ᐅ New basement in a newly built house smells musty

Created on: 31 May 2017 23:54
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franzl2000
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franzl2000
31 May 2017 23:54
Hello everyone,

Our new build has a basement constructed as a waterproof concrete shell ("white tank"). It has been underground for a year now and appears to be sealed and dry. It is essentially in a shell condition since we plan to paint and install the flooring later.

I get the impression that there is a slight musty smell, but I don’t feel it is caused by abnormal moisture. Could the smell simply come from the unfinished structure and screed floor? Or does this kind of shell stage have to be completely odor-free? What do you think? Thanks and best regards, franzl2000
andimann1 Jun 2017 13:09
Hello,

franzl2000 schrieb:
Could the smell simply come from the raw construction and the screed floor?

This might be subjective, but I personally always feel like I can "smell the concrete." Concrete continues to cure over time and therefore keeps emitting gases. This results in what I consider a typical concrete smell in unventilated rooms.

Have you tried ventilating and measuring humidity and air temperature?

Best regards,
Andreas
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Nordlys
1 Jun 2017 13:21
That’s true, concrete and also mortar can have an odor if they are not fully cured. They also generate heat and moisture during this process. Karsten
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ypg
1 Jun 2017 14:42
If it is still in the shell construction phase, can we assume that it is not being ventilated?

Best regards
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franzl2000
1 Jun 2017 15:45
So the house is basically finished, and the upper floors will be occupied soon. The basement is not yet painted and has no flooring installed. Of course, the smell could also come from the building materials. There are three basement windows with light wells, which we ventilate regularly.
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ypg
1 Jun 2017 17:08
What do you mean by regular ventilation?
Tilting the windows in front of the light wells for 10 minutes?

I’m not experienced with drying basements, but if the use of construction dryers is mainly limited to the ground floor and upper floor, and the basement lacks underfloor heating and the appropriate screed system, I can imagine there is still a considerable amount of residual moisture causing a musty/moldy smell.

Regards, Yvonne