Clay aroma

   / Clay aroma #1  

ChuckT

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Feb 27, 2004
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Central Florida
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I'm putting in a short length of fence next to the house, meant to hide the AC units - a honey-do. While digging the post holes it's come as a surprise to me to find how much clay I'm encouraging. The soil at the house pad is about 6-10 inches deep then a clay layer, then (about 16" deep) crumbly limestone. The really puzzling thing is that the clay has, on close examination, an obvious manure aroma. Puzzling. We are on 3 acres in west Marion County, North-central Florida. And we do have horses but they're confined to the back of the property and they're a couple of mini's. The house septic tank (checked this August, no problem found) is at the front of the house, maybe 80' away in a straight line. Finally the house is a 1995 build. Should I be just puzzled/curious or do I need to be concerned?
 
   / Clay aroma #2  
You'll get 154 replies with perspectives that range from "No worries man"...up to..."Better pack up and sell the property this afternoon"!

My comment is really just to congratulate you on being in the moment, and conscious enough to pick up on the smell while you were digging the holes...most aren't even aware to stop and even think about it.

Wet clay soil can have a unique, almost swampy smell if there is limited drainage that allows the clay to hold water for a period of time.

Part of my mixed clay land was pasture used for grazing dairy cows. That was almost 40 years ago. Unused since then, it was occasionally mowed to keep the pasture weeds down and overgrowth from taking over.

It has a similar smell in the spring after the snow melt and before the ground starts drying out.

Only suggestion is checking your foundation grading for slope, to direct rain water to flow away from the house and to eliminate any standing water from soaking in next to the foundation.

('course, people will now start posting how they have to water the clay soil around their foundations to keep their slab from cracking in the summer!)
 
   / Clay aroma #3  
The really puzzling thing is that the clay has, on close examination, an obvious manure aroma. Puzzling. We are on 3 acres in west Marion County, North-central Florida.
Grew up up in coastal woods just north of Tampa.... basically we lived in an longleaf, live-oak/scrub oak transitional area just off salt marsh. You comment actually triggered a childhood memory. Some of the areas where I played (dug forts, etc) were very old remnant sand dunes. Every once and a while while digging a new fort we would hit clay pockets and I distinctly remember the clay having what could be described as a manure odor to it.

Looking back on those memories, if I had to guess, there was still some amount organic matter in the clay and that the odor was probably due to some anaerobic decomposition occurring. Doesn't directly related except to suggest that maybe the odor is something to be curious about and investigate a bit without getting immediately concerned.
 
   / Clay aroma #6  
I'm putting in a short length of fence next to the house, meant to hide the AC units - a honey-do. While digging the post holes it's come as a surprise to me to find how much clay I'm encouraging. The soil at the house pad is about 6-10 inches deep then a clay layer, then (about 16" deep) crumbly limestone. The really puzzling thing is that the clay has, on close examination, an obvious manure aroma. Puzzling. We are on 3 acres in west Marion County, North-central Florida. And we do have horses but they're confined to the back of the property and they're a couple of mini's. The house septic tank (checked this August, no problem found) is at the front of the house, maybe 80' away in a straight line. Finally the house is a 1995 build. Should I be just puzzled/curious or do I need to be concerned?
It is, I think, unlikely to be septic related. Not only have I smelled that manure odor coming from clay that was undisturbed until I disturbed it I have also smelled plenty of failing septic systems. My wife and I lived on the beach for a couple winters. There were homes all along the beach. Most started out as small cabins meant for summer use. They all had primitive and small septic systems. They were, after all, meant to be vacation homes. And these were old, many over 60 years old. Now, virtually all the cabins have been converted to year round use and many have been enlarged. The upshot is failing septic drainfields. And they have a particular smell. Not animal manure type smell. As we walked along the beach at low tide you could smell which homes had failing or failed septic systems. Sometimes you could see how the effluent changed the color of the beach. Ick.
Eric
 
   / Clay aroma #7  
Heck - I don't even have to dig a hole to get the manure smell. Range land all around my property. Certain times of the year - outside - that 'ol manure smell.

As both my neighbors say "Man - that's the smell of money".

Your are, most likely, running into decomposing organics mixed in with the clay.
 
   / Clay aroma
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Yes that should have been encountering. Spelling Nanny got me again .
 
   / Clay aroma #9  
It is, I think, unlikely to be septic related. Not only have I smelled that manure odor coming from clay that was undisturbed until I disturbed it I have also smelled plenty of failing septic systems. My wife and I lived on the beach for a couple winters. There were homes all along the beach. Most started out as small cabins meant for summer use. They all had primitive and small septic systems. They were, after all, meant to be vacation homes. And these were old, many over 60 years old. Now, virtually all the cabins have been converted to year round use and many have been enlarged. The upshot is failing septic drainfields. And they have a particular smell. Not animal manure type smell. As we walked along the beach at low tide you could smell which homes had failing or failed septic systems. Sometimes you could see how the effluent changed the color of the beach. Ick.
Eric
Oh yeah, a failing septic definitely doesn't smell like manure. The house I grew up in wasn't that old (2 years when we moved in) but had an open hole where the septic ran over. I was quite familiar with that smell when the wind was wrong.

Back in my landscaping days we did a job at an expensive house on the lake. Their septic was an open pit running directly into the water. It made me wonder why they were paying a landscaper instead of for a new septic. :confused:
 
   / Clay aroma
  • Thread Starter
#10  
I think most people would know the difference between manure smell and septic tank.
 
 
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