I’m buying a house that was built in 1961. The ceilings and some walls are made of tongue-in-groove pineboards. I noticed that there’s a certain odor in the house and I suspect that it’s the pinewood that’s lining the walls and ceiling. How can I get rid of the odor.
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It's really unlikely that 45 year-old boards are still passing odors. More likely that the previous owners cleaned the house with a pine scented cleaner.
Open the windows, mop the floors with your favorite cleaner. If necessary, clean the carpets and drapes, and maybe even the walls.
Best Wishes.....
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Hello, DOVEL, welcome to BreakTime.
What type of odor? Pine odor? Cigarette odor, musty, moldy, etc?
jt8
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for dinner, liberty is a well armed lamb protesting the vote." -- Benjamin Franklin
It's a musky or some sort of an old LOG CABIN smell.
Is the wood sealed? It may just be a matter of putting another coat of sealant on to lock in the smell.
jt8
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for dinner, liberty is a well armed lamb protesting the vote." -- Benjamin Franklin
It' smells like an antique store or antique furniture.
Is there any sealer on that pine?
Sounds like it smells like the old motels in the adirondacks. Fine if you air it out, but open it up after a week and you have the smell.
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Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Fresh Care sprayed around will help eliminate the odor. Also dried eucalyptus laid out in each room will absorb the musty smell. It runs about $2.00 a bundle and can be found at any hobby/ crafts store. Walmart carries it too.
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If you are sure the smell is from the wood and the other remedies proposed here don't work, you could always seal it in with shellac. If you want some color, go with orange (amber) or garnet or whatever. If you don't want any color, go with superblonde.
You're probably smelling mildew and maybe a little earthy odor from the crawlspace. First clean it all out, clean out the crawl, and make sure there's plastic on the crawl floor.
Dovel, did you find a remedy for the odor?
sphere, don't you say it
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Edited 9/8/2007 12:48 pm ET by rez
SnorK*Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"If you want something you've never had, do something you've never done"
Good idea..
I got a couple of suggestions like spreading dried eucalyptus trees and sealing the whole woodwork with shellac. The closing on the house maybe a month away and I'm trying to get as much suggestion as I can before I sign the papers.