When we open all the doors/windows on our first floor, an odor permeates that I can only describe as "kinda like pot, only not." It's a stanky herbal smell (akin to rotting flowers?) but I don't really think the previous owners hid pot in the walls. My wife can't smell anything, and I've had some guests who said they only noticed it after I pointed it out. Suffice it to say, it hasn't been a high priority since it's not that objectionable, and we don't leave the windows open very often. But over time it's starting to become a quest.
Anyone have an idea what this is based on my description of the smell?
I've considered a dead animal, but we only smell it when the windows are open and it's been there for over a year (I heard they decompose faster than that?)
We do have plants outside our windows, and I've stuck my nose in there many a time but I don't get the same smell (and the air around the windows doesn't smell either).
This leads me to believe it's coming from within the house. I've smelled outlets, heating registers (no smell when running the forced-air heat), and ceiling electrical boxes without success.
My last thought is that it's under the house, coming up through the outlets or similar. It's a little hard to say, because you get used to the smell quickly, and it permeates, so it's hard to determine the source by sniffing around. I've even tried going outside for a few minutes to recharge my nostrils, and then coming back in. It takes some time to permeate, so I'm also trying to sniff around immediately after opening windows, but this is an extremely part time project.
I haven't made it under the house yet, but I'm just wondering what you think I might find. Would mold smell like pot? A rotting corpse? I'm a little scared to go down there because of spiders and such. But I have stuck my head down with a flashlight and didn't see or smell anything. Just smells like dirt.
Could it be something from the plumbing/vent stack? It does not smell like sewage.
I'll also note that the upstairs does not smell at all... it's gotta be at the ground floor. The previous owners didn't have any pets (don't know about before that). I'm unaware of any infestations