How to remove musty smell in garage?

[fadetoblack]

Hi All, 
I'm looking at turning this garage into a studio but I'm first trying to treat it as best as I can before laying laminate floor, insulating the walls and then placing plaster board over them. 
 
After cleaning the floor, I've noticed that the space still has a very musty odour. As the place is only 15 years old, and judging by the looks, I don't think it's mildew or mould, but rather coming from the bricks themselves. this is backed up by the fact that the smell is emanating from the bricks and is evenly distributed amongst them.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to deal with this: paint, seal or vanish the bricks? Or do you think the smell won't be a problem after the insulation and plaster board is laid? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance 

 

[fadetoblack]

Thanks Eric, 
I'm actually sealing an indoor garage, which I've spent two days cleaning with concrete cleaner and a pressure cleaner that I got at Bunnings.
I will give it a few days though. My biggest concern is the issues with rising damp in my garage. Mitchell suggested I get to the root cause before sealing all the inner and out bricks – which will involve digging all the gravel and soil from the perimeter. 

I'm just not sure if I need to solve the rising damp through the brick before I look at sealing the concrete slab or not? 

[EricL]

Hi @fadetoblack 

I suggest following Mitchell's recommendations before you seal your garage floor. The last thing you want to happen is to have your sealer peel and lift due to rising damp from underneath. It definitely has to be addressed before you move forward with sealing.

If you need further assistance, lease let us know.

Eric

[fadetoblack]

Thanks Eric, I really appreciate al this!

[MitchellMc]

Hi @fadetoblack,

The same goes for the concrete slab. I get the feeling that moisture is transferring through/under the bricks and into at least the edge of the slab. So, it's best to try to resolve the issue with the bricks first before sealing the slab.

Mitchell

[fadetoblack]

I just realised that this gutter pipe goes straight into the ground. I’ll dig around it to see if it’s the culprits. 

once I remove all gravel/soil from the outer brick, how long do u think I should wait until applying concrete sealer. Until the smell goes away or the damp spots turn to ‘normal’? 

 

[MitchellMc]

For the outside, I'd apply the sealer after you've had a couple of days of dry weather @fadetoblack. That will allow the wall to dry out.

Mitchell

[fadetoblack]

Thanks Mitchell, 
I was actually referring to the concrete slab inside the garage though. 

[MitchellMc]

I'd seal the outside and then wait a week before sealing the inside @fadetoblack. The staining won't go away on the concrete, but you might see it dry out a bit during the week.

Mitchell

[fadetoblack]

Thanks Michell. This is all very helpful.

[fadetoblack]

Hi Mitchell, 
I finally got around to removing the soil and gravel from the outer edge. 
There seemed to ve a mixture of dense clay, sand, gravel, plastic sheets and odd bits and pieces (our town house it sitting on the grounds of the old Kodak Factory) 

I'm curious to know where you would suggest I go from here. It looks like there was a rim of brick on the bottom that has crumbled away over time. Does this need replacing? also, I wonder if its worth cleaning all the brick with a high pressure spray gun before drying it out and then applying the brick sealer?