Strange smell off parquet flooring

[dormermike]

Hi

Moved into this house just over a year ago and have noticed a strange smell in two front rooms, which have previously been treated for damp in the walls.

Both rooms have a parquet floor, one is in good condition and exposed, the other in very poor condition and has a carpet over it.

What i've noticed in both rooms, worse in the uncovered floor, is that if something is placed down on the floor for a period of time (eg paper, mat etc) when you lift it up there is a smell. In the carpeted room the smell is more subtle but definately there.. for example, under the bed you get a whiff of it, or sniffing the carpet directly - worse in some places than others, oddly. Just "sniffing" in the room you only get a faint whiff of it.. its more that it affects things placed directly on the block floor.

It smells kind of chemically, like a wood preservative.

The finish in the uncovered room is varish, the in the covered room it is also varnish (i think) but much older.

Any ideas please? I'm wondering it it was put down to protect the blocks (somehow) or worse, if the bitumen adhesive (1930's afaik) is somehow causing a smell?

This isn't massively intrusive, but is there.

Thanks!

 

[dormermike]

Any ideas on this please or even how i could track down the source of the smell?

To clarify, it is coming through or from the parquet blocks. But they havent been touched for years! Does word preserver smell go away ever?

 

[dormermike]

Its a solid concrete floor btw

 

[dormermike]

Ok, the smell is actually the bitumen adhesive.

Why would this still smell after 90 years anyone know? Is it normal?

 

[ladylola]

I've smelt the bitumen when I've lifted old flooring but of course that is breaking up the bitumen. I've just put my nose in a bag of pitch that's been around dad's for the past 20 odd years and there is still a very faint smell but nothing much. Perhaps you just have a very good sense of smell.
With reference to my first comment, do any of the blocks move a little ? This could be causing the problem if it is cracking up the bitumen.

 

[dormermike]

I've smelt the bitumen when I've lifted old flooring but of course that is breaking up the bitumen. I've just put my nose in a bag of pitch that's been around dad's for the past 20 odd years and there is still a very faint smell but nothing much. Perhaps you just have a very good sense of smell.
With reference to my first comment, do any of the blocks move a little ? This could be causing the problem if it is cracking up the bitumen.

None of the blocks move significantly, though there is a hollow noise on tapping one or two, indicating they are not stuck down.

Thats how i identified the smell btw, by sniffing a removed block up close (from a different room). The smell in the bedroom "collects" and is worse under bed for example. There is a carpet over the blocks, wonder if thats holding the smell in?

 

[ladylola]

Yes the carpet would hold the smell, you could try charcaol under the bed as it absorbs odours, think odour eaters the shoe inserts.