I totally get what you mean about the lingering garage smell. When we started fixing up our old detached garage, I figured a couple coats of primer and some fancy vinyl planks would do the trick. Nope—on rainy days, it’s like the ghost of every oil change past comes back to haunt us. We tried baking soda, vinegar bowls, even those charcoal bags. The only thing that really helped was running a dehumidifier nonstop, but that’s not exactly energy efficient. Haven’t tried an HRV yet, but it’s starting to sound worth it if we ever want to actually sleep in there.
Honestly, I’m not convinced an HRV will totally solve it. Sometimes those old garage smells are baked into the concrete and studs. Have you tried sealing the floor with an epoxy? That made a bigger difference for me than any air gadget.
I hear you on the HRV not being a magic fix. I’ve lived in a few older places, and sometimes it’s like the walls themselves just *remember* every decade of musty air. Epoxy on the floor does help, especially if you go all-in and do a couple coats. But honestly, in my old carriage house, the biggest game changer was dealing with the walls. I ended up using a shellac-based primer on the lower half of the studs and baseboards before drywalling, and that seemed to lock in a lot of the “old garage” aroma.
Turning these spaces into bedrooms is a wild ride, though. There’s always something unexpected—like, I once found a squirrel skeleton behind a rafter. Not exactly the cozy vibe I was going for. But if you’re willing to put in the work (and maybe live with a little quirkiness), you can get a really unique room out of it. Just don’t underestimate how much time you’ll spend chasing down weird smells or patching up ancient cracks.
If you haven’t already, check for any old insulation or vapor barriers that might be trapping odors, too. Sometimes it’s not just the concrete, but what’s been soaking into the wood and insulation over the years. I guess what I’m saying is, there’s no single fix, but layering up solutions—epoxy, primer, ventilation—gets you closer to livable.
And hey, at the end of the day, there’s something kind of cool about sleeping in a space with a bit of history... as long as it doesn’t smell like 1970s motor oil.
I once found a squirrel skeleton behind a rafter. Not exactly the cozy vibe I was going for.
That’s wild—I thought I was the only one finding weird stuff in old spaces. I pulled out a handful of rusty nails and what looked like a petrified mouse nest from behind my garage drywall. Definitely not in the “dream bedroom” plans.
I’m with you on the layered approach. I tried just painting over everything at first, but the musty smell kept creeping back until I finally ripped out some old insulation. It’s kind of amazing how much odor can hide in there.
Curious—did you end up replacing all your insulation, or just spot-treating where it was worst? I’m debating if it’s worth gutting everything or just targeting the smelliest spots. The idea of sleeping somewhere with history is cool, but yeah... not if it smells like an auto shop.
Insulation is the sneakiest culprit for lingering funk, hands down. I tried to just patch the worst spots at first, but honestly, every time the weather shifted, it was like the walls were sweating out old garage smells again. Ended up biting the bullet and pulling it all—found more weird stuff than I care to admit (including what I think was a petrified sandwich?).
If you’re already tearing into it, I’d say go all in. It’s a pain, but you only want to do this once. Plus, new insulation makes a huge difference for both smell and keeping the room actually livable year-round. If you just spot-treat, you might chase odors around forever. Not to mention, you never really know what’s lurking in those untouched corners... sometimes ignorance isn’t bliss.
And yeah, nothing like “historic charm” that smells like a tire shop.
