The Leak Is Fixed and Dried: Why Does the Room Still Smell?

Quick answer: Usually something is still damp behind the surface, or the materials that soaked up the water still hold odor. Confirm the area is truly dry with a moisture meter first, then replace what can't be saved, clean the hard surfaces and bring humidity down. A whole-home treatment comes last.

Why does a room still smell after a leak is fixed and dried?

Usually hidden dampness, or materials that still hold odor.

Maybe a supply line under the sink gave out, a water heater leaked into the hall closet, or a storm pushed water in under the back door. The leak got fixed, the fans and dehumidifiers ran, and everything looks dry.

But the room still smells. Maybe it's faint. Maybe it's stronger on warm, humid days or when the door has been closed for a while. It's one of the most frustrating parts of a water problem, because the hard part is supposed to be over. Here's what is usually going on, and the order we'd suggest for dealing with it.

Is the room really dry?

Often it isn't, and that is the most common reason a room still smells after a leak. Surfaces can feel dry to the touch within a day or two, while the materials behind them hold water much longer:

• Inside the wall. Drywall dries from the face first. The back side, the bottom plate and the insulation inside the cavity can stay damp.
• Under the flooring. Carpet pad, the underlayment under laminate and vinyl plank, and the slab itself can hold moisture well after the top looks fine.
• Under the cabinets. The space behind a cabinet toe-kick and under a sink base is closed off, so it dries slowly.
• Baseboards and door trim. Wood and MDF trim soak up water from the bottom and can swell or stay damp.

A water restoration company or your plumber can check these areas with a moisture meter, a handheld tool that reads the moisture inside a material. If anything still reads wet, the drying isn't done, and no amount of air freshener or cleaning will fix the smell. Ask them to confirm, in writing if you can, that the area is back to normal dry readings.

What if you see something growing?

Stop there. If you see spots, staining that spreads, or anything growing on a wall, floor, cabinet or ceiling, don't clean it, paint over it or treat it yourself, and don't have it fogged.

Mold in your AC system or ductwork? Call Gold Eagle Services, a licensed Texas mold remediation company that handles HVAC mold, at 512-489-4653. For mold anywhere else in the home, contact an independent state-licensed mold assessor or remediation company.

In Texas, that work is licensed and regulated, and the professional who looks at the problem is separate from the company that fixes it. That protects you. Our guide on who to call for indoor air problems explains how the pieces fit together.

Why can a dry room still smell?

Once everything is confirmed dry and nothing is growing, a leftover smell usually comes from one of these:

• Materials that soaked up the water. Carpet pad, the back of a rug, cardboard boxes, stored linens and the bottom edge of drywall can hold a musty or sour odor even after they dry.
• What the water carried. Water picks up whatever it runs through: dust from inside a wall, residue from under a sink, dirt from outside. When it dries, that residue stays behind.
• A closed-up space. Closets, bathrooms and cabinets with doors kept shut trap odor, and the smell hits you each time you open them.
• Humidity bringing it back. In a Central Texas summer, indoor humidity above 55 percent can wake up a faint odor that was barely noticeable on a dry day.
• The HVAC system. If the leak was near a return, or water got into the air handler closet, the system can pick up the smell and spread it to other rooms.

What should you do, and in what order?

Work through these steps in order, because each one depends on the one before it:

1. Confirm the source is fixed. Run the water, check under the sink, watch the ceiling after the next storm. A smell that keeps coming back can mean a small leak that's still there.
2. Confirm the area is dry, with a moisture meter, not just by touch.
3. Replace what can't be saved. Soaked carpet pad, swollen particleboard sink bases and wet insulation usually need to go. Cleaning rarely fixes them.
4. Clean the hard surfaces. Wipe down cabinet interiors, baseboards, the floor and the lower part of the walls with a mild household cleaner, and let everything dry fully.
5. Launder what you can. Towels, stored linens, rugs and curtains that were nearby.
6. Bring humidity down. Keep the house at 50 percent or below. A portable dehumidifier in the affected room for a week or two can help. See our guide to choosing a dehumidifier.
7. Change the HVAC filter, and if water reached the air handler closet, have your HVAC company take a look. Our sister company, Gold Eagle Services, can help.
8. Seal and paint if needed. Once walls and trim are dry and clean, a stain-blocking primer helps before you repaint.

Where does a whole-home treatment fit?

At the very end. When the repairs are done, the area is confirmed dry and nothing is growing, a lingering odor on hard surfaces is exactly the kind of thing Pure Maintenance Austin helps with.

The patented VaPURE fog in our whole-home dry fog treatment is a very fine mist of a hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid solution. It drifts into every room and closet, under the sink base, behind the cabinet toe-kicks and through the HVAC ductwork, without wetting the room you just spent a week drying. A surface protectant follows. On the hard, non-porous surfaces it treats, it helps control the growth of odor-causing microorganisms, and the whole job takes one day.

If the smell is stubborn, our Odor Treatment adds an ozone shock treatment while the home sits empty for up to 48 hours.

What we don't do: we don't dry out homes, open walls or look for hidden water. That work belongs to your plumber, a water restoration company and, if anything is growing, the licensed professionals above. We come in last, once the real repairs are finished.

Common questions

How long should a room smell after a leak?

After a small leak that was dried quickly, most rooms smell normal within a few days to a couple of weeks. If a smell is still there after that, or it's getting stronger, have the area checked for moisture again.

Can I just use an air freshener?

Air fresheners and candles cover a smell for a little while. They don't deal with what's causing it, and they can make it harder to tell whether the problem is getting better or worse.

Should I call you before the drying is finished?

You can call for a free phone consultation now, but plan the treatment for after the drying and repairs are done. A treatment on a wet wall or a leak that's still dripping won't hold up.

Get a free phone consultation

Book a free phone consultation. A Comfort Advisor will call you, learn what's going on in your home and send a written quote based on square footage. Pure Maintenance Austin, brought to you by Gold Eagle Services, serves all of Central Texas, including College Station, Round Rock, Georgetown, San Marcos, Bastrop and Marble Falls.

Call 512-904-4646 or email IAQ@goldeagleservices.com. We're open Monday through Saturday, 7am to 7pm.