Stinky Crawlspace?

Dr. Frenchenstein

So i have a crawlspace in my basement that was blocked by a piece of sheetrock/drywall, that was screwed into a stud. I took it off thinking i'd just get some lumber from Lowes and build a door instead. Little did i realize that there is a light fixture blocking the swing of a door. That's irrelevant though. I left the baffle off while i was at the store, and now there is sort of a sour smell in my basement. Last night it had wafted upstairs as well. However this morning i didn't notice it. Anyways, could this be a dead animal or something? Who would i call to dispose of that? Could it just be stale air that's dissapated now? I'll check when i get home tonight if it's still stinky.

I'm claustrophobic and i don't even know if i could fit back there, so me going back there with a flashlight and trash bag wont really work

PracticalProblemSolver

Was it a sour smell or the stench of death?

Richard M. Nixon

was it sour like something rotten or just sort of musty like old books/damp animals?

could be a dead animal or just mould. I'm guessing there is very little air circulation down there so it's probably rather damp

Dr. Frenchenstein

i have no idea what a dead animal smells like, i was just assuming that sour smell = death. I don't want to spend however much on a guy to come out if it's just musty. it was kinda strong though.

Hopefully it's gone when i get home from work, and i can not worry about it.

mts

well dead animals wil stop smelling eventually so procastination=win

DusT_HounD

I'd agree that it's probably mould; you may have some leaks in there, or simply condensation or whatever.

Take a look in there with a lamp, and check it out- maybe wear a facemask too, just in case- if it's serious mould, then you can get respiratory problems from the spores and stuff.

If confirmed as mould, and it's not too serious-looking, grab some white vinegar, in a spray bottle, then spray liberally onto the area, and wipe off, then spray some more and allow it to dry. If you have leakage or anything, then once you clean the mould off, the problem area might become more obvious, and you can fix it more easily.

Edit: Oops, missed the bit where you said you couldn't fit in there! Sorry, i'm now all out of any helpful suggestions...

Dr. Frenchenstein

Still smells, and i see some rodent droppings so i'm going to assume it's something dead. I'm calling the exterminator today. ugh...

DusT_HounD

Ouch! Bad luck, man- hope it's something easily fixed!

FightTest

Out of curiosity did you grow up in a city? I can't imagine not knowing what a dead animal smells like. You've never driven by roadkill in the summer?

Buttcleft

If you didnt vomit when you smelled it then I'd rule out dead animal.

Richard M. Nixon

If it's still alive that might explain the sour smell as opposed to the stench of death. We've got something living under the office at work and it just smells unpleasant but not gut-wrenchingly so.

Figgy

You've likely got rats or mice down there, and a whole lotta droppings would cause that smell fairly easily.

If it was a dead animal, it would be much worse than what you are describing... especially cooped up in a crawlspace like that.

Saddler

A single dead rat could do that, if it's big enough. One died in the ceiling at my office and it was horrible.

Are you a Yale student? (sorry)

BloodySloth

I wouldn't describe death-stench as sour though. I'm thinking mold or just the smell of wild animals living in there, from the droppings you found.

Death smells more... metallic? It's hard to describe. It's kind of a sweetish smell (sweet like manure, not like delicious pastries).

underdonk

I'm putting my money on Hoffa.