That Smell.... It's Coming From Where?

That Smell…. It’s Coming From Where?

It’s frustrating. You love your home but that musty smell is driving you nuts. Maybe it gets worse after you’re gone a few days. Maybe after it rains. You invest in candles, sprays, and diffusers. They cover up the smell for a while, but it always comes back. You’ve walked from room to room but can’t figure out where it’s coming from.

What could be causing that smell?

A musty, earthy smell, like dirt and rotting leaves, is a sign of mold, especially after a heavy rain. The smells given off by mold at certain stages of their growth and reproduction are called Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds (MVOCs). This is a mixture of various compounds being released by the organism as it eats, grows, and multiplies. 

But… I don’t see any mold.

Are you sure you checked everywhere? Maybe you thought you checked everywhere, but there are a few places you might have missed. The first being your crawl space. The second being your HVAC ducts. The third being your attic.

Mold thrives in dark, wet environments. Leaks in the roof or ducts can cause mold growth in the attic. Evaporator coils and drip fans, along with the high moisture levels found in crawl spaces, create the perfect environment for mold. Both control a high amount of airflow in your home.

Well, the HVAC ducts make sense. I know the air in my home comes from it, which explains the smell, but the crawl space? Really? Air comes in one side, goes out the other, right?

Wrong. There is air movement between your crawlspace and home. It is driven by the “stack effect. Your home works like a vacuum. Warm air in the upper levels rises and is expelled through windows, vents, gaps, etc. As it rises, it is replaced by air from the lower levels. That level includes the crawlspace.

Now what? Well, calling us would be great (we offer free evaluations!), but you can also check your ducts, crawl space, and attic. Either way, you should do something. Mold can become a health hazard, not to mention, it can damage your home and considerably lower its resale value. Plus, that smell. It’s time to throw away all those candles and diffusers. Toss the sprays. (Really, don’t do that. Those things cost money.)

The smell may be a small thing, an irritation, but mold is serious. It’s time to take care of your health and the health of your home.