Getting the smoke smell out of a house.
Hello my very informative friends!
There is a house on the market that I am interested in but the previous owners were smokers.
Has anyone had the experience of getting the smell out? From what I read, I would have to rip out all the carpet and repaint the walls.
If nothing can get it 100% out I have accepted that this house might not be for me and have to move on. I have nothing against smokers but the smell triggers my migraines.
fujixt1 You could try contacting a company like ServPro and see what type of services they offer. If you love the house, hiring a professional would be the way to go.
JrzyGirl88 Removing all "soft" materials (that would've absorbed odors) and then priming every paint surface is what's necessary.There are special primers meant to seal in odors. It's a monumental task to say the least.
emaxxman From rental housing I can give some insight:
1) Remove all carpeting/padding if present
2) Clean all interior surfaces
3) Seal/paint all interior surfaces
* 4) Refinish hardwood floors if underneath the carpet and are restorable
5) Clean/sanitize HVAC unit and all ducting (professional restoration company needed for most of this)
* 6) Replace all carpeting/pad
7) Replace all filters
* Choose option #4 or #6, not both
Unfortunately, smoking penetrates everything. Curry from Asians cooking does a similar thing and can be worse in the kitchen
!!!!! Since you can get migraines per your own admission, I recommend that you strongly consider (other) housing that nobody smokes inside !!!!!
iJay I moved into a house with previous smokers. We took down the wallpaper (the back was so yellowed with nocotine), replaced carpets, we repainted the entire house and although the smell eventually faded, still years later the wall 'bled' yellow thru the paint. Yuck!
km Thank you for the responses.
It's about a 2500 square foot house.
I don't even want to start to think the cost of this.
So it's doable but nothing is guaranteed.
I've dealt with that before. It really depends on a lot of factors--how much smoke, how many years, type of flooring, etc. There's always a point where it's worth it--it just depends on how much you're willing to pay for the house and the cleanup.
A good general cleaning and airing out can often make a huge difference, all by itself.
If the house has a central-air system, you should get the ducts professionally cleaned; that's maybe $200, depending on the size of the house.
If it has wall-to-wall carpeting, it would be best to tear it (and the padding) all out and replace it. It's surprisingly cheap, if you're not overly picky--I had a whole 3BR house done with in-stock carpet from Home Depot for less than $2,500. However, sometimes, just using steamer vac on the carpets (or, better yet, hiring a company to do it) will be enough to get out the smell.
New paint can make a difference. However, if the walls and/or ceilings are really bad (covered with an oily, yellow film), they will need to be cleaned, first. You can buy a box of TSP, a bucket, and sponges, and do it yourself, but it's time consuming.
Those things will usually get out smoking odors, but it depends a lot on the house. For example, if you have wood paneling over sheetrock, you may find that the odors are trapped in and/or behind the paneling.
Take a good look at the house, try to estimate the cost of removing the odors, and make them an offer on the house that would make it worth it, for you. If they don't go for it, then look around some more.
JerseyWolf don't buy it. everyday you come home you'll check if you can smell the smokers stench.
BlahBlahBouyRepainting is a must, airduct cleaning as well. However, these are probably things you would do (repainting) and need to do (airduct cleaning) anyway.
Hiring a GOOD carpet cleaning service might do the trick. If there's hardwood underneath I would tear it out myself and hire someone to resurface the hardwood. It's not hard.
penningslandscaping have a good home inspection and if you still want the house, negotiate removal of smoke smell off the offer you're willing to make
5catmom My husband was a smoker for over 30 years. He stopped and within a few months our home no longer smelled of smoke. We did eventually paint, but carpet is still here. We didn't do anything elaborate to rid the house of any odors. They just went away. I have a cousin extremely allergic to cigarette smoke and residual odors. He comes and has not had any issues. Maybe my husband didn't smoke as much as I thought he did. All these stories will make many houses unsalable.
Tanya We measured the house and now the next step is to get estimates on paint and flooring.
This house is perfect in every way except the smell.
I've seen houses where the walls need to be scrubbed as they were coated in tar. Then primed, sometimes twice. Then painted, always twice. Anything made of cloth or cotton ie drapes, carpet, etc is garbage. With a pile of hard work the smell will be gone.
I guess the same principles would apply for getting dog stench out of a house? Not feces or urine, just that nasty dog smell. When we were looking for a house, we found one that was perfect but the previous owners had three dogs and the house just reeked of them... it was definitely a deal breaker.
ianimal We bought a house from VERY heavy smokers. Primed and painted all walls and replaced the carpet in bedrooms prior to moving in. Professionally cleaned the carpets downstairs also. Had to scrub down all doors, moldings, etc w/ heavy duty cleaner (it was disgusting seeing the brown/yellow dripping down). Replaced air filters, etc, did not use their blinds. Couldn't smell a thing. It was all worth it, we bought the perfect house at a good price (nobody wanted it because of the smoke).
Booboo What about cleaning a house that uses a wood stove every winter?
How do you get out that smoke smell on your furniture etc.?
Lucy I had the same problem when we went to rent a home that was previously rented by college kids who partied more than studied. New paint, new rugs n padding, & new filters for furnace, but I also bought about 6 cans of cheap coffee n put them around the house with the lid off for a few days. It pulled the odor out more than I expected..
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