Have a domestic issue question on a grand scale. I'm the board member in charge of the property management in a self-managed Toronto residential co-op (the sort that you own a share of). It's an older building, we've completed our first reserve fund study, and are starting in on project number two of big building reno. All of which is to say, we're doing a lot of catch-up maintenance. I have found a few surprises as I've switched roles from treasurer to property manager. And of course, I'm doing all this in my copious spare time.
A visiting friend of mine recently pointed out that we have a strong mildew smell when one enters the lobby from the street. I'm trying to determine the source, because, quite frankly, I can't smell it. The lobby has a plaster ceiling, beautiful fifties style wood panelling, and a terrazzo floor, with a large area carpet (about fifteen years old) and a somewhat frat-housish collection of sofas and chairs. As far as I can tell, the mildew smell is coming from either the carpets or the furniture. We last had the carpet cleaned in 2005. It also has a high voume traffic runner laid across it. It's a good question when _that_ last went out for cleaning. It may or may not be the source, because, according to my friend, the smell was stronger during the summer than it is now, when the heating is on.
Any ideas as to what I should be checking.... and possibly, how to handle it?
>A visiting friend of mine recently pointed out that we have a strong >mildew smell when one enters the lobby from the street. I'm trying to >determine the source, because, quite frankly, I can't smell it. The >lobby has a plaster ceiling, beautiful fifties style wood panelling, >and a terrazzo floor, with a large area carpet (about fifteen years >old) and a somewhat frat-housish collection of sofas and chairs. As far >as I can tell, the mildew smell is coming from either the carpets or >the furniture. We last had the carpet cleaned in 2005. It also has a >high voume traffic runner laid across it. It's a good question when >_that_ last went out for cleaning. It may or may not be the source, >because, according to my friend, the smell was stronger during the >summer than it is now, when the heating is on.
>Any ideas as to what I should be checking.... and possibly, how to >handle it?
Easiest but least-economical solution: (1) throw out all the furniture and get new, (2) have the carpet and runner thoroughly cleaned (maybe get new if they're not expensive) (3) if the friend still smells mildew, tell her she's imagining it.
> A visiting friend of mine recently pointed out that we have a strong > mildew smell when one enters the lobby from the street. I'm trying to > determine the source, because, quite frankly, I can't smell it. The > lobby has a plaster ceiling, beautiful fifties style wood panelling, > and a terrazzo floor, with a large area carpet (about fifteen years > old) and a somewhat frat-housish collection of sofas and chairs. As far > as I can tell, the mildew smell is coming from either the carpets or > the furniture. We last had the carpet cleaned in 2005. It also has a > high voume traffic runner laid across it. It's a good question when > _that_ last went out for cleaning. It may or may not be the source, > because, according to my friend, the smell was stronger during the > summer than it is now, when the heating is on.
If it's stronger in the summer, then it might be going with temp and humidity. Could easily be the carpet or the runner or both, especially if you got some water tracked in at some point. I'd start by pulling up the carpet and gasping at the boggy mess underneath.
If the furniture has got it (how often is it used?) then the best solution is to ditch it. Deep-cleaning wouldn't be worth the cost. (I've seen this stuff from my parents house, which was mostly un-airconditioned around DC)
Velochicdunord wrote: >As far as I can tell, the mildew smell is coming from either >the carpets or the furniture. We last had the carpet cleaned >in 2005. It also has a high voume traffic runner laid across >it. It's a good question when _that_ last went out for >cleaning. It may or may not be the source, because, according >to my friend, the smell was stronger during the summer than >it is now, when the heating is on. >Any ideas as to what I should be checking....
Get up-close and personal and put your nose close to the problem. If your sniffer aint up to the task, get a second and third opinion. Hopefully the source is external (carpet, furniture, et al.) as you say 'cuz those are a relatively easy fix. What you should probably do is (carefully) remove an electrical covering (like a switch or wall outlet) and check (and pray) the odor isn't coming from behind the walls. Also check any nearby closets (whether public or in-unit) for moisture or 'shrooms. Check the direction of bathroom and laundry exhausts; there may be just some leaky ductwork.
>and possibly, how to handle it?
I think it's 10:1 water/chlorine bleach (..but you should check that proportion) in a carpet cleaning machine to cure the problem for the carpet/runner (be sure to ventilate well). Furniture can usually be cured by a good coating of spray Lysol (also pull dust cloak from bottom to spray up underneath to the woodwork). If the odor seems to be coming from behind the walls then I'd recommend you gitcherself a qualified bona-fide carpentry/drywall person.
Mikey (..lived in crappy old house in college.) -- "There is no nonsense so gross that society will not, at some time, make a doctrine of it and defend it with every weapon of communal stupidity." - Robertson Davies
Velochicdunord wrote: > Have a domestic issue question on a grand scale. I'm the board member > in charge of the property management in a self-managed Toronto > residential co-op (the sort that you own a share of). It's an older > building, we've completed our first reserve fund study, and are > starting in on project number two of big building reno. All of which is > to say, we're doing a lot of catch-up maintenance. I have found a few > surprises as I've switched roles from treasurer to property manager. > And of course, I'm doing all this in my copious spare time.
> A visiting friend of mine recently pointed out that we have a strong > mildew smell when one enters the lobby from the street. I'm trying to > determine the source, because, quite frankly, I can't smell it. The > lobby has a plaster ceiling, beautiful fifties style wood panelling, > and a terrazzo floor, with a large area carpet (about fifteen years > old) and a somewhat frat-housish collection of sofas and chairs. As far > as I can tell, the mildew smell is coming from either the carpets or > the furniture. We last had the carpet cleaned in 2005. It also has a > high voume traffic runner laid across it. It's a good question when > _that_ last went out for cleaning. It may or may not be the source, > because, according to my friend, the smell was stronger during the > summer than it is now, when the heating is on.
> Any ideas as to what I should be checking.... and possibly, how to > handle it?
Bury your nose in anything that doesn't move out of your way. If you detect any whiff of mildew, then it will be compounded in warm/wet weather. It it's in something that can be removed, then pitch that item. If it's in the walls, then call a pro pronto. I live in a flood plain and the houses around me have been flooded and rehabed repeatedly. The faster and more brutal you are with the remediation, the better off you are in the long run. Also, check your insurance coverage. you may want to spend some money on remediation now to avoid having the insurance carrier tell you later that they won't defend against a suit.
> Any ideas as to what I should be checking.... and possibly, how to > handle it?
does it have padding underneath it?
is it a large space?
i don't recall that entranceway being a large space.
so i'd look at removing the furniture for a bit, airing it out, and then seeing if the smell returns. if it doesn't then you've found the problem.
if you've not found the problem it's part two, the flooring, probably not dried thoroughly after a cleaning. dehumidifier might help if it's a small space, but instead of messing with that it might do better to just tear it up and replace it with some sort of hard floor (with traction) that won't soak up water. entranceways are rotten places for carpeting IMHO.
<for.arts.s...@sympatico.ca> wrote: >Any ideas as to what I should be checking.... and possibly, how to >handle it?
Before you go all ninja on mildew, you might want to be sure it really was mildew your friend smelled. It could have been "old building smell" or "musty, needs to be aired lobby smell". Bring in an unbiased sniffer, one who doesn't live in the building but hasn't been told it smells like mildew, and see if they smell anything unusual.
Penelope -- "Maybe you'd like to ask the Wizard for a heart." "ElissaAnn" <eli...@everybodycansing.com>
kmd <k...@lifeofaction.org> wrote: > On 2 Oct 2006 13:07:42 -0400, Cheezits <Cheezit...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>I'm happy that my house is finally odor-free. Just in time to put it >>on the market.
> Did the community in New York look good?
I liked it. But I think I am going to stay in PA for now. There is a co-housing group trying to get off the ground in the Phoenixville area, and I have been going to some of their meetings.
Sue -- "It's not smart or correct, but it's one of the things that make us what we are." - Red Green
Cheezits <Cheezit...@hotmail.com> wrote: > kmd <k...@lifeofaction.org> wrote: > > On 2 Oct 2006 13:07:42 -0400, Cheezits <Cheezit...@hotmail.com> wrote: > >>I'm happy that my house is finally odor-free. Just in time to put it > >>on the market. > > Did the community in New York look good? > I liked it. But I think I am going to stay in PA for now. There is a > co-housing group trying to get off the ground in the Phoenixville area, > and I have been going to some of their meetings.
Huh, that's where my sister works. One of them, anyway. Ever been to The Blob Run at the Colonial Theatre?
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