Just moved into a 90-year-old bldg and noticed immediately a bad smell coming from bathroom. Last tenant didn't clean well. Landlord came and said tiles on wall of tub area needed to be re-grouted and did that. My question is about walls. Please read on: Someone sealed right over "black stuff" on tile grout along upper perimeter of tub and sink ([B]photos[/B]). I also noticed grout on other bathroom walls looks darkened ([B]photos[/B]). I bleached it 3 times at LL's request knowing it wouldn't take care of the root problem. At least my bathroom is cleaner. :) BUT -- when I am in the next room (living room), I smell a bad odor there that is [I]different[/I]. I think it's coming from the bathroom somehow. It's almost like a dead animal smell but not as strong as a rat I smelled years ago that was in the [U]process[/U] of dying in a wall. My first instinct was wall mold in the wall between the bathroom and living room. I am moderately sensitive to indoor air quality problems and have been coughing a little, had a runny nose for a few days, my chest hurts, and I wheeze when sitting on couch near that wall. I don't smell it in the other rooms. Landlord says he will open wall up to show me there's no mold. Would this be a waste of time? If not, where would I want him to break the wall? Tiles extend halfway up all walls in bathroom. Thanks for any help, guys....

I was up in the space between the kitchen ceiling on the main floor and the second floor adding pipe wrap to the hot water heating pipes and acicdent put my foot down on the ceiling. The ceiling is panneling made of the same material drop ceiling pannels are made of. Long story short, my foot didn't go through, but it's noticeable (and now gives me an excuse to get rid of that ugly ceiling). Looking over the project, it looks to be pretty easy (photos below). Remove the existing false ceiling, box off the hot water pipes repair or cover the holes in the original plaster ceiling. My questions are; What is the easiest means of boxing off the hot water piping (for cosmetic reasons)? Should I bother trying to repair the existing original ceiling, or simply add a layer of drywall and finish? Here is a picture (only one I have on hand) of the kitchen. The hotwater piping runs along the wall above the windows. [ATTACH]5674[/ATTACH] Here is the piping above the false ceiling as it is today (with pipe wrap). The two cables on the left are coming out. They where cables for TV in the room and where not properly ran by the previous owners. [ATTACH]5675[/ATTACH] Here are a couple pictures above the ceiling which show a bit more of the area. There is nothing in this space other then the wire running from the original light box to the one in the false ceiling. [ATTACH]5676[/ATTACH] The partially framed opening at the far end in this photo must have been the original door into the kitchen. It goes nowhere now and would be repaired with drywall. [ATTACH]5677[/ATTACH] Thoughts/suggestions?