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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Building Questions >> smell in loft https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1304365454 Message started by Mo on May 2^nd, 2011, 8:44pm

Title: smell in loft
Post by Mo on May 2^nd, 2011, 8:44pm

A smell resembling cigarette smoke builds up in my loft throughout the day. The smell descends into the bedroom at the far end of the house & nearest the loft door. It gets strong but disapppears by the morning. There are no electrics in use in the loft & no one in the house smokes. I'm at a loss as to what this could be.

Title: Re: smell in loft
Post by big_all on May 2^nd, 2011, 10:21pm

Mo wrote on May 2^nd, 2011, 8:44pm:

A smell resembling cigarette smoke builds up in my loft throughout the day. The smell descends into the bedroom at the far end of the house & nearest the loft door. It gets strong but disappears by the morning. There are no electrics in use in the loft & no one in the house smokes. I'm at a loss as to what this could be.

does anyone smoke in adjoining properties

do you have teenagers who may be secerately be smoking

Title: Re: smell in loft
Post by CWatters on May 2^nd, 2011, 11:59pm

Leaking chimney or boiler flue? Potentially dangerous if that's the cause. Is it a detached house? Got a smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarm?

Title: Re: smell in loft
Post by Mo on May 5^th, 2011, 10:32pm

CWatters wrote on May 2^nd, 2011, 11:59pm:

Leaking chimney or boiler flue? Potentially dangerous if that's the cause. Is it a detached house? Got a smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarm?

House is a mid terrace. I dont have a carbon monoxide detector. Which tradesman should I call out.

Title: Re: smell in loft
Post by CWatters on May 6^th, 2011, 9:05am

No need to call someone. You can get battery powered CO detectors from places like Screwfix, Homebase, BnQ that are easy to fit. Tjhey are portable so can be moved around or taken on holiday..

Just one example from Screwfix (simpler/cheaper models also available)..

http://www.screwfix.com/p/fireangel-7-year-digital-co-alarm/92361

Makers web site..
http://www.fireangel.co.uk/Carbon-Monoxide-Alarms/Products/CO-9D.aspx

As you are in a terrace it sounds like it's coming from one of the other houses. It's possible that the lofts aren't properly seperated.

Do any of the houses have the windows boarded up or the curtains allways closed? Could be one is being used to grow canabis?

Title: Re: smell in loft
Post by Joiner on May 6^th, 2011, 10:35am

"Do any of the houses have the windows boarded up or the curtains allways closed? Could be one is being used to grow canabis?"

;D Nothing like a bit of reassurance, Colin! ;D

But I'd second Cwatters' suspicion that the common roof space is a bit too common. From the purely practical aspect of fire safety, each separate roof space should be isolated from its neighbour to prevent the spread of fire along the terrace via the roof spaces. Some insurances assessors used to check for this and made it a condition of accepting the business.

Making the roof space air-tight enough to just stop the ingress of the smells won't be too hard using insulating board cut to fit the gaps and sealed into place with expanding foam, small gaps could be filled with just a judicious squirt of the stuff. But leave your eaves free of obstruction.

In fact, if your roof is as open as it sounds there should be a free flow of air across the roof space from the eaves, surely sufficient to give enough air changes to dissipate the cigarette smell? It's probably that which is clearing the smell overnight. But check that there is good ventilation at the eaves, with nothing blocking them (like insulation)!

Meanwhile, get some draught-excluder around your loft hatch. The self-adhesive p-strip type is the best in a situation where there isn't much weight to bear down to make a really good tight seal.

Incidentally, if you have put down insulation in your loft space, did you also think to insulate the loft hatch? If not, come back to find out how - and improve the seal on it! ;)

Title: Re: smell in loft
Post by Twobarrows on May 21^st, 2011, 3:26pm

Actually I'd be interested to know how others insulate loft hatches. Previously I've used expanded polystyrene. In my current house I have 3 storeys and the top storey is in 'loft space', so there are doors into the loft areas around the edges, I need to insulate these. Any ideas / suggestions please.

Title: Re: smell in loft
Post by Joiner on May 22^nd, 2011, 8:12am

Just to be clear. Are they conventional doors, TB, or actual loft hatches?

Title: Re: smell in loft
Post by Twobarrows on May 24^th, 2011, 12:52pm

Joiner wrote on May 22^nd, 2011, 8:12am:

Just to be clear. Are they conventional doors, TB, or actual loft hatches?

They are just like midget doors, nothing fancy about them, only about 3' high.

Title: Re: smell in loft
Post by Gary Brooks on Oct 16^th, 2014, 10:43am

Mo wrote on May 2^nd, 2011, 8:44pm:

A smell resembling cigarette smoke of mini e hose builds up in my loft throughout the day. The smell descends into the bedroom at the far end of the house & nearest the loft door. It gets strong but disapppears by the morning. There are no electrics in use in the loft & no one in the house smokes. I'm at a loss as to what this could be.

I have been facing similar trouble..Plenty of smoking smell in our house..DO you find any way to sort it out..