I am going crazy fighting this smell issue... I bought a house 2 years ago and had some cheap contractor do a finishing of my basement. The house had prior termite problems before so this guy decided to use the copper green product on the bare wood before covering with drywall... this product says exterior use only but this guy ended up using it anyway... when I showed up at my house, it was already too late. I wanted the ceilings to look nice so they used recessed lighting...

Well, since then i've been having a lingering smell coming into the room... and it's been 2 years!!!! it drove me so crazy (and sometimes dizzy) that I decided to tear off all the drywall and clean that stuff out of the wood. I scrubbed the wood 3 times with lacquer thinner, twice with Simple green full strenght and then rinsed it... now that it is dry again, I can still smell some of that stuff and it is driving me crazy. I decided that I wouldnt use recessed lighting when I cover the ceiling but still I want to make sure I eliminate most of the odor.
I was thinking about spraying some odor neutralizer and then painting all the bare wood with BIN primer before covering with drywall and insulation again. I read that stuff is used in heavy duty fire restoration jobs and that it blocks the smell.
Is this making sense ? what is the strongest product that I can use considering that I will cover the exposed area again ?
thanks
fer

Hi! I hate to say that, but the only way to get rid of the smell, is to remove all the wood and start over again. The product he used soaks into the wood and stays there, no matter what you do (except sanding the wood to about half of its actual size). If you are worried about termite damage, there are now some products that are safe to you and the environment, but that prevent termites from eating the wood. You will also want to clean or throw away whatever the treated wood touched; drywall, insulation, foundation walls, etc. This product is very toxic even for exterior use (that's why it is being banned) and I can't believe a contractor used it for interior use. Consider yourself lucky that you are still healthy. I hope this will help you!

That is baaad news... getting rid of all the wood is not a possiblity... the whole house is built on top of it!

Now all the wood surfaces that the liquid touched were be covered with drywall. I removed all the drywall and insulation that touched it already. If you touch the wood, it doesnt smell like it anymore; it is just a little bit of smell in the air when you close the windows and doors. Can I cover all the wood with the BIN shellac primer sealer and then hide it with drywall ?

thanks
fer

I am having the same problem. the company told me to wash the wood with a disinfectant. I did and it still stinks.
Anyone have any other ideas?

I got rid of about 95% of the Copper Green smell with the Zinsser brand
Shellac-Base Primer-Sealer, which is used to contain smoke smell. I also saw it advertised to get rid of mildew, pet odor, and other smells.