is it damp?? Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[Chris35]

I need some help please. I have recently renovated my house and plastered all the walls and painted but recently at my front door hallway and cupboard there is a stale sweet smell. I dont know what it is and there is no damp anywhere. I have a dehumidifier and it doesnt help at all and is not taking much water from the rooms. No matter what i try the smell wont leave. I have electricity units and didnt know if the smell was coming from under the floor somehow though the floor is sealed now with plywood and karndene. Can anyone help me? its really doing my head in as the smell transfers to my clothing.

thanks
chris

[Perry525]

By the sound of it, you have wet wood and mould.
Did you not paint all sides of the wood?
When you plaster you use a lot of water and this water would normally move through the walls to the outside where it is cold and then blow away.
It is a good idea to wait for the walls to dry out before decorating.
This can take some time during the winter.
Its quite likely that the problem will go away when the warm (?) summer months arrive.
Meanwhile, buy a decent damp meter and check the wood work and the plastered walls for damp.
They may not look damp but, plaster holds a lot of water, even when its dry, thats why it slows the spread of fire.

[Chris35]

There isnt a lot of water coming from when the walls when i put a de-humidifier on. /am i goingt oget this problem every winter? its just at my front door but i have already decorated the house and painted the walls. I dont have any visible woodwork showing apart from my skirtings and facings and they are all new in every room. i keep airing the front door area but not sure if its warm enough yet to do this.

am i going to have to tak the walls down?