Powder Bathroom

Turns out it was the combination of mulch and too much water in the corner of my house where there is not a lot of sun exposure. The soil was too wet and even though you don't smell it outside, somehow this combination released a smell into my bathroom through the vent hole which is nearby. I am currently running the fan in the bathroom all day to keep the smell from entering. I turned off two of the sprinkler heads and reduced the amount of time my sprinklers are on for.

We'll see if it gets better once the soil dries. The landscaper mentioned the quality of mulch that was used is some cheaper version that combines horse dung which is the cause of the smell. They sell higher quality mulch that doesn't have that smell when mixed with water. I'm not surprised by this and could see the home builder cutting expenses by using cheaper mulch.

Hope this helps others!

lNC, did you have mulch and excess water near your bathroom vent hole?
 
Chairman said:
Turns out it was the combination of mulch and too much water in the corner of my house where there is not a lot of sun exposure.

lNC, did you have mulch and excess water near your bathroom vent hole?
Click to expand...

No, not near the bathroom.

But now since you mentioned about the mulch, I did notice the strong odor from the front yard when we first move in and I though it was cause by the fertilizer/manure they used in the yard.

Thanks for the posting, learn something new today.
 
The original mulch they put in didn't cause a smell in my home. However, later it did? I'm thinking my landscaper may have put some over there but they said they only put bark. Did your landscaper add anything near the vent?
 
Chairman said:
The original mulch they put in didn't cause a smell in my home. However, later it did? I'm thinking my landscaper may have put some over there but they said they only put bark. Did your landscaper add anything near the vent?
Click to expand...
Maybe he had to really go, and unloaded by your vent. Just a joke

 
If you really dislike someone you could bury stinky stuff under the mulch right by their vent. They'd go through the same hell I just went through. I almost tore the roof off my powder bath!
 
Chairman said:
The original mulch they put in didn't cause a smell in my home. However, later it did? I'm thinking my landscaper may have put some over there but they said they only put bark. Did your landscaper add anything near the vent?
Click to expand...
I just realize your powder room is in the front of the house where my is in the back and there is no greenscape near the my powder room so the mulch issue only affects me when I walk outside at the front of our house.


Chairman said:
If you really dislike someone you could bury stinky stuff under the mulch right by their vent. They'd go through the same hell I just went through. I almost tore the roof off my powder bath!
Click to expand...
You know since your powder room is in front of the house, could some dog just did his business in your front yard near where the powder room vent is located?

BTW, I never walk my dog on your street. :)
 
I raked the dirt where the excess water and mulch are located. The soil is still really soaked. I tried to break up the soil to help it dry up. The smell still comes into my bathroom if I turn the fan off. I'm running the fan 24/7 right now. I think I might need to seal the vent until this passes. Anyone have suggestions on how to dry out the soil? I saw a lot of little flies in this area. Is that a bad sign or nothing to worry about?

I think my landscapers may have nicked the drainage pipe nearby when they took out the 3 existing plants there so they could access the sprinkler system. I'm speculating that when the sprinklers in the backyard go off, the water goes down this drain but then spills out into the soil where the hole in the pipe is. I also changed my sprinklers to go off at 6:30 PM instead of 4:30 AM. Will monitor tomorrow.

Anyone else have any ideas? <sigh>
 
Anyone have good remedies for mulch/water mix odor? I poured baking soda outside on the dirt near the vent. Will vinegar do anything? Thanks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top