smells like smoke

Rehabbing & House Flipping
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smells like smoke

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Tucson, AZ · Member since 2008 · 945 posts · 45 votes

RE:The house I moved into
I had been in this house several times before, and never smelled any cigarette odors, no smoke odors. I had it painted, and that day, I did, but thought the painters had probably been smoking. even a few months later, (The house has been empty, and generally closed up, for about 6 months, painted about 4 months ago, with no /low VOC paint.
When I went to bed the night I moved in was the first time I smelled smoke. I've been smelling it almost ever since, and it's affecting my health.
I've been reading various remedies.
Installing box fans on one side of the house, opening the windows on the other side to blow it out.
set out barbeque charcoal to absorb the odor (would have to be chemical free)
seal them with Kilz
wash the walls with baking soda.
More extreme: Wash the walls with household cleaner. Let dry then seal the walls with a pigmented shellac (e.g., Kilz, Bins or XTM). Cover the walls with drywall, wallpaper or paint.
For ceilings, scrape off texturing compound, then wash and seal.
Remove the textured ceiling
Most extreme: the above plus covering the existing walls and ceiling with 1/4" wallboard.
Will any of this this work?
What is the lowest level you have used that was effective? It has been a rental for 8 years. There was to be no smoking...
Ofgift

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  • N/A N/A
    Member since 2008 · 28 posts · 2 votes
    17y

    Ofgift, are you sure its not coming from your floor coverings, carpet and padding? I have had a rental that had been heavely smoked in and I primed walls and ceilings and repainted and it was much better, but untill I cleaned and replaced some carpeting you could still smell it.

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    OP
    Tucson, AZ · Member since 2008 · 945 posts · 45 votes
    17y

    Fully tiled with 18" tile that has been washed with vinegar water, MOST of the grout scrubbed with vinegar water, some of it win original Dawn included. A friend was in it tonight for a while, said he couldn't smell cigarette smoke.
    I can. I wonder how to determing the air quality. I think I'll see if I can find out anything about that. I don't think it's my imagination.
    Thanks, Ofgift

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  • N/A N/A
    Member since 2008 · 28 posts · 2 votes
    17y

    One more thing I thought of, does your house have central heat and air? Do you smell the smoke when the heat comes on? Your ducts and A-coil may be the problem. They would pick up that smell and circulate it every time your unit runs. Having the A-Coil cleaned will help because it tends to have a build up of the tar and also dust that holds the smell. The ducts are the going to be the hardest thing to get the smell out of. Maybe you should just start smoking, or cooking lots of curry chicken??

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    OP
    Tucson, AZ · Member since 2008 · 945 posts · 45 votes
    17y

    Thanks. The Coil was cleaned, and the furnace thingy has been removed and cleaned. Ducts? These are the round, coiled soft ducts. I'd love to replace them with hard ones, but that isn't gonna happen! I've been keeping windows and doors open as much as possible (will be 90 today, 72 now, at 10:15 AM.) That seems to help, or, maybe I'm getting used to it. It's not AS noticeable. Thing is, as long as the chemicals are there, it does affect me-I'm disabled by multiple chemical sensitivity.
    Ofgift

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  • Dave Taurinskas
    Inspector · Columbia Heights, MN · Member since 2009 · 5 posts · 0 votes
    17y

    How about the wood work? Has that been cleaned and sealed. As far as sealer goes Kilz is one of the best. It will seal out odors left behind from a fire, I have used it in many house to cover smoke and urine smell. It worked great but stinks terrible until dried. Good luck!

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    OP
    Tucson, AZ · Member since 2008 · 945 posts · 45 votes
    17y

    Hadn't thought of the woodwork. I think that, ASAP, I'll have the textured ceiling taken down and the room painted with Kilz.
    I do think my respiratory and a few other problems are associated with the chemicals/odors.
    Thanks.
    Ofgift

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  • Timothy W.
    Attorney · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    17y

    If there's a Belfor in your area, they have a fogging machine that will eliminate smoke smell from any area. Just used them on a warehouse fire.

    Tim

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    OP
    Tucson, AZ · Member since 2008 · 945 posts · 45 votes
    17y

    Tim, thanks. I looked them up, they are in AZ, I'll check about here.
    Ofgift

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  • Just Don
    Member since 2009 · 499 posts · 117 votes
    17y

    Can a furnace duct cleaning service clean those ducts??? They harbor ALOT of crap that make people sick and they dont know it!!!

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    OP
    Tucson, AZ · Member since 2008 · 945 posts · 45 votes
    17y

    They say they do, but I'm not convinced. I'll check into that. Generally, I notice the odor only when I got into bed. I don't have a headboard, and my head is close to the wall. Now I'm aware of it in other rooms, too.
    I'm going to get a new mop and start cleaning the walls with baking soda.
    This morning I awakened to not only a feeling of a goo-ey mouth residue (never happened before moving into here) but now it has a metal taste to it, too. That's a sign of the body eliminating toxins. Time to do something.
    Am considering sleeping in my other house for a few days to see if I get it there, now, too.
    Ofgift

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  • Matthew Green
    Contractor · Niagara Falls/Buffalo, NY · Member since 2009 · 133 posts · 10 votes
    17y

    Could be an answer to your problem?
    just a suggestion...

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123171862994672097.html

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    OP
    Tucson, AZ · Member since 2008 · 945 posts · 45 votes
    17y

    Thanks Matthew. This house was built in 1994, so is probably not affected by that.
    Ofgift

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  • Matthew Green
    Contractor · Niagara Falls/Buffalo, NY · Member since 2009 · 133 posts · 10 votes
    17y

    oh yea definitely not then. sorry i couldnt help...

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  • Account Closed
    OP
    Tucson, AZ · Member since 2008 · 945 posts · 45 votes
    17y

    I've been pretty sick for about 2 weeks. Started out with a sore, burning throat that proceed ed into my lungs. Finally feeling better, and am now, after finding out that my throat and lungs still burn after I go into my room, I'm washing the walls with baking soda. I'll rince them later today, and see how that works. If it doesn't, I'll go to vinegar, and wash then rince. Most of my doors and windows are open, I hope this helps.
    I can't even move back into my other house, it got half painted by a hire that didn't follow directions and got really enthsiastic. Paint color happens to be different, so now it needs repainted!
    This is where I am, so I need to get this solved, if it means removing the sheetrock from that room and putting in new. I simply can't do with inflamed throat and lungs for days, let alone months...
    Thanks for your suggestion.
    Ofgift

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  • Bryan Swallow
    Contractor · Phoenix, AZ · Member since 2008 · 13 posts · 4 votes
    16y

    OfGift,

    I hope you have seen your doctor about your symptons and what you believe is causing them. It is very important that you take this step. It sounds to me that you have much more than an odor problem, which is annoying, and more of an indoor air quality issue.

    Besides your home, other causes could be fabrics, furniture or other personal belognings you have acquired. Once had a case of stuffed animals from China being the culprit of a little girls respiratory illness. Check some of your recent purchases from around the time you've noticed the odor.

    Speak with you doctor first, and I recommend an inspection by a certified and legitimate inspection firm prior to having other companies come in and take a shot in the dark at the problem. If you are unsure, send me an email and I can recommend a couple to you.

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  • Account Closed
    OR · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 845 votes
    16y

    With new paint, it shouldn't be the walls.

    Clean the ductwork as far as you can reach and then blow an ozone generator down them.

    The insides of all your cabinets need to be scrubbed, unless they were painted.

    Just cleaning the carpets won't do it, if the smoke got down into the carpet padding.

    Probably, all the window coverings need to be replaced, not just cleaned.

    It may be something else. Have somebody crawl under the house and see if they can smell mildew, or cat. Stuff gets into the insulation under the house and can be smelled inside the house.

    Treat the cabinets under the sinks with bleach. I use mildew remover, which is just strong bleach, but it is convenient to use.

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