This paint stinks!!!!
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Hecate7777
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Re: This paint stinks!!!!

by Hecate7777 » Sun Jun 19, 2016 1:38 pm

Good afternoon,

Today this post has found the answer to my prayers. My partner painted our very tall hallway with Crown Fashion paint a week ago. Since then I have been searching for the source of the wee smell upstairs. Day one involved obsessing about the toilet. Day 2 I actually took the carpets up at the top of the stairs looking for the source of the smell, thinking perhaps something was leaking. By day three I was vomiting regularly as the weather began to get warmer, then came the diarrhea. General feeling of unwell whenever I am in the house. Fine when I leave it. Checked all new parts fitted (new doors, stair spindles etc - doing house up). The hallway is very central and open to every room and there is no escape. On a whim I sniffed the wall and thought I could smell wee. Laughed the idea off but checked online anyway - lo and behold, Watchdog mention it and then here amongst other places. Completely astonished. Smelly walls? Really?

I shall be making a strongly worded phone call to Crown tomorrow, and once we have neutralised the smell, will be moving over to Valspar which has been used successfully everywhere else in the house. The Crown was on sale in a closing down B&Q. never again.

Thanks to all who have posted on here - it has been great to know the answer to the smell. Windows open now.

Yours sickeningly. Hec.

CrownCustomerTeam
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Re: This paint stinks!!!!

by CrownCustomerTeam » Tue Jun 21, 2016 3:46 pm

Good Afternoon Hec,
We are sorry to hear that our product has not met your expectation on this occasion. At your convenience, please contact us directly on:

0800 3896122 or advice@crownpaints.co.uk

Crown Paints Customer Relations Team

Ainanyl
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Re: This paint stinks!!!!

by Ainanyl » Mon Jul 11, 2016 10:34 am

I had the same problem before... there wasnt any paint i coud use at my kids bedroom because the stink wouldnt leave in weeks. and now we have changedto wall decals (similar to this ones http://www.vacro.es http://www.vinyl3d.com) and it a lot easier to clean and the room looks better. but i dont know what will happen the day i will take them out

CrownCustomerTeam
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Re: This paint stinks!!!!

by CrownCustomerTeam » Wed Jul 13, 2016 4:18 pm

We are sorry to hear that our product has not met your expectation on this occasion. At your convenience, please contact us directly on:

0800 3896122 or advice@crownpaints.co.uk

Crown Paints Customer Relations Team

Leaky34
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Re: This paint stinks!!!!

by Leaky34 » Fri Sep 16, 2016 9:27 am

So happy I found this forum.

So, I bought a house about 3 months ago and all the viewings i never noticed any strange smells. However, once i moved in i noticed a chemical/musty/solvent smell in the kitchen which had been totally re-done.

The smell comes and goes and pin pointing it has taken me 3 months and with this forum has confirmed it is coming from the walls.

The people before me left all the paint cans which they used and the kitchen was CROWN BREATHEASY BOTANIC. When they left that took down some shelves and a tv bracket and must have repainted the marks. This is where the strongest most consistent smell comes from.

Its been driving me crazy, Ive had builders under the floors seeing if water was getting in under the floor, or if there was any leaks in the pipe work, but he found nothing. The fact the smell has been so intermittent is the annoying thing. I could cope if there was an actual problem somewhere which you could see.

The smell seems to of decreased today as its a little chillier than late, but still i know its there and it needs removing. What would be the best way to do this?
Sand back, Re-prime and then re-paint? Id rather not go through the hassle and then have the smell back.

Thanks

stats111
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Re: This paint stinks!!!!

by stats111 » Sun Oct 16, 2016 2:23 pm

Has anyone had success without using the horrible primer option? I'm thinking about a straight repaint with a different brand paint, am I wasting my time?

leonardrossy
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Re: This paint stinks!!!!

by leonardrossy » Mon Oct 31, 2016 11:41 am

Hi All,

I painted my bathroom last week with Johnstones once. I am having huge problems as the walls reek. I had a halloween party on Saturday and was so embarrassed about the smell that I went around all my guests explaining that the awful smell was coming from newly painted walls. I have emailed Johnstones regarding this issue and am patiently waiting for a response. I am determined not to be fobbed off by Johnstones and hope they take this issue seriously.

Andrea

sophallan52
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Re: This paint stinks!!!!

by sophallan52 » Mon Feb 06, 2017 11:58 am

Place charcoal on different corners of the room it will absorb the smell from the paint.

Tubularowl
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Re: This paint stinks!!!!

by Tubularowl » Thu Apr 06, 2017 7:02 am

Thought I would add my experience and keep this thread going. Working our way through painting an old cottage. Using Valspar Premium from BQ. Great coverage and have painted living room, hallway, bedroom and landing all in same colour using 5 tins of 5 ltrs so far ceilings have been done in Dulux white emulsion. Living room was first and went ok. Then did landing. This was done with the second tin. Also decided to paint over staircase which was varnished dark oak. Sanded it down and just applied 3 coats of paint. After a week the dead animal smell started in the hall. Firstly at the bottom of the stairs then worked it's way up. Did all the usual things, carpets up, drains etc. After 10 weeks there is only the paint in the room left to blame.

Got hold of some BIN sealer and spent last night repainting the staircase making sure I put plenty on and missed nothing. This morning the smell is just confined to the lower hallway so it's the walls turn tonight. Staircase to be repainted in dulux gloss so the oil base will just seal the smell in more but I'm just going to seal the walls and not repaint for a few weeks to see what happens.

I do have a small area in the bedroom that smells the same if you sniff the wall and a small area in the living room but it's not noticeably smelly generally in either room so will just monitor it.

Valspar were ok when I contacted them and sent me a voucher which I won't be using.

Half the hallway was replasterd 3 months prior to painting so the wall was new. The smell on the wall was the same on the old and the new.

Will follow up progress later.

lindylu
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Re: This paint stinks!!!!

by lindylu » Thu Apr 06, 2017 8:01 am

The smell is driving me crazy. I had my living room decorated in September 16. This included new gas fire, surround, new wallpaper (then two coats of Dulux trade emulsion) etc. Crown trade on the ceiling. The smell of gas was overpowering and I assumed it was a faulty fire. Several visits by the fitters and one by the gas board and I was assured there was no gas leak. All paint was purchased by the decorator (with almost thirty years in the trade)

November I had the dining room decorated, same thing, honk of gas. Gas board out, gas fitters, and again, told no hint of a gas leak.

I am away from home a lot, thank heavens. February 28th saw the start of painting the bedroom, ensuite, hall, stairs, landing and kitchen. I came home after three weeks to an overpowering smell of gas. Again, gas board out, fitters and this time they cut the gas off as I insisted there was a gas leak (despite all fitters saying there was no leak). I had to pay to be reconnected. All the fitters said it is a well known phenomenon, and the gas board fitters told me the gas board had written to Crown and Dulux about it. I googled then found masses of pages on this topic.

The smell is most definitely brought on by opening windows, no doubt about it. I was away a week and there was no smell, as soon as I opened windows, the gas smell was overpowering. My bedroom is in the shade until late afternoon, so gets little sunlight, but the smell is there from opening the window. Sadly, I love windows open, even in winter, so the house has a permanent smell. Summer is coming and my windows will be open from morning until evening, I am dreading it.

Both Dulux (walls) and Crown (ceilings) admitted they are aware of the problem but only Crown is interested in trying to help. A rep has been out, but sadly didn't take any notes. The living room is new wallpaper so has never been painted on before, it isn't paint on top of paint. At this point we have no idea if it is the Crown ceilings or Dulux walls causing the problem.

Two rooms we had painted earlier last year have no smell.

Crown will look at providing neutraliser for the ceiling in the bedroom and ensuite first to see if that solves the problem, if not it is probably the Dulux walls. It is the labour costs, we have spent over two thousand having the house painted, and seven weeks of upheaval.

Dulux have been unhelpful and rude. Blame the customer attitude. They deny all knowledge of the need for the neutraliser, even though the paint research association said Dulux is well aware of the need for it.

I have a permanent headache and I blame this smell, it is disgusting. Sadly, most of the house is affected and is a major job to resolve.

We are waiting to hear back from Crown. They didn't take the empty paint tub away with them, just merely the batch number.

The mind boggles, they both say it isn't the paint, but why are all the rooms that have been painted since September affected, but the two earlier ones not affected. I have no idea what paint was used in those two rooms.

Tubularowl
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Re: This paint stinks!!!!

by Tubularowl » Thu Apr 06, 2017 11:14 pm

I feel really sorry for you Lindalu. One room is bad enough but a load of rooms is awful. There is hope though.

When I got home from work tonight to my smelly hallway, I started getting the sealer on. I managed about half of the hallway and stairs before I ran out. I can't smell the rotting animal smell for the first time in 10 weeks. I will get a couple of tins and complete the job on Saturday. Interestingly the primer colour is very similar to the Valspar I used so I'm thinking that I might just leave it and not bother painting a colour on top. At least it shouldn't smell like a dead dog again and I don't mind the light sheen on the walls.

lindylu
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Re: This paint stinks!!!!

by lindylu » Fri Apr 07, 2017 9:35 am

Yes, having a large part of the house stink is soul destroying. I am still waiting for Crown to get back to me. Yesterday I left the windows closed (I usually have them open all day long), and there was no smell. Opened them today and the pong is back.

I wish I knew whether it was the Crown ceilings or Dulux walls causing the problem. Interstingly, this is the first time trade mix has been used and the first time we have had a problem. I can't wait for the decorator to treat the ceilings in my bedroom and ensuite. If that doesn't solve it, then it is the walls which means a huge amount of upheaval.

I am glad to hear your problem seems to be resolving, can you keep us updated in a month or so? Another three thousand and seven weeks of upheaval breaks my heart.

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Re: This paint stinks!!!!

by Tubularowl » Fri Apr 07, 2017 11:28 pm

Yes I will keep you informed in a month or so. I will be completing the hallway tomorrow. As of now the smell is down by 90% and I've got the other half of the hall to do yet. At £40 a tin for 2.5 ltrs it doesn't really go very far but so far it seems to be working. I might give the hall a second coat just to be sure.

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