Cooking smells coming from other side of semi-detached house - how?

[Frank H]

In the basement of our 80ish-year-old semi-detached house, we can often smell what the neighbours on the other side are cooking in their main floor kitchen. There is no known opening between the 2 sides of the house, so I'm wondering how the smells are reaching us. Through the brick wall? Anyone have any ideas or experience with this? Thought I'd ask here before starting inquiries next door.

Thanks in advance,

- Frank

[louie]

Does your neighbor have/use a range vent-hood? It's very likely that the cooking smells are being vented outside and finding their way into the basement through windows/drafts/cracks/etc.

[ronm]

Brick is porous so yes odor can get through. Is the wall finished with drywall? Was it caulked below the baseboard? The most likely places to check would be at electrical fixtures and switches etc. Do you have a common attic? Odors going up from their kitchen lights into the attic and down through your fixtures. Does their kitchen stove have an exhaust fan vented to the outside? Just some thoughts, I don't live in a semi.

[m Ransley]

Do you share a wall, through electric outlets, holes in walls from plumbing under the sinks.

[Joseph Meehan]

If it is in the basement, I would suggest two possible issues:

1. Radon elimination vent system.
2. perimeter drain system.

Either of the above may be shared.

[Frank H]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! Too sleepy to respond individually tonight but I will investigate in all the directions you've pointed out.

All the best,

- Frank

zzzzzzzzzzzz

[buffalobill]

prevailing winds off lake erie send delightful neighborhood fireplace aromas our way at christmas time. downtown they smell the fresh cheerios baking at buffalo ny general mills. halls/kaufmanns/stroehman's used to fill the air daily 2 blocks away with a wonderful cinnamon bun smell here in north buffalo if we were lucky to have the morning winds shift our way usually once a week. break out the cinnamon buns and check for your cinnamon at the neighbor's. if undetectable try smoked bacon aromas. see also:

[hallerb]

Get a insulation contractor to pressure test your home. the use a fan to create positive pressure in your home then use smoke device to look for air leaks.

not only with this seal up leaks, but save you energy and free you of neighbor odors