 4 layers of Type X and an automatic dry chemical suppression system. c'mon dude

 

[Professor Fate]

Trying to cool your apartment below 70 degrees is getting close to refrigeration and not air conditioning. Your AC must run nearly non -stop which explains the condensation on your AC vents. As an added bonus your AC will freeze up the coils when it has to work that hard and make things even worse. Also a 3 on the Blower Door test is borderline too low which means the house does not have enough air leakage so sealing is probably not the issue. There are building sciences experts that can determine your issue fairly quickly.

 

[krn1188]

Trying to cool your apartment below 70 degrees is getting close to refrigeration and not air conditioning. Your AC must run nearly non -stop which explains the condensation on your AC vents. As an added bonus your AC will freeze up the coils when it has to work that hard and make things even worse. Also a 3 on the Blower Door test is borderline too low which means the house does not have enough air leakage so sealing is probably not the issue. There are building sciences experts that can determine your issue fairly quickly.

We usually keep it around 70, but when we started experiencing humidity issues - the emergency Hvac told us to keep our temp lower to prevent mold growth and dry things out.

Just now noticed we have the identical stain in the downstairs bedroom on the vent in there also. Not anywhere close to the one upstairs so I’m assuming this isn’t a leak since I can’t see how it would be in both locations and nowhere else.

 

[krn1188]

My son started feeling sick yesterday and he and I both woke up with a fever so they’re pushing it out possibly for later in the day - I’ll update you all when they end up coming in.

Really inconvenient timing to get sick on our end because they’re adamant about fixing it now - we want it fixed, but we’re also sick and have nowhere to go because they’ll have to be on both levels working.

What a mess. I wish they would have been more proactive when we told them our humidity was 75% for weeks on end. Now they’re being super pushy to get it done because it’s an emergency right when we are sick. Can’t exactly go to a hotel with fevers in this type of world right now, but also don’t want to be here if there’s mold growing. Disaster.

 

[16again]

Let them in to fix the issue! I realize youre not feeling well, BUT this is urgent! You might not be feeling well because of this issue.

 

[krn1188]

Let them in to fix the issue! I realize youre not feeling well, BUT this is urgent! You might not be feeling well because of this issue.

Well we both have a fever, so I think that’s why they’re rescheduling….?

 

[65ranchero]

Your family may have mold toxicity.
Get out and let the pros do their job!
at least get HEPA filters and dehumidifiers (yes there will be more heat from them but it will help)

 

[BillK]

Has anybody figured out where the terrible smell in the garage is coming from ?

 

[65ranchero]

Has anybody figured out where the terrible smell in the garage is coming from ?

I was just thinking the same thing!

 

[krn1188]

I was just thinking the same thing!

Nope, I found where it’s coming in from - but I haven’t found the cause.

The open area inside my cabinet when I stick my phone down in there this is what I see. I zoomed in. I think that bottom concrete area is not sealed. That is up against my garage where it’s also not sealed. The smell comes into the cabinet and if I even go near that corner of my kitchen it reeks - even if I don’t open the cabinet at all. It’s a nasty salty - pee smell is the best way I can describe it.

My entire garage smells foul. I have no idea what’s going on, we don’t store garbage or anything in there and I can’t see any signs of pests.

 

[krn1188]

Your family may have mold toxicity.
Get out and let the pros do their job!
at least get HEPA filters and dehumidifiers (yes there will be more heat from them but it will help)

We are in the process of rescheduling because so many people are going to be involved. We already run dyson filters on both levels, have merv 12 filters in the hvac and run dehumidifiers as of late. There are two of those stains around the vents in two different areas, so fair to say it’s not a leak - but definitely condensation or something of the sort. If I turn off the dehumidifiers even for 10 minutes it’s pushing 70% humidity.

 

[rayra]

it's quite the intricate, layered, intertwined puzzle box that karen / krn hs created for us. And herself, if what she's posted is true. Demands things be looked at / fixed, then blocks access. Add in the repeated accounts of that appear to be more oversensitivity than actual offenses. The exaggerated descriptions. The seemingly feeble inability to take direct action themselves. Seal things up. Block sources or odors. stop those exhaust fans from running. Actually dig into things to see where they lead. It doesn't take experts to track a duct.

And for pete's sake, get out that lease contract and read the section about habitability and start nailing it to the property manager's door.


But the whole things reads to me like a narrative constructed to be frustrating to its readers.

 

[krn1188]

it's quite the intricate, layered, intertwined puzzle box that karen / krn hs created for us. And herself, if what she's posted is true. Demands things be looked at / fixed, then blocks access. Add in the repeated accounts of that appear to be more oversensitivity than actual offenses. The exaggerated descriptions. The seemingly feeble inability to take direct action themselves. Seal things up. Block sources or odors. stop those exhaust fans from running. Actually dig into things to see where they lead. It doesn't take experts to track a duct.

And for pete's sake, get out that lease contract and read the section about habitability and start nailing it to the property manager's door.


But the whole things reads to me like a narrative constructed to be frustrating to its readers.

Well, yeah it is complicated during a pandemic. I have a young, unvaccinated child and the contractors they send out aren't the most careful from what I've seen (no masks, no shoe covers, lots of workers at one time). Having tons of people in and out of my apartment is highly stressful and in my opinion, risky for my child. I've tried to fix what I can myself. I can't find the source of the odor besides where it's coming from location wise and I've spent the majority of the time I've lived here trying to figure it out.

I'm not a home improvement type of person so I don't know how to just "seal things up". How do I seal up something inside a cabinet that I can't reach? If I could hire someone I feel comfortable with to come do the work, I would - but that's not allowed in my lease, so they just send whoever they want. I've sent them the photos with exactly what's going on - but in my opinion, they aren't going to send the right people to fix it. First I was told the builders would need to come out... now they're saying HVAC can find the leaks in the building and fix it. The builder said it wasn't done properly, now they're saying it is - I'm beyond confused at this point. My husband is totally unhelpful because he has zero sense of smell and none of this bothers him whatsoever, so I've been trying to fix it all by myself.

So yeah, it's frustrating. I get other people wouldn't be bothered by lots of people in their apartment, but my situation isn't everyone's and it's really important to me for things to be fixed and also be done in a safe way. Anyhow, the reason I even came here to ask for help was because I'm trying to fix what I can myself...

 

[CraigStu]

I am too lazy to go back through the entire thread to try to figure out where you live but there are a couple of things to keep in mind re; chinese virus.
- except for a few areas, the US is almost to the point that we can figure it is similar to the flu so not a huge deal.
- putting people into groups re; virus, children are by far the least likely to be affected by it.
- I am really stretching here but I suspect you are in the second least affected group, -<50 and no other health issues
- I would grab a fresh bottle of whatever your favorite virus killing cleaner is and a couple rolls of paper towels, put your child in whatever room will be least likely to have people in it and let them all in. You and child can wear masks if you feel the need but get this fixed.
Have you called the local health department yet? That was suggested maybe a week ago. If they come out and agree w/ you, that will get the building owners to act real fast.

 

[BillK]

Have you called the local health department yet? That was suggested maybe a week ago. If they come out and agree w/ you, that will get the building owners to act real fast.

I suggested this too. If it is as bad a smell as you are describing then I would not have put up with it even a few days. I dont understand why you didnt do that in the very beginning.

 

[krn1188]

I suggested this too. If it is as bad a smell as you are describing then I would not have put up with it even a few days. I dont understand why you didnt do that in the very beginning.

My husband thinks that’s extreme and basically thinks I’m hypersensitive to the smell - and partially I feel like I’m going nuts.

I have never had a good experience with apartments solving odor issues. Now I’m smelling strong sour milk smell in the downstairs bathroom/bedroom and bathroom on top of the urine smell in the garage and lower kitchen cabinet. I’ve cleaned, scrubbed, sanitized. I can’t see anything it just reeks.

I guess I’ll just have the apartment come in and go through their process but I’m highly uncomfortable with it and not sure how an Hvac person will find the odor.

 

[65ranchero]

I, for one would not get involved with the stance you are taking if I was asked to look at you odor.
With out any cooperation from you it is very difficult to gain entry and try and locate and remedy.
We as a whole have offered many suggestions and possible solutions to the problem and it seems that you are taking the denier access route and hiding in your apartment felling sorry for yourself.
Get out of the apartment and let them do their job !

 

[krn1188]

I, for one would not get involved with the stance you are taking if I was asked to look at you odor.
With out any cooperation from you it is very difficult to gain entry and try and locate and remedy.
We as a whole have offered many suggestions and possible solutions to the problem and it seems that you are taking the denier access route and hiding in your apartment felling sorry for yourself.
Get out of the apartment and let them do their job !

I’m not feeling sorry for myself. I literally haven’t left my home besides for essential doctor appointments since the pandemic started. So yeah, I’m not comfortable going to a hotel or public place for hours with my child while a bunch of people roam my apartment. I was trying to find a solution for myself so that I didn’t even need help or that I could request the proper people to do the job. I was being proactive and trying to handle it on my own to the best of my ability.

 

[65ranchero]

You are not going to get a solution the way you are reacting . While you do have some concerns you will have to give a little to get a resolution going in your favor.

 

[65ranchero]

I for one will not offer any more advice and will not follow your pleas for help any more.

 

[krn1188]

You are not going to get a solution the way you are reacting . While you do have some concerns you will have to give a little to get a resolution going in your favor.

I realize this and was hoping to have a bit more of a game plan prior, knowing that my concerns are greater than many on this issue.

Im setting up a time to talk to their hvac person directly so that I have more of an idea of what they’ll be looking for.

 

[Sweetcorn]

Ill just say it...

After a page or so in this thread, it stopped reading like someone looking for help and started looking like someone looking for drama.

Instead of focusing on this potentially non existant source of smells, focus on the fact that your husband is ignoring your concerns (which should tell you something), you have a repeated pattern of behavior with this scenario, and you stonewall everyone who has tried to come out and help. Now you want to grill the HVAC guy for what? If you are going to act like you know more than the pros coming out to help, no one will ever show up.

If you've really been couped up in your house because you're still so terrified of covid, it's probably time to talk to a different type of professional. Turn off the news, open the door, and step outside.

I'm honestly not sure if this is a troll thread or not. If not, my advice is sincere. I'm not trying to hurt anyone's feelings but it really sounds like you should talk to someone, and not about the apartment problems. If I didn't feel like this was the best advice, I wouldn't offer it. Do it for your family. I really wish you the best of luck.

 

[PassnThru]

Do you literally mean that their cooking caused clouds of smoke in your apartment? It is what you said and I just want to get a reference point on that.

Ill just say it...

After a page or so in this thread, it stopped reading like someone looking for help and started looking like someone looking for drama.

Instead of focusing on this potentially non existant source of smells, focus on the fact that your husband is ignoring your concerns (which should tell you something), you have a repeated pattern of behavior with this scenario, and you stonewall everyone who has tried to come out and help. Now you want to grill the HVAC guy for what? If you are going to act like you know more than the pros coming out to help, no one will ever show up.

If you've really been couped up in your house because you're still so terrified of covid, it's probably time to talk to a different type of professional. Turn off the news, open the door, and step outside.

I'm honestly not sure if this is a troll thread or not. If not, my advice is sincere. I'm not trying to hurt anyone's feelings but it really sounds like you should talk to someone, and not about the apartment problems. If I didn't feel like this was the best advice, I wouldn't offer it. Do it for your family. I really wish you the best of luck.

I got my 'reference point' on July 5.

 

[Sumboodie]

Negative pressure in house. Need to allow it to equalize. HRV unit

 

[krn1188]

Ill just say it...

After a page or so in this thread, it stopped reading like someone looking for help and started looking like someone looking for drama.

Instead of focusing on this potentially non existant source of smells, focus on the fact that your husband is ignoring your concerns (which should tell you something), you have a repeated pattern of behavior with this scenario, and you stonewall everyone who has tried to come out and help. Now you want to grill the HVAC guy for what? If you are going to act like you know more than the pros coming out to help, no one will ever show up.

If you've really been couped up in your house because you're still so terrified of covid, it's probably time to talk to a different type of professional. Turn off the news, open the door, and step outside.

I'm honestly not sure if this is a troll thread or not. If not, my advice is sincere. I'm not trying to hurt anyone's feelings but it really sounds like you should talk to someone, and not about the apartment problems. If I didn't feel like this was the best advice, I wouldn't offer it. Do it for your family. I really wish you the best of luck.

I do talk to someone. Not a troll thread. Genuinely was seeking opinions because it’s been bothering me. My husbands sense of smell is terrible - mine is better than most peoples and odors in general don’t bother him the way they do with me. So while he smells “something” - it doesn’t concern or bother him.

He’s ok with someone coming in to check it out - I’m the one who’s more concerned. That’s why I wanted to try to find a solution or direction on my own before involving lots of people and wanted to work with the property manager or maintenance staff to allow for the least contact and amount of people as possible to resolve it.

I don’t think I know more, I just wanted to discuss mask wearing and what they’ll need access to in advance so there is no surprise to me when they are here. I’m just a thorough person, I have valid concerns and in the past, this wouldn’t have been an issue and I would have had someone in months ago. With the pandemic, it’s made things a lot more difficult which is why I tried to troubleshoot it myself.

And my husband isn’t much help because it doesn’t bother him much, he’s busy so he doesn’t want to assist in finding the problem or fixing it and would rather someone else just come look at it. I am the one who wants to involve as few/the right people as possible to limit exposure - which is why I asked what you all thought could be going on to see if it was something I could fix on my own. So, it is a pattern in that I haven’t found a solution and so I’ve continued to struggle about making a decision on what to do next.

I understand it might not make sense to a lot of people, but the virus is the biggest hurdle for me in having outside help. I’m taking appropriate precautions for my personal health situation in these times. It’s challenging to find contractors who are understanding of the importance to my family’s well being of taking all the precautions especially when I’m not the one hiring anyone and don’t have a choice.

Anyhow - not looking to cause an issue or be considered a troll or stirring drama. Just a person struggling with a tough situation who was hoping to find a solution. For those that pointed me in different directions, I appreciate it!

 

[Crowbarman55]

I don't understand why you want to hide from a virus in possibly a deadly toxic environment?
Were is CPS?