Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - Musty odor
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07-22-01, 09:54 AM
My house is a raised ranch, built in the late 1970's. It has a large central brick chimney, with two flues in it. One flue is for the livingroom fireplace. The other flue is for a fireplace in the basement. (The furnace has a power exhaust elsewhere.) About two years ago we had a stainless chimey cover installed so animals couldn't get in.
Here's my problem: The brick chimney is exposed inside the house, dividing the kitchen area from the living room. On the kitchen side of the chimney, there is a built-in double wall oven, set into the brick. In January, we had the wall oven replaced with a new double oven. Although we bought almost the same oven as before (although a much newer model), evidently it required a little more clearance at the rear because the installer had to chip away a small amount of brick at the bottom back of the cavity, where some angled masonry got in the way. We had no problem until the weather got hot and humid in June. Since then, on hot, muggy days, there is a strong musty odor coming from the oven. The odor is stronger from the bottom oven. As soon as the weather gets cooler, (in the 70's or below)the odor disappears. If we turn on the oven for awhile, it burns off the odor, but it will return on the next hot, humid day.
We originally thought this might have been related to the great amount of rain this area got in June, but it's been relatively rain-free for awhile now, and the odor will still come back in the heat of a muggy day, dissappearing as it cools at night. On dry days, it doesn't seem to come at all. We NEVER had this problem until the new oven was installed.
Could chipping out that brick have caused this problem? We're talking a triangular section of brick just a couple of inches deep, the width of the oven cavity. Would this allow moisture penetration to occur somehow? Did this open up a hole into an adjacent flue, and somehow rain gets in behind the oven? We'll probably have to take out the ovens and check out the situation, but what the heck would cause the masonry (if that's the problem) to give off this strong, musty odor? Do we need to seal it inside/outside or patch what they chipped out?
Thanks for any help you can give.
Here's my problem: The brick chimney is exposed inside the house, dividing the kitchen area from the living room. On the kitchen side of the chimney, there is a built-in double wall oven, set into the brick. In January, we had the wall oven replaced with a new double oven. Although we bought almost the same oven as before (although a much newer model), evidently it required a little more clearance at the rear because the installer had to chip away a small amount of brick at the bottom back of the cavity, where some angled masonry got in the way. We had no problem until the weather got hot and humid in June. Since then, on hot, muggy days, there is a strong musty odor coming from the oven. The odor is stronger from the bottom oven. As soon as the weather gets cooler, (in the 70's or below)the odor disappears. If we turn on the oven for awhile, it burns off the odor, but it will return on the next hot, humid day.
We originally thought this might have been related to the great amount of rain this area got in June, but it's been relatively rain-free for awhile now, and the odor will still come back in the heat of a muggy day, dissappearing as it cools at night. On dry days, it doesn't seem to come at all. We NEVER had this problem until the new oven was installed.
Could chipping out that brick have caused this problem? We're talking a triangular section of brick just a couple of inches deep, the width of the oven cavity. Would this allow moisture penetration to occur somehow? Did this open up a hole into an adjacent flue, and somehow rain gets in behind the oven? We'll probably have to take out the ovens and check out the situation, but what the heck would cause the masonry (if that's the problem) to give off this strong, musty odor? Do we need to seal it inside/outside or patch what they chipped out?
Thanks for any help you can give.