# I've Been Here Before, But I Really Need Help - Smelly Drywall



## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

Does the house have central air? When did the problem start? Was any work done at the time that the problem started?


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## Fenwayhhh (Mar 22, 2017)

Guap0_ said:


> Does the house have central air? When did the problem start? Was any work done at the time that the problem started?


No central air - problem started not long after we stripped paper, let walls dry for over a month and painted, really started when we stripped wallpaper, thus uncover walls - no real wall work other than stripping paper.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

Presuming that the wall paper wasn't put there to cover an existing smell, other answers could be a reaction between the glue & the drywall or maybe moisture.


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## Fenwayhhh (Mar 22, 2017)

But even on walls that didn't have paper, it smells, like behind a kitchen cabinet I just took down.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

That's why I mentioned moisture as another possibility.


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## Fenwayhhh (Mar 22, 2017)

Understood, but I'm talking about every wall and every inch of house


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

Right, besides moisture, what else can be a common denominator? You said that not every wall had wall paper. but the problem started when you removed it. You said that the wall behind a cabinet was also affected. There is no central air.

Either water entered the house or the air was contaminated. I don't see any other possibility. Is there an attic &/or a cellar? Look at them. Wear googles & a mask. Be a detective, Sherlock.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Cooking smells can get into a house and can be very difficult to get rid of. I owned a house that had the smell of curry, even the subfloor under the carpet had to be painted. 30 years now, don't remember exactly what I used but every surface was painted with 2 coats of oil based something and we got rid of most of it.


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## Fenwayhhh (Mar 22, 2017)

Thanks Neal,

This is a dusty, chalky smell that every wall int he hosue has. House was built in 1970s and if i rub bare drywall, like behind the cabinet with wet rag, a white residue comes off. Does anyone have solution to how I can fix this other than ripping every wall in house down for 50k-plus?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Fenwayhhh said:


> Thanks Neal,
> 
> This is a dusty, chalky smell that every wall int he hosue has. House was built in 1970s and if i rub bare drywall, like behind the cabinet with wet rag, a white residue comes off. Does anyone have solution to how I can fix this other than ripping every wall in house down for 50k-plus?


Bare drywall, the dust could be original dust from sanding that was never cleaned off before cupboards were installed. 
Your description does sound like moisture, do you discuss this with visitors to the house, what are the remarks visitors make about it.


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## Fenwayhhh (Mar 22, 2017)

Visitors smell it. I'm just lost, moisture in whole house, even inside walls? There are no visible signs. I just smelt anothe wall and a real good comparison is the smell of cardboard.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Fenwayhhh said:


> Visitors smell it. I'm just lost, moisture in whole house, even inside walls? There are no visible signs. I just smelt anothe wall and a real good comparison is the smell of cardboard.


 I wonder if a lab could identify contaminants. 

https://inspectapedia.com/odor_diagnosis/Odor_Diagnosis_Checklist.php


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## b-boy (Feb 28, 2007)

Smokers before you? That stuff gets into everything.


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## Fenwayhhh (Mar 22, 2017)

nothing smells like smoke and ceilings are as white as can be, i know they werent painted previous to us buying cause there was one room with water stains that i assume they would have targeted.


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## ClarenceBauer (Mar 4, 2005)

Have a lab do a core sample of one of the affected walls.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

I second the motion of a lab test.

While reading this post and your first one, a thought occurred to me.

Did they buy a " meth lab", that was not cleaned up proper?


A lab test is first on my list.


ED


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

An easy start would be a check for humidity. You can do this inexpensively with a hygrometer. Even Wal Mart has them.

You said you assumed they would have painted over that ceiling if they were painting. If there was any kind of flood or big leak, they might have tired of painting. Why are there water stains on that ceiling?

Smell is very individual, but to me a cardboard smell can be left after mold/mildew is "cleaned"up. I would describe it as musty.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

You still didn't answer my questions about an attic & cellar. Do they exist & did you check them? 
There is a tester that we used when I worked Flood damage. It has 2 prongs that you lightly push into the wall. If it detects moisture, it will beep. Try one of those. Also, maybe post a few wide angled pics of the walls & even the outside of the house. Maybe we will see something.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

I see that you had a lot of testing done - thread from 3/22/2017. Sorry I can't put link up on this phone. It would be helpful. No wonder you're frustrated!


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## Fenwayhhh (Mar 22, 2017)

So attics and basements exist, it is in a damp area on a slope. Meth? 90 year olds lived here previously, always a possibility after seeing what Walter White can do, but i doubt it. I had a ton of testing done as Nik333 mentions. Nothing stands out. I just don't get how all walls have this scent. Is it the skim coat from 70s? was it made out of clay?

Lost


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## ClarenceBauer (Mar 4, 2005)

Yes a lot of coatings were made with the use of clay. Examples are Kaolin Clay & Attapulgite clay. Most joint compounds has clay as it's base.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

Is that all you can tell us about the attic & cellar? What's with the Meth? Will you post some pics or not?


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## Fenwayhhh (Mar 22, 2017)

No Meth, someone mentioned it but no meth. I can post some pics tomorrow for sure. I've had people in attic and basement and they are sure that is NOT causing the walls in house to smell. So is it normal for walls to smell like clay if clay jc was put on it? every wall i've smelt smells like nothing?


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

It's a strange problem but apparently, you are not the first to have it. I googled chalky smell & saw other questions & possible solutions.


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