We purchased a home 5 years ago and have done renovations. Two years ago we started to experience a strong methane odor in the upstairs bedroom. The odor seems to get stronger when the temp. rises and during the Summer.

To track down the odor and try to correct we have done the following updates:

1) Contacted Sherwin Williams and had a rep. come to the home. They suggested repainted the bedroom using an odor control paint (Killease-not sure of name). We did that and there is still an odor.
2) removing all of the old insulation in the attic and replacing with new. (When we purchased the vacation home the gable vents were off and the birds were living in the attic. We removed the old insulation, cleaned the area, re-insulated, and put in new gable vents).
3) Had the septic system pumped out.
4) Hired a plumber to add a pipe to vent the odor from the sewer - previous owners did not have any vents on the home.
5) Pulled all of the siding off the front of the house where the boards were rotted. Spent thousands replacing any rotten wood.
6) Replaced ALL of the wax rings around the toilets.

The smell is restricted to the upstairs bedroom (unless we open the downstairs doors and windows. Then the composition of the air changes and the smell is noticeable in the parlor downstairs). There is a master bathroom.

The smell is a combination of methane and some chemicals. It is very strong and I'm very nervous that it is making us sick.

Again, we had a plumber come to the home and vent the bathroom and kitchen. We now have ONE large pipe on the roof (I call it a stink pipe).

We are very frustrated and ready to gut the bedroom and bathroom upstairs to see if there is anything behind the walls. Can anyone help us?? Is the smell related to a spoiled paint used in/on the home? Is there something in the lines to the septic system that has caused the problem (i.e. we washed the paint brushes in the sink)?? Is this a black mold smell?

Any help or advice---where should we go from here?

Methane gas is a component of sewer gas, not paint. The first thing I would check is the attic. If the plumber left a open vent up there that would cause the problem that you describe. Washing pain brushes in the sink isn't the best idea but it won't cause a mildew odor. Regards, Tom

We also have a smell upstairs. Like yours, it is most noticeable when the temp. rises and in the summer. We started to notice it shortly after we got a new roof and replaced some windows. I would describe it as a tar or "burnt rubber" smell. Is this similar to yours and did you find out the cause?