…… Wood stain, odor issue. Help!

[Wise Owl]

Hi all, as most know we are staying in our little cabin and not moving. The landlords were here yesterday and stained the wood siding and the deck. (it really needed to be done as it's been over 4 years now)

Anyway, the smell is nauseating. I think they used a oil based stain this time instead of water based like the last time. It absolutely reeks. It's also pretty warm outside, 85 degrees which seems to make it worse. I have all the windows open to keep air moving thru cause it's hot outside and inside.

Other than leaving for two weeks is there any way to kill the smell a little? Spray the logs with water? Or just pray it cools off and rains buckets to take some of the smell away......

 

[Amazed]

Try putting some bowls of vinegar around the inside of the cabin.

 

[Anne in TN]

I know funds are short but is there any way you can buy a window air-conditioner?

 

[Wise Owl]

Amazed, I don't think vinegar will help this. We are surrounded by wood stain. On the house and on the deck. There is no fresh, untainted air anywhere. Phew.....

I am going to try to take a nap. I really am ill from the smell of it...

Oh Anne, almost forgot your question. Our windows are sliders. No way to put an air conditioner in here. They won't work. The window is either too narrow or too tall for a reg airconditioner even if we could afford one.

I hate to say this but I think it just has to wear off...the smell that is..

One bright note is the bugs don't seem to like it either.

 

[dissimulo]

It takes a couple days for oil-based stain fumes to dissipate. You might be able to mask the odor, but only with something stronger. Other than that, there is probably not much you can do. If you have a tent, maybe you should have a little back-yard camping trip.

 

[Wise Owl]

Nope, no tent....it seems to be better tonight tho. Hubby says the heat of the day is making it worse......
Not quite as bad right now. Still nasty but not taking my breath away like late this afternoon.....YUK

 

[Deb Mc]

Wise Owl,

Could you rig some fans to blow directly on the stained areas? It might help them to dry faster. (Once the stain dries, the odor lessens considerably.)

If you could dry one side of the house faster, perhaps then you could pull in air from that side of the house (less smell) and vent it out the other side.

If not, am agreeing with Dissimulo, it's time to get away from the house awhile - the odors from the stain can sometimes cause health issues.

God Bless...

 

[AnnCats]

Take your bed outside.

Put on bug spray and sleep out there - everyone used to do this in the days before air conditioning. You don't need a tent, you don't need anything else, just sleep out there away from the house under the trees. There are a bunch of stories how moon light had healing properties, maybe it'll take your headache away.

You could very well make yourself sick by staying inside so get out.

 

[genrim]

Wise Owl, I think it's not just the odor that you should be concerned about but also the toxicity. I'd get out until the smell goes away - or at least until it gets down to a level where it doesn't make you feel sick.

 

[Wise Owl]

Don't have anywhere to go to at this point. If we had an air mattress I would do the back of the pickup truck. But that got a hole in it and we threw it out.

It seems better tonight. I think the heat from the day made it worse. I will sleep with a window fan on tonight if there isn't a breeze coming in. I have both windows open in the bedroom. And there is a pretty good breeze blowing out there right now. It's better....

Toxic is right. We are not used to any of this stuff. I use vinegar and water for cleaning with. No chemicals allowed in our yard, ect. And then we get blasted.....
The last time it wasn't so bad cause it was water based. This stuff with the oil in it is very nasty.

 

[Caplock50]

I would imagine spraying it with water several times during the heat of the day would speed the 'curing' process. What you got to lose? Try it. Spray it down; let dry. Spray it down again and let dry. Be sure to let it dry good, though, between sprayings. It'll be that time between sprayings that does the trick, so plan accordingly.

Good luck.

 

[Wise Owl]

Thanks Cappy, that is kinda what I thought to do. They powerwashed it last weekend but it was raining when they did it and then rained all week until Friday so I never got a real chance to dry much before they put the stain to it. I don't know how much actually even went into the wood at this point. "I" would have let it dry out for a couple more days of no rain before I did it. But it's not our cabin and we have no say over these things. I am thankful it got done at all. It needed it badly so the wood doesn't rot. It was getting pretty stained up from mold from all the wet snow on it this winter. And yes, the snow WAS that deep.......just below the windows....!

 

[night driver]

WO, if you want the application to be effective you won't want to spray it down with water now. All that will do is float additional stain out of the wood.

Yes it is a HUGE biatch to have to let it cure but there really isn't another alternative right now.

I'm REALLY sorry you have to put up with the stench, but think about the difference in the winter...

 

[Wise Owl]

The smell was a lot less last night after the outside air cooled down to around 50 degrees. Much better.
It's my feeling that the heat/sun is making it so nasty. I think we may take off for the day today. Need to get that one last load from our canceled move back up here so why not get out of the toxic fumes....?

At least the fresh air on the drive should make a nice change. Phew.

 

[RCSAR]

For what it is worth I think the oil based is so much better than the water based when it comes to lasting longer and working better.

Sorry for the smell. It should be alot better in 3 days.