Hello everyone,
We built our house new in 2019 and moved in on January 1, 2020. Our walls are made of 36 cm (14 inch) Poroton bricks. On top of that, a Knauf bonding barrier was applied, followed by plastering with Knauf "MP75 G/F Light" (gypsum-lime plaster). The plaster was smoothed and then painted only with Caparol Sylitol Bio interior paint based on silicate. The floor covering is tiles.
For months now, we have noticed a distinct odor in the house that is difficult to describe. It is somewhat musty, slightly sweet, and perhaps a little smoky. I just can’t figure out where the smell is coming from. However, I believe it is not present in the bathrooms (lime-cement plaster) or in the unplastered basement rooms (concrete walls, painted with the same Caparol paint).
Can such a smell come from the plaster? We have now been living in the house for 1 year and 10 months. Additionally, we have a central ventilation system that runs continuously and exchanges the air. I have installed temperature and humidity loggers in some rooms, but I have not observed anything unusual. I am also not aware of any issues with moisture or mold. But the smell has to come from somewhere.
What are your experiences with gypsum-lime plaster? Can it develop such an odor on its own?
We built our house new in 2019 and moved in on January 1, 2020. Our walls are made of 36 cm (14 inch) Poroton bricks. On top of that, a Knauf bonding barrier was applied, followed by plastering with Knauf "MP75 G/F Light" (gypsum-lime plaster). The plaster was smoothed and then painted only with Caparol Sylitol Bio interior paint based on silicate. The floor covering is tiles.
For months now, we have noticed a distinct odor in the house that is difficult to describe. It is somewhat musty, slightly sweet, and perhaps a little smoky. I just can’t figure out where the smell is coming from. However, I believe it is not present in the bathrooms (lime-cement plaster) or in the unplastered basement rooms (concrete walls, painted with the same Caparol paint).
Can such a smell come from the plaster? We have now been living in the house for 1 year and 10 months. Additionally, we have a central ventilation system that runs continuously and exchanges the air. I have installed temperature and humidity loggers in some rooms, but I have not observed anything unusual. I am also not aware of any issues with moisture or mold. But the smell has to come from somewhere.
What are your experiences with gypsum-lime plaster? Can it develop such an odor on its own?
H
hampshire11 Oct 2021 22:38Sometimes it’s teenagers too... 😱
Have you ever measured the CO2 levels and humidity?
Have you ever measured the CO2 levels and humidity?
ypg schrieb:
So, the fresh air is supplied where the ventilation delivers it, not where the air is extracted in the wet rooms?
Do you have a lot of dust on the surfaces in the new building? More than before? The smell is less noticeable in the four bedrooms, which have the most supply air coming in. I would say we have quite a bit of dust, especially in the bathroom from clothes coming out of the dryer. But that has always been the case, even in our old apartment. Only now there is this musty smell.
We don’t have teenagers yet. All are still under 5 years old, and I can tell their odors apart.
I haven’t measured the CO2 yet, but I can’t imagine it being too high since the ventilation exchanges 150 m³/h (5300 ft³/h).
The humidity is being logged as mentioned, but I consider it unremarkable. It is highest in the basement at around 55% and about 42–45% in the attic and ground floor.
I would have guessed that it’s fine dust from the house construction spreading through the ventilation ducts. We experienced it ourselves during the first three years. A neighbor did too (increased dust in a fine, unusual form). Try smelling gypsum or concrete dust to see if you notice any similarities.
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