Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - New Hardwood Floors = Strange Natural Gas Odor
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Vlade Divac
03-05-08, 10:45 AM
Hi -
I had 3/8” engineered Alston Cocoa Cherry hardwood floors installed last week, and ever since then, I've experienced a strange kerosene-like odor whenever my dryer or oven operates. Both the dryer and oven are gas operated (and both generate heat), so I had a local gas company tech come by for the FOURTH time last night. And all four times, they've been unable to detect a gas leak. But when I mentioned that we had hardwood floors recently installed, a lightbulb went off in the last tech's head. I guess his supervisor had run into the same problem last year. Somehow the chemicals or fumes had been attracted to heat sources (like my stove and dryer) and would emit a kerosene-like odor. So having ruled out any gas leak, and the fact that the odor started right after the floors were installed, we don’t think it’s a coincidence. Has anyone out there experienced a similar phenomenon?
For the time being, I’m just going to keep my windows open and hope that the floors air out.
I had 3/8” engineered Alston Cocoa Cherry hardwood floors installed last week, and ever since then, I've experienced a strange kerosene-like odor whenever my dryer or oven operates. Both the dryer and oven are gas operated (and both generate heat), so I had a local gas company tech come by for the FOURTH time last night. And all four times, they've been unable to detect a gas leak. But when I mentioned that we had hardwood floors recently installed, a lightbulb went off in the last tech's head. I guess his supervisor had run into the same problem last year. Somehow the chemicals or fumes had been attracted to heat sources (like my stove and dryer) and would emit a kerosene-like odor. So having ruled out any gas leak, and the fact that the odor started right after the floors were installed, we don’t think it’s a coincidence. Has anyone out there experienced a similar phenomenon?
For the time being, I’m just going to keep my windows open and hope that the floors air out.
Kobuchi
03-05-08, 04:27 PM
Some woods are stinky - in fact I won't use poplar 'cause though pretty, it reeks. The odor is carried by moisture evaporating from the wood, i.e. air humidity cycles will do that. Try wetting a scrap of flooring. Same smell?
This will fade over time.
On the other hand, no gas appliance burns perfectly and you might be smelling the appliance. Perhaps the old flooring was masking that?
This will fade over time.
On the other hand, no gas appliance burns perfectly and you might be smelling the appliance. Perhaps the old flooring was masking that?