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Discussion Forum

Residual Xylene odor

Nuke | Posted in General Discussion on May 28, 2009 05:10am

Last Wednesday and Thursday the acid stainer applied an acrylic sealant. The sealant used a Xylene solvent which we attempted to control in terms of evaporation and air management.

For the most part, we got most of the odor out of the basement and out of the first floor of our home, but the full bathroom in the basement made it difficult to ventilate, and as a result the Xylene odor penetrated into the ceiling cavity and into the foyer on the first floor.

I was wondering if there were any viable methods for removing Xylene odors from areas in which air management (ventilation) is typically not good? BTW, this basement full bathroom is the room in which the heatpump register got sealed into the joist system when the lowered ceiling and drywall got done.

I am waiting on the HVAC guy to come and unseal that ceiling register and hopefully afford some additional ventilation, but I think the Xylene odor has permeated into the drywall itself. (Am I crazy?) Someone suggested buying some large cans of coffee and letting them sit like activated charcoal. Hmm.

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  1. calvin | May 28, 2009 05:29am | #1

    A pan of vinegar will knock out oil based paint aroma.

    Try it, worse that can happen is you'll think there's a big salad down there.

     

    A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.

    Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

    http://www.quittintime.com/

     

  2. WayneL5 | May 28, 2009 06:26am | #2

    Xylene is a solvent.  The only way to remove it is to encourage it to evaporate.  So ventilation and temperature are key.  Even blowing a fan to circulate the air around the room will help.  But fresh air and warm, dry air what will really do it.

    The bathroom should be easy, just leave the exhaust fan on for a few days.

  3. User avater
    aimless | May 28, 2009 07:13am | #3

    I've read on this site that charcoal briquets left in a close room for a week will help remove odors.

    Or you could just actually use activiated charcoal - you can buy it, or it isn't that hard to make if I remember chemistry class.

    1. Piffin | May 28, 2009 01:57pm | #4

      So let's get a fan blowing over a tray of brickets suspended over a pan of vinegar for a day.Vote for me, the master of compromising govt programs!;)Damp humid air usually amplifies smells too, so run the AC 

       

      Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

  4. renosteinke | May 28, 2009 04:14pm | #5

    An interesting challenge ....

    First, there might be something to the charcoal idea. Xylene will be absorbed by 'activated charcoal,' which you can find in fish supply sections of pet stores. Rig a fan to blow air across the charcoal .... or get one of theose room air filters with activated charcoal in the filter.

    Xylene also mixes with candle wax. It's possible that lighting a candle will also help.

    1. User avater
      PaulBinCT | May 28, 2009 04:18pm | #6

      I bet baking soda would be much cheaper... I imagine you need lots of surface area so maybe you can pour a bunch in a sandwich of two cheap large furnace filters and direct a fan at em?PaulB

      http://www.makeabettertomorrow.com

      http://www.finecontracting.com

      1. fingersandtoes | May 29, 2009 06:37pm | #11

        Activated charcoal is quite cheap. I bought a box the size of a milk crate for about $30. I use it to make filters for roof top plumbing vents when odor is a problem.

  5. cussnu2 | May 28, 2009 09:34pm | #7

    Treat me to a night of Tacos/Mexican and cheap beer and I'll come back to your house and make you forget about that xylene smell within an hour.

  6. webted | May 29, 2009 05:34am | #8

    Hi Nuke:

    I'm really skeptical of any sort of "passive" charcoal solvent adsorption. Charcoal/activated carbon usually has a low affinity for organic compounds that is enhanced by forcing the fluid into contact. In a fish tank, that means pumping all of your water THROUGH a charcoal bed. In an air filter, that means directing most of your air THROUGH a filter bed.

    With that in mind, and knowing that xylenes has a relatively low vapor pressure, your best bet is to just blast it with a fan. The drywall is not going to absorb it very well, so as soon as you get that air moving around it's going to wick it out.

    The problem is that xylene (and its very close chemical cousin, toluene) has a very low detection level by smell. On the bright side, your nose is going to be very accurate in telling you when it's gone.

    If you want to try to speed things up, 1. get some charcoal impregnated furnace filters and tape them over the outlet face of a box fan and 2. turn up the heat. Another option is to buy a simple "air cleaner", many of which are inexpensive and include charcoal impregnated rough filters. I got one at Costco a few months back for <$100.

    -t

  7. brucet9 | May 29, 2009 07:16am | #9

    If you've got a lot of xylene in there, just toss in a match. :)

    Xylene is volatile and will dissipate in a few days. Just ventilate the area as best you can.

    BruceT
    1. User avater
      Nuke | May 29, 2009 04:09pm | #10

      Folks, thanks for all of the feedback. Much appreciated. My concern isn't the odor of the Xylene in the standing air, but where it may have permeated into the drywall ceiling and the joist cavity above.

      I say this because the area in the basement with the least natural ventillation resulted in the room above becoming compromised. I already had a large fan blowing into that basement space (full bath) for a day, but the residual oder remains upstairs.

      This weekend I will ventillate some more as the temps are climbing here in Atlanta, but so isn't the humidity. I just hope any paint primering isn't affected by post-painting Xylene reactions.

      1. brucet9 | May 29, 2009 06:47pm | #12

        Don't worry about the paint/primer. Xylene vapors, even when very concentrated, would have no effect on paint films. Even liquid xylene will not affect water based paints or urethanes, but can cause partially cured alkyds to wrinkle.BruceT

        1. User avater
          IMERC | May 29, 2009 06:50pm | #13

          Don't worry about the paint/primer. Xylene vapors, even when very concentrated,

          except maybe for health and flash hazards... 

          Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

          WOW!!! What a Ride!

          Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

           

          "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

          1. fingersandtoes | May 30, 2009 02:47am | #14

            Now you are taking the fun out of it. There are few highs better than Xylene... until the headache kicks in.

          2. brucet9 | May 30, 2009 03:35am | #15

            Ethylbenzene is the best.When I worked for a petrochemical company I was the victim of a "trick the new guy" gag. A 20,000 gallon tank car of ethylbenzene had just come in and the terminal manager said, "There's been some problems with these cars not being cleaned properly before they load them. Check it for dirt." Well, I climbed up, opened the hatch at the top and looked in. "Looks ok to me.", I said. "No, you've gotta stick your head way down in so you can see both ends of the tank.", he said. When I did, I thought the smell was rather pleasant, kind of sweet actually, then I felt light headed and almost passed out.I'd like to think that, had I fallen in, the other guys would have stopped laughing long enough to fish me out. :)BruceT

          3. fingersandtoes | May 30, 2009 05:05am | #17

            I'm the operator of a small water system. While walking through with an inspector he commented that we should lock the pumphouse in case someone spiked the water. I asked him if he really thought the good people of BC would waste their hard earned drugs on strangers?

          4. User avater
            IMERC | May 30, 2009 04:45am | #16

            what's a little "brain dead'' amongst friends.... 

            Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

            WOW!!! What a Ride!

            Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

             

            "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

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