cant locate odor

I'm stumped, one of the rooms in our house recently developed a strong odor. I think it smells sort of dirty-feetish, my wife says no, smells like dead animal (though she admits she has no idea what a dead animal smells like). We've walked around sticking our noses in everything but simply can't locate it. It's an old house and the room is in a refinished attic. (As I'm tying this, the wife has now informed me that it's not JUST a dead animal, but she's certain it smells like a squirrel!! I'm waiting for her to let me know if it's a 6 month old, grey, male squirrel. Who needs a gas chromatograph with her around :)). So, any ideas on how to locate a hard to find smell?

Reply to
Rob
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Look under the house in the crawlspace.

Reply to
Kathy

Use a dog.

Reply to
Alan Smithee

My wife is the same way. Since she gags on dead animal smell, its up to me to find it. (My nose died 3 yrs ago, I couldn't smell it if it were on top of my head). So I have to have her pin point where its the strongest and then I just do a very thourough cleaning of the room. 9 out of 10 times its in the basement. IF its in the walls there is not much you can do except wait a few weeks for it to dry out. Be sure to look at shelves above eye level. (if you want to hide something in plain sight you do it above eye level. People just don't look up). I had a chipmunk commit suicide ontop of the heating duct work once. Because it was above eye level it took over a week of extensive searching to find, even though it was in plain view. I also have a air ionizer to kill the smell if I can't find it. Yes it happens at least twice a year in my house

Reply to
Jmagerl

The hell with the dog, use your wife, watch which way she points when her expression is the worst - thats where the dead animal is. Eric

Reply to
Eric

"Jmagerl" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@rcn.net:

Change your underwear.

Reply to
FlavorFlav

Go down to the hardware store and hire one of the day laborers and have him crawl under the house and look for the dead creature. While he is under there have him clean up any debris and it will save you the effort next time you need termite clearance. Other option as stated....just wait a few weeks. I had to do that once when a cat died in an inaccesible area under the house.

Reply to
Ross Mac

Check the vent stack for cracks

Reply to
m Ransley

Do you have a smellavision card for your computer? If you do, take your USB smellavision detector, and capture the odor and upload it so we can all take a whiff and decide what it is

Reply to
Me

probably not too long before you can do that! i'm waiting for PC racing games to be able to generate smells like racing fuel and burnt rubber :).

Reply to
Rob

I'm glad i saw this link... Just 2 mos ago we have the same smelly foot" odor in our guest bedroom & it sucks! I'v cleaned the walls and baseboards, etc.. It still stinks!!! If yo ever find out what it is, please, please, please let me know! We ha a mold inspector come to the house- he actually cut a hole in my wal and pulled the baseboard off.. If I was home I would've smacked him but, my husband was here and let him... Anyway.... there was n visible mold... We have an inspector coming to the house next week like the inspector who checks out a house before you buy it ) t check the attic where our A/C is... if he finds something I'll tel you about it, because it sounds like we have the same problem

Reply to
Zeb

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