Paint on walls - yuch

[phoenix]

We have a problem that is driving us cracked.

About 3/4 months ago I got a room painted. Ever since then the room has been stinking and I mean stinking. I got the painter back eventually as I thought the smell might die down but it didn't. He opened one of the tins of remainers of a tin of paint he had used and it was rotten so we put it down to paint gone off. I washed the walls down the sugar soap and water and in the immediate period following the wash the smell was even worse.

He has since painted the room again with fresh paint and the smell still hasn't gone. It's just like cats pee.

The strange thing about it is that the intensity of the smell seems to change from day to day. Sometimes it is fierce and other bad but not as bad.

I rang the paint company to see if they could help me or make suggestions as to what I could do but they said that their technical area said bad paint smells usually disappear after a week and they could not help me.


I'm at a loss and a bit desperate. Anyone experience this before or got any suggestion? I would be really grateful.

Phoenix

 

[Sue Ellen]

Hi Phoenix,

You are obviously still having the problem with the paint that you mentioned in this previous thread on Strange chemical-like smell

Have you checked out replacing the light fittings? We were very surprised at the strength of the horrible smell from the fittings and it disappeared as soon as we changed them.

If you have done this and nothing has improved then you need to take stronger action with the paint suppliers. They should be able to take a sample back and test it to see if the problem lies with it.

We have stored paint for some years and then still be able to use it again. It lasted longer in the plastic containers but the older metal ones still held it safe for a year/two. There is no way that it should go off in a few months unless there is something drastically wrong. Did the painter not think this was strange?

Many years ago we had a problem with flaking paint and contacted the supplier. When they initially ignored my complaint I wrote to them again and they sent out a rep who supplied a replacement.

 

[phoenix]

Thanks Suellen, I had forgotten completely that I had posted this before.

I think you are right about the manufactures, problem is that I no longer have the paint tin, the painter took it away once we knew it was rotten and got rid of it.

Still the painter can veryify what I am saying as well as other members of my family.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Phoenix

 

[Sue Ellen]

Was it yourselves or the painter who supplied the paint?

 

[Ash]

This is a problem we face too. Nothing would get rid of the smell. The latest thing we got is a product called Bio Zap Odour Stop from a paint shop. It's a liquid which is added to water to wash the walls, etc or sprayed in the room. Impossible to say yet whether it has worked successfully or not. The room now has an overwhelming Dettol type smell! When that clears we'll know if things have finally worked.