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travis2525 · Jan 3, 2012, 05:01 AM

I recently got my front room refurbished, new wooden floor, new fire place an fully painted etc. But it's the same old story, I can't stay 15min down there cause I get sore throat, chest an a really stuffed up nose. This has been going on this last couple of years. I thought a refurbish would have solved it. I've tried everything from getting the chimney sweeped to blocking up the chimney an surely if it was coming down the chimney, blocking it would solve it. Then I thought, would it be possible for it to come up from under the floor? As there is no cement subfloor foundation, there is a gap about 3 foot, but it isn't accessible like a crawlspace. Which is worrying me as I wouldn't like to rip up the floor as its newly laid, can someone please help?

joypulv · Jan 3, 2012, 05:24 AM

I would suspect the 3' space over dirt. Mold, dead animals, who knows. Sorry you put down the new floor.
There are contractors who do crawl around in 3' spaces. Hopefully you left the access.

It's going to be very expensive to remedy.

travis2525 · Jan 3, 2012, 05:42 AM

Thank you for your answer, could it be possilbe to be some sort of radon gas present?

joypulv · Jan 3, 2012, 07:42 AM

You wouldn't be feeling symptoms from radon until you got lung cancer. You can buy a cheap test kit (some areas give them out free) if you want. Iowa and SE Penn are the ares of the US with concerns over radon. You sound more like you have a mold or dead animal problem. Probably mold mainly, because you would smell the dead animals. What do you see and smell when you open the access to the crawl space?

travis2525 · Jan 3, 2012, 08:37 AM

Sorry I forgot to tell you, about 3 months ago I purchased a mold an bacteria algie dish, I left it in the room over a 24 hour period and the results came back negative for both mold or bacteria.. I also live in ireland an the house is roughly 30 years old but these older houses over here was built with no access to under the house, there is only small vents every so often to let air in..

ballengerb1 · Jan 3, 2012, 08:52 AM

I agree, Radon would not cause swift results but is always worth testing for it every few years. Have you ever thought about seeing an Allergist to test you for allergies? Something in this room is triggering a reaction.

travis2525 · Jan 3, 2012, 09:13 AM

I never thought about allergies, I guess it could, cause few members of my family can't feel anything.. but saying that one of my friends who has a sensitive nose says his nose gets stuffed and my sisters boyfriend also gets stuffed sinus's when in the room.. but could they just be prone to the same thing as me?

ballengerb1 · Jan 3, 2012, 09:43 AM

It is worth a visit.

travis2525 · Jan 3, 2012, 09:54 AM

Ok thank you very much for your help..

joypulv · Jan 3, 2012, 01:11 PM

I'm not so sure I believe the mold test kit.
Also, do you have an attic that might have dead animals in it?
My last house had dead mice all through the ceilings. They left brown spots about 3" across on the drywall ceilings.

travis2525 · Jan 3, 2012, 02:57 PM

I've checked the roof space an I never found any dead animals, but what I did find was a damp patch on the wall above were the fireplace is, the felt on the roof has fell down a little an what looks like abit of mold on the timber joist.. could it be possibe for it to be getting down into the room below? I'll have to get a specialist to look at that..

travis2525 · Jan 3, 2012, 02:59 PM

Even if there is no blackness or any sign of mold down in the room?