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Miscellaneous

Musty Smell - New Home

Question: My daughter has just moved into a beautiful huge house. It has a very bad musty smell i believe comes from the basement. They have a large dehumidifier that is on all the time. The house was empty for 2 months before they moved in. What can be done to remove the smell it is on all three levels?

Answer: New homes can smell musty due to the drying of the materials used in construction - there isn't a lot that can be done for that other than leave the windows open - it will go away. If it is an older home that has been closed up, the musty smell can becoming from drain traps that are all but dry - tell them to turn on all taps for a few minutes - one at a time is fine. If drapes or other furnishings, such as carpet were in the home, they need to be washed or dry-cleaned - carpeting needs to be steam cleaned. If the furnace is on, now, the odor could be from mildew in the ducts after not being used and humidity in the air - the ducts may need to be cleaned by a professional.

Additional information on mold in homes.

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