Cavity wall smell

anheneti

Hi All
We had our cavity’s pumped about 15 years ago, the house was built in the 1970s. Has anyone ever had an issue with a smell from the cavity (not sure if insulation is the issue) coming into the house?
Especially in warm weather. Now I have as many cracks and holes filled up as can I see but discovered a big hole behind the fuse board this evening which I will fill tomorrow.

wait4me

Might be worth checking out the fuse board, as you have mentioned it. Perhaps send this post to the Electrical forum as well.

Funny smells can happen from loose electrical connections or heat on fittings. Is this a new smell, of there a while?

Common one is a ceiling light holder, smell only exists after it has been on a while; never during the day because its not used, and it eventually dissipates when turned off.

listermint

Warm weather can heat up trapped moisture as the moisture heats it evaporates bring the smell with it. Have you had any leak issues at roof level or gutters that could have gotten into cavities ? And damp problems in any rooms or external walls. Any items like planting or retaining walls above the DPC layer?

anheneti

wait4me wrote: »

Might be worth checking out the fuse board, as you have mentioned it. Perhaps send this post to the Electrical forum as well.

Funny smells can happen from loose electrical connections or heat on fittings. Is this a new smell, of there a while?

Common one is a ceiling light holder, smell only exists after it has been on a while; never during the day because its not used, and it eventually dissipates when turned off.

Hi wait4me
It’s definitely not electrical, the smell is coming from the cavity, I vented the external wall in one room last year and it solved it there

anheneti

listermint wrote: »

Warm weather can heat up trapped moisture as the moisture heats it evaporates bring the smell with it. Have you had any leak issues at roof level or gutters that could have gotten into cavities ? And damp problems in any rooms or external walls. Any items like planting or retaining walls above the DPC layer?

Listermint you are probably right about warm weather heating up the cavity, I filled behind the fuse board with expanding foam today and I will place a vent on that wall this evening to see if it helps. I’d imagine cavity’s by their nature are damp anyway so hopefully another vent will help

listermint

anheneti wrote: »

Listermint you are probably right about warm weather heating up the cavity, I filled behind the fuse board with expanding foam today and I will place a vent on that wall this evening to see if it helps. I’d imagine cavity’s by their nature are damp anyway so hopefully another vent will help

Well they shouldn't be on the proviso that the external render is working roof to ground. And that there is adequate through and through ventilation for the internal space.

A cavity is really a back stop for both of these it acts as an air barrier between the internal and external envelopes and should allow water removal should it get in via ventilation.

Filling it can remove this capability but providing the other two are taken care of above you really shouldn't have water getting into the space.

anheneti

I discovered a 4” hole that was kangoed out for running heating pipes, the hole wasn’t patched back in and water was able to flow into the cavity. The problem is solved since it was filled and we put new paths around the house