Mobile-Home Dweller Can't Rid House Of Terrible Smell

Q: I have lived in a double-wide mobile home for the last 20 years. Since late July, everything inside and outside has had a very bad odor. It's been almost impossible to stay here. The furniture, my clothes in the closets and drawers, the cupboards, all seem to be saturated. This came on suddenly.

My air conditioner/furnace was replaced two months ago, so I called the company that installed it. They found nothing wrong. I had two plumbers in, and one snaked the sewer pipe through and checked things. Everything seemed in order. I called the park manager, and nothing came of that. I called the health department, and when the man came, he told me I should air the house seven or eight hours a day. It did no good. I called pest control and they said it was not a dead animal under the house. Also, everything was dry under the house.

I had vinyl siding put on in 1994. I called the company that installed it, and they actually made fun of me, suggesting I see a doctor because I might have a brain tumor, since sometimes this causes problems with the sense of smell. He was not jesting, and I didn't appreciate his remarks. I had a roofer look at the roof, which is seven years old and has never caused a problem before, and he said it looked fine and was all up to code.

There is so much odor coming from the house, even my car in the driveway has absorbed some of it!

I have a lot of moisture in the house now, which was never a problem before July. The walls become covered with condensation. Could it be the new siding that is causing this? It smells like something is rotting, and it's at its worst during the heat of the day. I tried sprays, but they just add to the problem. This is otherwise a lovely, well-cared-for home, but I need help.

A: Mr. HandyPerson recommends you call in either a licensed home inspector or a different heating and air conditioning company (after first checking it out with the Better Business Bureau), and get them to go over your system carefully to see if any corners were cut or if venting systems were not properly installed.

When you locate the problem, call the company that did the work two months ago and get the people there to fix it immediately. Let them know you expect them to pay for drying and deodorizing your home, and the cost of replacement for items such as clothing and furniture that may have become permanently damaged by the interior moisture problem.

I am not in the business of giving out legal advice, but if the company shows any hesitancy about correcting the problem, I'd advise you to have an attorney contact it on your behalf. Anybody can make an honest mistake, but what makes it an "honest mistake" is when the company is willing to own up to it and fix it.

You didn't pay the company to install a unit that would make your home unlivable, after all. You paid for something that was supposed to cool and heat your home, not drive you out of it after 20 years!

Mark Hetts' home repair column runs as space allows in the Home/Real Estate section. Send questions and comments to: Mr. HandyPerson, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111.