Painting & Decorating

How do I get rid of bad-smelling paint odours safely?

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 3.35 PM

The boiler in our accommodation (the house is 15 years old) was recently replaced by a combi-boiler, necessitating the removal of the old hot water tank from the airing cupboard. When the tank was removed, there were various areas of unpainted plasterboard wall behind the tank, some of which had old water stains on. The landlord provided me with some paint in an old plastic candy container (so I don't know the brand) to re-paint the cupboard; I gave all three walls two coats but it smelt horrible when I was using it and I noticed in one particular area that the paint bubbled up and then subsided again; the water stains have since reappeared, the paint cracking in one patch once it dried. Which concerns me more, though, is the extremely unpleasant smell from the paint (which is still very evident, two weeks on from using it), as there is no way we can use the cupboard to store our bedding, clothing and towels, it just smells damp and toxic. I've been told that if I sand the painted surface down, coat it with watered down PVA and then emulsion over it again when that has dried, this will deal with the problem - is this correct - and safe (we have grandchildren who visit)? If not, what would you advise please?