what can I do about a dead animal decomposing in the wall of my house?

Question

There is a horrible smell in the bathroom that seems to be coming from behind the wall. Since the house was recently built we are afraid that a squirrel or something might have gotten caught and died. Short of ripping out walls until we find the source, what can we do. Will the the smell eventually go away - how long would it take for something like that to fully decompose? Is there any other likely cause of something like this? We have checked venting, fixtures etc. and everything seems fine.

Answer 1

eewww gross..sorry...i think that you are going to have to bring in the professionals on this one...if you just let it rot away the smell is still going to be there when the animal isnt..it is going to soak into the sheetrock!!spend some money on this problem and replace the wall!!

Answer 2

The first thing that needs to be determined is the source of the smell, if it is coming from the walls and it is a dead critter the only way to retrieve it is by getting into the wall and removing it. There is no other way unfortunately. If you can put up with the smell then it will take several weeks if not months for the smell to go away, unless the smell is not from an animal and is something else. Either way it creates a health issue here. It really should be addressed and taken care of even though it may be expensive to have the problem resolved, you will be happier in the end. Thank you for letting me put in my two cents. Good luck!!!

Answer 3

Instead of ripping down walls which could be expensive, try calling an exterminator to see if there is something they may be able to do. They may even say that you do have to tear down the walls to get whatever is out if it is an animal. I really don't know how long an animal takes to decompose. If it's not an animal then I really don't know what it could be. Maybe mold or mildew got into the walls when the house was being built. I would call around to see what could be done.

Answer 4

It isn't necessarily a dead animal which is decomposing in your wall. Since the smell lingers in the bathroom I would permit for a leak as well. And some of the construction materials can go pretty stinky when wet and molding. In the end you really might need to go in for some serious wall ripping

Answer 5

Bite the bullit and do what it takes to find the critter. It is not only a stinky problem but could be a health issue. The suggestion about a hole in between the studs is good, then, when the critter is found and removed, call in a company that can do Ozone shock treatments to remove the left over odor and also to oxidize the germs/etc that he left behind. (Medallion Healthy Homes is one such co.) It is important for your health and safety to get this fixed. Good Luck!!

Answer 6

If you can live with the smell than that is fine but I recommend making a small hole in the wall about 16 inches apart and when the smell is strongest you have found the area to look at. The other small holes are easy to patch.

Answer 7

The rate of decomposition depends on the environmental conditions and the size of the animal. The smell will go away but it can take a very long time if the animal was large.

Answer 8

since your house was recently built there should be some kind of contract or warranty with the builder. maybe they could check it out. to decompose takes a while. your house insurance may tell you what to do,too. you might have to rip out the wall. get the contractor that built the home to do it. good luck! happy holidays! betty boop

Answer 9

The scent might desire to in straightforward terms final for some days as that's in straightforward terms a small physique. finished decomposition will take extremely it sluggish, besides the shown fact that that's no longer likely you will word something, yet as for it being a wellbeing probability, never. If the scent lingers previous some days then i might advise the physique is that of something extra effective than a mouse.