[matt19422]

We just completed a project which was a interior closet renovation. Please note we completed two other closets in this home about a month ago with no issues.

The closet was custom built out of 3/4" birch plywood, sanded etc. This round we used Behr Paint and Primer in 1 - Interior Matte finish. The color is light tan.

The project has been 100% complete for 4 days now. We have had the closet and accompanying bedroom cleared out for this entire time, with a box fan in the window for ventilation.

Problem - The whole room smells rancid. To me it smells like pickles. We can not get the odor to go away. This is a huge issue as the owners are not able to move back into the room. We have tried repainting with the paint and the same issue came back today. Note we let the area dry for 72 hours. This was a non-issue in the other closets with the previous paint.

Please let me know if you have any ideas or experiences. We are ready to demo the whole thing down to the studs and start new....This will probably cost us about 5k...

If it is a paint issue then call your behr rep and have them come out............

Oh wait they don't have one do they?

The real problem is that you did not prime the birch wood with a real primer and then topcoat with a real paint.

 

[Epoxy Pro]

Ask t Home Depot who the paint rep is and give them a call. Ask if they can come to the jobsite to look and give his/her opinion.

 

[Epoxy Pro]

If it is a paint issue then call your behr rep and have them come out............

Oh wait they don't have one do they?

The real problem is that you did not prime the birch wood with a real primer and then topcoat with a real paint.

Just like BM, SW and Cali and other brands they all have reps but do the reps know any thing about painting or related issues. Our Behr rep worked for BM and is very knowledgeable. I don't bother calling the BM reps any more, it's hard to get in touch with them.

I couldn't tell you how many times our SW rep would come by a job and instantly shift the blame as to what the cause was. They never got close enough to the home to even be able to give it a good look over.

 

[matt19422]

Just like BM, SW and Cali and other brands they all have reps but do the reps know any thing about painting or related issues. Our Behr rep worked for BM and is very knowledgeable. I don't bother calling the BM reps any more, it's hard to get in touch with them.

I couldn't tell you how many times our SW rep would come by a job and instantly shift the blame as to what the cause was. They never got close enough to the home to even be able to give it a good look over.

True

 

[PACman]

If people were to pay attention, this has been a major issue with Behr paint since the late 80's. I have several different cans of different Behr paint line in my store. Everyone of them will just about knock you on your but if you take a big whiff of it. (assuming that after years in the paint business you can actually still smell anything). To me it has always smelled like cat urine, with like you said a tinge of pickles. Like someone fed pickles to their cat. Not one of those cans says low odor, so they are off the hook I guess. As long as they can keep up the brainwashing campaign, their going to keep selling paint, I guess.

 

[luny2nz]

When you opened the can and got a whiff-that's when you should have figured this out. Not when its on the wall.

 

[Wildbill7145]

I've always been of the mindset that when paint goes "off" for whatever reason, if you can't smell it as soon as the seal on the can is broken. Something is wrong with your olfactory department.

 

[DrakeB]

Maybe too late to help, but I'd recommend doing a good coat of primer-sealer (something with quality) then putting on a new, quality can of finish coat in there. Explain to HO that color might not match *exactly* (but wouldn't anyways due to reasons listed in previous posts), but that it will clear up the odor and be, in general, a much higher quality finish.

 

[DrakeB]

Just like BM, SW and Cali and other brands they all have reps but do the reps know any thing about painting or related issues. Our Behr rep worked for BM and is very knowledgeable. I don't bother calling the BM reps any more, it's hard to get in touch with them.

I couldn't tell you how many times our SW rep would come by a job and instantly shift the blame as to what the cause was. They never got close enough to the home to even be able to give it a good look over.

Seems like reps are really hit-or-miss from a lot of the companies. Our current rep comes around often, replies quickly to emails/calls, and has been in the paint industry for 30+ years. Before that we had a guy who never came around. That's just how it goes I guess.

 

[Roamer]

You could try SW Harmony as a top coat. It contains baking soda and purports to be an odor absorbing coating. We've used it in the past where major pet odors were a concern and it worked for us.

 

[Ric]

We just completed a project which was a interior closet renovation. Please note we completed two other closets in this home about a month ago with no issues.

The closet was custom built out of 3/4" birch plywood, sanded etc. This round we used Behr Paint and Primer in 1 - Interior Matte finish. The color is light tan.

The project has been 100% complete for 4 days now. We have had the closet and accompanying bedroom cleared out for this entire time, with a box fan in the window for ventilation.

Problem - The whole room smells rancid. To me it smells like pickles. We can not get the odor to go away. This is a huge issue as the owners are not able to move back into the room. We have tried repainting with the paint and the same issue came back today. Note we let the area dry for 72 hours. This was a non-issue in the other closets with the previous paint.

Please let me know if you have any ideas or experiences. We are ready to demo the whole thing down to the studs and start new....This will probably cost us about 5k...

You describe the smell as "rancid"…that's pretty serious. The make-up of paint is very capable of being a breeding ground for bacterial attack…and it's not that unusual of a situation - all manufactures battle it - and more often than "occasionally", a contaminated batch reaches the marketplace. If the contamination is from the paint, more often than not, the bacteria is harmless, other than it's foul smell that some have described as "rotten eggs", "sulphur", "death", "dog-vomit", etc. etc…

If you believe this is bacterial, putting another coat of paint over it will only exacerbate the problem, as it'll only feed the bacteria. The most effective way to treat (without major construction) is to first - kill the bacteria. I recommend spraying the surface down with a Lysol brand, no-rinse, disinfectant (kills on contact). It's important that the product be sprayed on as opposed to ragging, rolling, brushing or other type of app. Allow to dry thoroughly and apply again in the same manner.

Once dry, prime the surface with BIN Primer or Synthetic BIN - Do not use latex or oil primers as they will also feed the bacteria. Do not use Zinssers Mold Killing Primer (won't work, and not recommended by Zinsser). Best means of application again is to spray (low pressure) and not roll or brush. Allow to dry thoroughly - then apply a second app (same manner). Do not use odor-absorbing products - nor paint perfume additives...

After the second coat of BIN has dried, apply 1 or 2 coats of a high quality, acrylic paint (again, best if sprayed - but now should be able to be rolled safely).

Now - the expectations of you and the homeowner should be that the problem is gone, but not necessarily. Bacteria can be very stubborn, but even if you've killed the bacteria on the surface (Lysol), and created an impermeable seal to block out the necessary oxygen to survive (BIN) - and even if you've repainted with a product that won't necessarily provide add'l food (acrylic) - the bacteria can linger for a few to several more days before it has died off completely. You, and the homeowner, should notice a diminished odor presence, that decreases daily, until gone completely. Moving air helps. Sunlight helps.

The bacteria commonly found in paint, are generally harmless, and are most often the same bacteria that you find in food products around your home (eggs, potatoes, milk, etc.)…This bacteria colonizes quickly and grows rapidly - depriving bacteria from food and oxygen are the only way to absolutely ensure their demise.

The only thing you need worry about now is if the bacteria did not come in by way of the paint - that by painting the surface with the Behr product was only what fed the bacteria in the first place…now you got a different issue, and a more involved "abatement"…doubtful, but possible.

Anyway, good luck.

 

[PACman]

I used to hate opening partial cans of anything Porter made. After a year or two they smelled so bad that when you opened them they damn near knocked you out. Terrible rotten milk smell. Damn it was nasty.

 

[PACman]

And as I said, Behr's paint smells terrible from the day it leaves the factory.

 

[Wildbill7145]

And as I said, Behr's paint smells terrible from the day it leaves the factory.

I do remember one time years ago when I was just starting out and a customer supplied the paint for a job. Behr. It was kind of awkward when I was getting ready to pile this stuff on the walls and the customer walked in to find me with my face practically in the paint can and asked "Is everything ok?"

"I'm not quite sure..."

 

[PACman]

I do remember one time years ago when I was just starting out and a customer supplied the paint for a job. Behr. It was kind of awkward when I was getting ready to pile this stuff on the walls and the customer walked in to find me with my face practically in the paint can and asked "Is everything ok?"

"I'm not quite sure..."[/QUOTE]

I feel that way every time I walk through Home despots paint department. I have literally open a can of Premium Plus Ultra in a paint store and had people ask me what smelled so bad within five minutes. I can prove this to anyone who would like to stop in.

 

[PACman]

I actually just opened up a can of Marquee, a can of Premium Plus Ultra, and a can of Premium Plus and took a big whiff of each. Guess what? They still reek of ammonia. I was wrong though. the Premium Plus does say low odor. It actually smells about half as bad as the other two. Meaning to say, it only about half knocked me out.
Off for a big whiff of Promar200 0-voc for my fourth ammonia dose of the day.

 

[DrakeB]

Off for a big whiff of Promar200 0-voc for my fourth ammonia dose of the day.

Was nice knowing ya, friend.

 

[PACman]

Was nice knowing ya, friend.

I've got a bottle of dollar store ammonia that has less ammonia smell then the PM200 o voc has.

 

[PACman]

Dutch Boy Dura Clean smells like marijuana.

 

[Wildbill7145]

Dutch Boy Dura Clean smells like marijuana.

I've got some customers I could run that by as a selling feature. Do tell!

Sadly, I've never heard of that paint and I'm sure they don't sell it around here.