Odor removal after water, smoke and sewage damage in Los Angeles

Musty water odor comes from materials that stayed damp long enough for bacteria and mold to grow: pad under carpet, the bottom of drywall, subfloor, a crawl space. We read the house to find anything still wet, remove what cannot be dried, dry the rest, then treat the area with an antimicrobial and a deodorizer. If the smell is strongest near the floor, the source is usually below it. It rarely clears until the moisture is gone, whatever gets sprayed on it.

Smoke odor lingers after a fire because smoke residue coats surfaces, soaks into fabrics and settles in ducts and attic insulation. We clean the residue first, then deodorize with hydroxyl generators or thermal fogging, which reaches the same places smoke did. Surfaces that still hold odor after cleaning are sealed with an odor-blocking primer before painting. Ducts are cleaned so the system stops spreading smoke smell every time it runs. Closets and drawers are opened during treatment, because they trap odor.

Sewage odor after a backup means contaminated material or residue is still present, often in a subfloor, wall base or crawl space. We remove the contaminated material, clean and disinfect the structure, dry it, then deodorize. A sewer smell with no backup can also come from a dry drain trap or a failed wax ring under a toilet, which a plumber fixes. We tell you which it is before treating anything, so you are not paying to deodorize a plumbing problem.