Acrid fumes from timber...???

D

danroach

Hiya.

I wondered if I might get your take on a slight problem I have.

Recently I have had a garden studio built – timber building, concrete floor, insulated with Kingspan and lined inside with 6mm ply. The whole thing looks fantastic. However, in a moment of anti-genius, I decided to leave the ceiling unlined. I thought it’d look better and it’d give me more height in the studio itself (as per pic **image on side for some odd reason**).


However…

Since completion, there has been a particularly acrid smell in the studio. It seems to be aggravated on warm days which is what is leading me to believe its something to do with the exposed timbers in the ceiling construction. I’ve painted the walls and sealed the floor with concrete floor paint; at first I thought it could have been the floor but it doesn’t seem to be coming from there. I’ve had a sniff of the exposed timbers and they do indeed have a pretty acidic odor to them, but I didn’t know whether this was due to warm air rising and this acrid smell collecting at the top of the room.

I wondered if anyone had come across a similar situation? Yes, I know it was foolish to leave the ceiling ‘unfinished’ so to speak (builder coming to insulate and board over in the next few weeks) but hopefully once covered over it will stop the place reeking so much – the space is almost unusable at the moment.

Best and thanks in anticipation,

Dan
 
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if you have used normal products timbers will have no strong smells or odours
definitely nothing toxic or strong smelling unless theres something in the equation that shouldn't be there

covering or exposing has nothing to do with this situation its to do with something that should not be there possibly causing a chemical reaction but not a normal happening as in i have never heard of such a problem
 
Is that plywood over the rafters?

Could be crappy Chinese plywood giving off formaldehyde, I would highly doubt it to be the actual roof timbers.
 
Aron,

Sounds like you've hit the nail on the head (pun-tastic). Yes, after reading your post, I have been researching a little and got back in touch with the company who built my building. They're being very good about this, they're coming out tomorrow am to inspect and see what can be done.

The pungent and acrid smell does sound like formaldehyde 'gassing out' of the ply - if you know what i mean.

To take the whole roof off to remove the ply would be a mammoth job but I don't want to be breathing in latent fumes of formaldehyde for the next 10+ years.

Thanks so much for the advice. I'll keep details posted.
 
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If you are going to put a vapour barrier (plastic sheet) behind the yet to be installed plasterboard, that will probably stop it getting into the room, you can also use varnish to seal it in if you decide to leave them exposed.

Obviously the ideal solution is to replace it, but probably at your cost, the likely hood of the supplier wanting to deal with the cost of materials and workmanship, or the manufacturer picking up the phone is probably slim.
 
Hiya,

Yes, well the guy from the company who built the summerhouse is coming round today so I'll speak to him about this. I did think about a vapour barrier but would that really keep out any fumes that the ply might be giving off? It just seems like if there is something potential health damaging, I'm not sure I want that around me.

I don't want a conflict over this but if there is something that has potential health damaging consequences, surely it's the summerhouse company's responsibility to rectify it?

I'll see what they say.

Stress that's not needed!!

Thanks again for the advice and words.
 

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