ᐅ Chemical Odor from the Exterior Wall

Hello everyone,

We built our house about a year ago. Shortly after moving in, we noticed a chemical odor in one of the rooms.
We have now discovered that the smell is coming from the lowest row of bricks (hollow cavity bricks). This is an exterior wall.
At first, we removed the plaster, but that did not help. Then we drilled holes, which actually made the smell stronger.
The insulation was also removed from the outside at that spot. There is no smell detected there.
The odor was confirmed by an air analysis, which detected toxins.
However, we have not been able to determine the exact source of the smell. It seems that some incorrect material might have been used somewhere.
Maybe someone has an idea or has experienced something similar.

Attached is a photo of the area.

Thank you

Good luck

Mark

drjack2000 schrieb:

We just can’t pinpoint where the smell is coming from.

Is that your responsibility? You still have a warranty and the right to file a defect claim.

drjack2000 schrieb:

The smell was also confirmed by an air analysis. Toxins were detected.

Oh dear, I also have a room that smells strange and I have no idea what it is. How did you come up with the idea to drill holes down there???

What exactly was detected? Which toxin? At what concentration?

I mean, you have already proven through the holes that there is a problem with the wall. If the smell is coming from the hole, then open one of the holes further and check what’s going on. The type of toxin should also provide some clues.

Hello,

thank you for your quick responses. The builder and the construction supervisor are both very committed to resolving the issue. However, since it seems to be very rare, I hope there is someone here who has experienced this before. The plan is also to enlarge one of the openings in the wall. We just want to avoid causing too much damage to the house.

It could be related to any materials—paint, sealant, etc.

So, please feel free to share any other ideas.

Good luck

Mark

What type of wall construction do you have? Ideally, please provide the complete list of all layers and materials from the interior to the exterior.

WilderSueden schrieb:

What kind of wall construction do you have? Ideally, the complete list of all layers and materials from inside to outside.

From inside to outside:
Gypsum plaster – hollow chamber bricks – several layers of plaster.
The brick rests on the slab. The slab is treated with a primer at that point, then there is a bitumen membrane, and then the brick.

The brick itself extends slightly beyond the slab and is plastered from below. Insulation is attached underneath this overhang.

The exterior insulation was removed and there is no smell. We have also removed screed and you can see the bitumen membrane. There is no odor there either. It is directly on the brick.

Good luck

Mark