Sawdust smell in flipped home

We purchased a flipped house one year ago in March 2018. Even after a year, the smell of sawdust has really lingered. I don’t smell it every day, but anytime I go out of town and return home, the smell seems just as strong as the first time we visited as prospective buyers. We change the air filters every three months as directed.

This doesn’t seem ideal and we have a baby in the house, so we called a duct-cleaning company to ask about this and get a quote. (I called a company recommended on BPN.) The person on the phone was so dismissive that it made me wonder if this is even a legitimate concern. His response was basically: “EPA studies haven’t shown any real benefit of duct cleaning so don’t worry about it.” On the one hand, I appreciate the honesty — on the other hand, it made me feel like maybe he didn’t really listen to the question. 

Has anyone else had smell issues like this after moving into renovated home or new build? Does anyone know if there are any health issues that could be associated with sawdust? Lastly, if you have any company recommendations I would gladly welcome them. I was so surprised by the response that I’ve felt too silly to pick up the phone and call anyone else about it. Thank you all in advance.

Parent Replies

New responses are no longer being accepted.
RE:

I wonder if what you are smelling is not really sawdust. Living in new or renovated construction smells - there are a LOT of chemicals involved in paint, floors, carpets. You might try a charcoal based air filter, which are the only ones that can purportedly remove off-gassing from the air. I'd also recommend that you open plenty of windows to provide good ventilation every chance you can. I wouldn't be overly worried about your baby, but would take the precautions I mentioned - you can also pay to have the air quality in your home tested. Good luck!

RE:

If it is a flip, the house was framed a long time ago and the sawdust smell is unlikely to be coming from the studs and joists. But they likely sanded the floor. So is the sawdust hiding someplace? In the heating vents? On the top of moldings or cabinets? Maybe try dusting everything with a damp sponge.