At wits end - can't breathe in a room

Hi, I am really hoping that someone has an idea what's going on, as I am literally going nuts over this.
We bought a 1950 stone block house in Brisbane, with stone block walls going all the way t the ground. Internal and external walls are stone block. There are wooden floors suspended about 800mm above ground and crawl space underneath. Very shorty after buying the house I had the floors sanded and polished.

The house was extended some time in the 70s, with change of plan. As part of this, there were some new plaster walls put straight over stone walls in the main bedroom - I think it was done primarily to make it a straight wall.

After moving in, we quickly noticed that the main bedroom felt "stuffy" - there isn't a distinct smell or anything, but rather you find that about 30 minutes after trying to sleep in the room you start to breathe shallower, there is a sensation of dust (like being on a dusty construction site) and general discomfort. You just don't get a good nights sleep and wake up with a dry throat and itchi nose.

We've literally tried everything:
1. keeping window open - helps somewhat, but doesn't eliminate the issue
2. Changed all bedding etc., in case there was some problem there
3. Vacuumed and cleaned extensively, including washing the walls.
4. Ran ducted aircon in fan mode - helps, but doesn't eliminate the issue
5. I've crawled under the house and checked for dampness and mold - found nothing
6. Had people come out to look for mold issues - they found nothing

Things not yet tried:
1. Re-painting the room
2. Cutting into plaster (I hope it is not asbestos!) wall in the main bedroom to see if there is something nasty hiding under it
3. Running an exhaust fan directly under the room (I can't really smell anything funky under there, but who knows)
4. ?

I am really at a loss and am wondering if the collective wisdom can give me a clue.

Happy to upload pics/plans if that helps.

 

No issues in lounge.
Yes, myself and missus feel the same way, although it's a bit stronger for me.
I went and got tested for most major allergens (dust/dander/latex/etc) and came back 100% clean.

Don't know if it matters, the roof is horsehair plaster.

 

Umm.
It's light gloss on the walls and flat white on the ceiling, I think it's the same as the rest of the house as far as I can tell. Not 100% sure what you mean by chalky - if I rub my hand against the wall it doesn't pick up any residue.

 

Try a humidifier?

 

Ozone generator may help or an exorcism/spiritual healing/blessing/Feng Shui to put the mind at ease.

An alternative consideration is to rearrange the furniture, the orientation of the bed may not work for you.

What's a stone block? Do you mean sandstone/Bluestone or concrete block?

 

Something could be buried in the wall,how old is the building ?..

 

Could be a smoker has occupied the room and smoked in it. Sensitive noses will smell it - less sensitive may just notice something off about it, like what you are experiencing. If that’s the case, it will need repainting (maybe after stripping back the old paint).

 

It's probably going to be a process of elimination, as you have already started. To rule out the paint, I'd undercoat all with a zinsser product (they use this stuff for kitchens and surrounds when there has been a kitchen fire to block out smokey smells, so it must be good).
Zinsser® Wall Primer, Sealers, Coatings and More

 

is there any vents in the ceiling corners?

Try open the window and the door to get crossflow. But another window or door to the outside has to be open somewhere in the house as well to enable air flow.

Sounds a bit like being in a cave, you know, encased by rock/stone, earthy smells etc. Could be just that similarity. If so address the cross flow of air situation.

Hope that helps.

 

Put the bed in a different room for a couple of nights and see if it's a problem in other rooms as well. Then you might be able to narrow it down to the bedding ... or the whole house!

 

Sounds like a ventilation issue.

Do you sleep with the bedroom door closed? Opening a window will not help much unless you can promote air flow through the room.

Try opening doors and windows where possible through the house. A fan may help with air flow.

 

I know you have had checks done, but this really does sound like a mold issue. Were the inspectors confident the mold doesn't exist in the cavity of what sounds like a cavity wall type build (eg internal and external leafs with a cavity between).

As a stab, the new plastered walls over the "stone walls" are sealed and painted. The original stone wall beyond is now trapped in a cool and possibly damp place with no way of drying out.

 

May be an asthmatic reaction if its only breathing and not eyes / skin etc - what is the trigger ?. I recently noted I was finding myself semi- breathless after waking. But I didnt need tests as one of the suggestions was reflux (gases not liquid) and I quickly identified this after taking Gaviscon prior to bed. I had no skin rash or irritation which is why it was top of the list.

Other personal allergy tests can include : Allergy Testing and its a slow trial and error process.

And then there can be testing the air itself. Mould Inspection and Mould Testing | Black Mould Testing - Air Testing

Drug residue ? eg Meth lab. Odourless but a high irritation factor https://www.methscreen.com.au

I wouldnt rule out allergy to horse hair. It may be encapsulated and quite stable (bad pun of the day !!) but that wont stop allergy reactions. Its like pollen - Closing a windows lowers pollen issues but doesnt stop it. You may need allergy testing for horse hair. And desensitising / replace or reline ceiling.

 

The symptoms the OP is suffering from ( itchy throat and eyes) along with the musty odour are the result of a mould issue. The stone walls now being covered creates a moist environment for mould spores to actively regenerate.
A moisture meter won't detect this unless the outer layer of wall sealant (plaster and paint) are removed; something most mould remediators are reluctant to do without the consent of the property owners.
Once uncovered the stone walls will need to be treated with Clo2 (Chlorine Dioxide).
Chlorine Dioxide (not to be confused with pool chlorine) kills pathogenic microorganisms such as fungi (mould), bacteria and viruses. It is used to sterilize medical and laboratory equipment as it is effective against spore-forming bacteria. It has also been used against anthrax.
It has a multitude of uses.
I used this product extensively for over a decade in a mould remediation capacity within my business.
This can be a serious issue if left untreated, so I would suggest the OP gets onto it ASAP!

 

I reckon its a lack of cross flow of air due to the very closed nature of the building, stone walls all the way down to the ground every room!
If so, Id be putting vents in under the floor through all those walls and around the outside as well to allow the under floor area to breath and remain dry and even temp etc.
This may help
Sub-Floor Ventilation – Sub Floor Vents with Solar Whiz

 

The stone walls (going off the OP) only go down to the flooring and not the ground, so putting vents in under the floor will certainly help AFTER the internal walls have been treated. Mould won't disappear on its own, it needs to be treated. Dehumidifiers along with increasing airflow are bandaid solutions, they don't address the underlying problem.