How To Get Rid Of Musty Household Smells

Musty odor is at the top of the list of undesireable qualities a house should not feature,it gives the impression of a place that is dirty and not looked after well. It may not be immediately noticeable for the residents there, but guests will certainly notice it. What is more musty odors may indicate the presence of mould which in turn can kick off allergic reactions.

The season of the year may well determine whether the odors are present or not. For example in the summer time, often the air conditioner is left on continuously which may well get rid of the musty smell yet the cause remains and the smell may comeback in the winter season. Home dehumidifiers can definetely help here.

Basements are often then source of such musty odors and the odor may have been caused by problems such as high humidity, cracks in walls allowing moisture in or merely from condensation. In order to prevent and stop the musty odor it is important to find the primary cause although bear in mind there may well be more than factor causing the problem. The following will enable you to track down the cause of the problem most quickly:

To prevent condensation on water pipes which can be a source of moisture particularly in winter months is to cover the water pipes with an insulated pipe wrap, these are relatively cheap and are an easy w3ay to prevent moisture dripping of the pipes and onto the floor.

Sometimes an entire house can be affected by an odor that has risen from the basement and into the entire house but was originally caused by a lack of air flow and high humidity in the basement. Installation of a basement dehumidifier can prevent this problem from occurring and remove excess moisture, just make sure you have a drain available in order to take away the excess water gathered by the air dehumidifier otherwise you may have to purchase an air dehumidifier with a hose pipe and pump.

Make sure that the suspected condenstion is not water that is not just coming out of pipes with really small holes. Problems like this can be solved by fixing on a pipe leak clamp, or if the hole is very small, purchasing an epoxy compound from your local building supplier.

Weeping walls is a more dangerous problem as water is gentley seeping through the walls from the outdoor environment. The following procedure will help restrict the water from seeping into the house through the walls
Make sure the weather is going to be clear.
Run home dehumidifiers and fans to dry the walls.
Find a brush with stronf firm bristles and scrub the weeping parts of the wall with trisodium phosphate, this is usually sold at most home improvement stores and will clean the wall for you just make sure you let it dry afterwards.
Use latex concrete sealer to completely seal the walls and obviously follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
This procedure on its own should prevent all future weeping, if not then you’d better bring in a professional.

Cracks in walls are a further possible source of moisture and these may even happen in new houses also. The cracks may be classed as active and likely to widen further or hopefully inactive and not likely to widen. Most cracks in walls are not difficult to repair with ready mixed concrete and a knife.

By following the above suggestions, focusing on your specific problems and with addition of a dehumidifier it is likely that you will be able to solve even the most persistent of household musty smells. Remember that home dehumidifiers and an air portable dehumidifier can help considerably