Solve Odour Transfer Problems

Odour Transfer: What to Do About It
Helpful suggestions for reducing odour transfer from other areas of the building to your apartment are offered below. It must be emphasized that you should discuss any measures you choose to try with the building’s management in advance of taking action and obtain their approval. The suggestions are divided between what you could do in your own apartment and what you could do outside it with the support of the property management. Be aware that many of the measures provided below have a trial and error element to them—and are identified as such. The causes of odour transfer to your apartment, and the solutions, will be dependent on where your apartment is located in the building, the building’s construction type, how the building is operated and maintained and other such factors. This guide cannot cover all the different scenarios. Thus, you will need to try certain measures to see if they improve the situation, make no difference, or make things worse. Fortunately, the trial and error measures are easily reversible and will cause no long-term problems in your unit.

Warning: The following suggestions DO NOT apply to apartments that have combustion appliances such as wood-burning fireplaces or natural gas fireplaces, hot water heaters and furnaces. The following suggestions can adversely affect the operation of combustion appliances leading to conditions that can threaten your health and, in extreme conditions, cause death. If your apartment has combustion appliances, it is recommended that you consult with a qualified wood burning or natural gas appliance installer prior to taking any actions to reduce odour transfer.

Within Your Unit:

1. Ensure the odor source is not in your apartment If the odour is coming from your apartment, it is something that you can deal with.
2. Seal potential leakage pathways between your unit and other areas as follows: a. Seal the gap around the corridor door to your apartment with weatherstripping. Note: This is a trial and error measure. In most buildings, corridor air systems force air from the corridor into your apartment. This can cause odour transfer problems. Install the weatherstripping and wait to see if this reduces odour transfer. After sealing the corridor door, watch to see if your apartment becomes stuffy or if odours and humidity linger in bathrooms or kitchen areas. Also watch for the appearance of condensation on your windows. Should any one, or all, of these problems occur after you have sealed your door, you may have to operate your exhaust fans more frequently. If this does not help, you may have to remove the weatherstripping to improve ventilation. b. Seal plumbing penetrations in the walls and floors under sinks in kitchen and bathrooms, and behind toilet fixtures. Check in closets and utility closets for other pipe, duct and wiring penetrations and seal around these as well. Use low odour, water-based caulking or spray-in foam to seal penetrations.c. Install air-sealing gaskets behind the cover plates of light switches and electrical receptacles. Air-sealing gaskets can be found at most hardware stores.d. For in-suite bathroom exhaust fans, remove the grille and caulk or seal with foil duct tape the gap between bathroom fans and the surrounding ceiling or wall areas. The sealed joint will be hidden when you replace the grille. If you only have an exhaust grille in your bathroom that is connected to a central exhaust system, sometimes the grille can be removed and the exhaust duct can be sealed to the surrounding ceiling or wall. Otherwise, gaps around the grille can be sealed with paintable caulking.e. Caulk the bathtub and its surrounding enclosure to adjacent wall and ceiling areas with silicone caulking. f. Remove baseboards and caulk the floor-wall joint around the perimeter of your apartment on both inside and outside walls. Note that this measure is a last resort that is difficult to do, is highly disruptive, and may, or may not, make a difference. The measure is recommended if renovations are planned in the apartment as it can be easily done when other work is underway or when flooring is being replaced.
3. Seal indoor-outdoor air leakage paths in your apartment. Air leaking through outside walls can cause air from neighbouring apartments and the common corridor to be drawn into your unit. Limiting air movement through exterior walls will not only prevent this from happening but will also reduce drafts, reduce heating costs and limit the amount of outdoor noise entering your apartment. Remember to discuss with your building’s management what you intend to do before taking any action: a. Ensure window and door gaskets are intact or in good condition — otherwise replace them. This is usually the building owner’s or condominium’s responsibility. Worn or flattened gaskets, windows that rattle in the wind, the presence of drafts or the movement of drapes and blinds are signs that your windows are leaky. b. Caulk the wall-floor joint behind baseboards (similar to step 2 f. above)—this can be difficult to do but may be worthwhile if renovations are being considered. c. Seal joints around through-wall or window-mount air conditioning units with caulking or spray-in foam. Be careful not to block any pipes that drain condensation from the unit to outdoors. d. Seal wiring penetrations behind electric baseboard heaters. This will require the services of a contractor to disconnect the power and remove baseboard units. e. Install air-sealing gaskets behind the cover plates for electrical outlets and switches.
4. Ventilate your unit with existing fans Use the bathroom fan and kitchen fan to ventilate your unit.

Note: This is a trial and error measure. Operating your exhaust fans can help dilute odours that enter your apartment. Kitchen fans tend to be noisy so try using the bathroom fans only at first. Ensure the fans are working—they should be able to hold a piece of tissue paper to their grilles when operating. If they are unable to do this, or little airflow is detectable, the exhaust fan, duct system or outside hood may require cleaning. Sometimes the age, condition or quality of the fan will require that it be replaced.

Be aware that operation of exhaust fans in your unit may draw more air from neighbouring apartments or the common corridor into your unit, making the problem worse, not better. Sealing between your unit and other areas of the building, as previously recommended, should help prevent this from happening. However, if exhaust fan operation does not improve conditions in your apartment, or seems to make matters worse, discontinue their use except as normally required.

Contact your REALTOR at Coldwell Banker Vantage Realty for more tips and advice on what you can do to reduce odour in your home.

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