We just bought a nice home that was lived in by heavy somkers.

We'd like to try our best to remove the smoke smell.

So far we've arranged to have the carpets steam cleaned and
de-odorized.

We're going to wash the walls and floors and cabinets. Any tips?

The ceilings are textured (1970's sharp and pointy) any tips on
cleaning the ceiling?

Next we're going to paint. Any tips on the primer? Killz? I heard
adding vanilla to the paint helps too.

Thanks fellow DIYers.

JaKe
Seattle

wrote in message
oups.com...
We just bought a nice home that was lived in by heavy somkers.

We'd like to try our best to remove the smoke smell.

So far we've arranged to have the carpets steam cleaned and
de-odorized.

We're going to wash the walls and floors and cabinets. Any tips?

The ceilings are textured (1970's sharp and pointy) any tips on
cleaning the ceiling?

Next we're going to paint. Any tips on the primer? Killz? I heard
adding vanilla to the paint helps too.

Thanks fellow DIYers.

JaKe
Seattle


Cleaning the carpets didn't help in our house. Replacing the carpet and the
pad made a huge difference.
Painting came later, but by then we didn't notice the smoke any more because
we had replaced the carpet.
For us, I think the carpet was the major offender.

Marty wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

We just bought a nice home that was lived in by heavy somkers.

We'd like to try our best to remove the smoke smell.

So far we've arranged to have the carpets steam cleaned and
de-odorized.

We're going to wash the walls and floors and cabinets. Any tips?

The ceilings are textured (1970's sharp and pointy) any tips on
cleaning the ceiling?

Next we're going to paint. Any tips on the primer? Killz? I heard
adding vanilla to the paint helps too.

Thanks fellow DIYers.

JaKe
Seattle



Cleaning the carpets didn't help in our house. Replacing the carpet and the
pad made a huge difference.
Painting came later, but by then we didn't notice the smoke any more because
we had replaced the carpet.
For us, I think the carpet was the major offender.



Yep, I had a house where previous owner had a dog. We tossed the
carpet. Smell went with it. Carpets hold smells quite well, and I dont
think a steam cleaning will get it.

--
Respectfully,


CL Gilbert

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door() into
the sheepfold{}, but climbeth up some other *way, the same is a thief
and a robber."

GnuPG Key Fingerprint:
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wrote:
We just bought a nice home that was lived in by heavy somkers.

We'd like to try our best to remove the smoke smell.

So far we've arranged to have the carpets steam cleaned and
de-odorized.

We're going to wash the walls and floors and cabinets. Any tips?

The ceilings are textured (1970's sharp and pointy) any tips on
cleaning the ceiling?

Next we're going to paint. Any tips on the primer? Killz? I heard
adding vanilla to the paint helps too.

Thanks fellow DIYers.

JaKe
Seattle


On the painting- (BTDT) Absolutely must use KILZ
(or equal) as a primer, even on the ceilings.
If you don't, not only will the odor gas out but
the nicotine will bleed the new paint, no matter
how many coats you put on.

Jim

wrote in message
oups.com...
We just bought a nice home that was lived in by heavy somkers.

We'd like to try our best to remove the smoke smell.

So far we've arranged to have the carpets steam cleaned and
de-odorized.

We're going to wash the walls and floors and cabinets. Any tips?

The ceilings are textured (1970's sharp and pointy) any tips on
cleaning the ceiling?

Next we're going to paint. Any tips on the primer? Killz? I heard
adding vanilla to the paint helps too.

Thanks fellow DIYers.

JaKe
Seattle

Lots of fresh air when doing the work. Open the house up as much as
possible. Use fans to force air into the house. Better if there is a crawl
space access inside, put a fan in the attic and open a couple of windows on
the other side of the home. ( ye ole house ventilator trick, blow the fan
into the attic )

Clean the HVAC system if there is one. If the duct work is not long you can
do it yourself. I used a extending painting pole and a lot of bleach and
orange clean. Took me 2 days, for me the time is cheap. Call a pro for a
price. Immediately change the a/c filter.

I find if your not going to remove the "popcorn" then spray it. Works better
than a roller for painting. Rollers get to heavy and can knock off the
texture.
If you spray it plan on 3 light coats. If it looks good in 2 then they were
not to bad.

I agree on the carpet, ditch it.

Or just take up smoking and live there!

On 22 Jun 2005 08:58:18 -0700, "
scribbled this interesting note:

We just bought a nice home that was lived in by heavy somkers.

We'd like to try our best to remove the smoke smell.

So far we've arranged to have the carpets steam cleaned and
de-odorized.

We're going to wash the walls and floors and cabinets. Any tips?

The ceilings are textured (1970's sharp and pointy) any tips on
cleaning the ceiling?

Next we're going to paint. Any tips on the primer? Killz? I heard
adding vanilla to the paint helps too.

First, you need to remove the carpets and pad. Clean, sweep, mop, get
rid of all the dust. Wash the walls and woodwork with TSP or use
laundry detergent mixed with bleach in hot water. Take down all light
fixtures and wash them. Twice. Three times if they need it. Remove all
switch and plug plates. Even inside that it will smell and be dusty.
Blow them all out with compressed air. You are almost ready for paint.
Almost. Do the usual prep work on the walls, and prime with a stain
blocking primer. Killz is one variety, there are others. Spray the
ceiling with that same stain block primer. Paint the ceiling with the
color of your choice. Paint the walls with the color of your choice.
Also the woodwork (I prefer oil based, semi-gloss enamel for the
woodwork, other don't. That is up to you.) Clean the A/C. You might
need the ducts cleaned. The coils may need to be removed and cleaned.
But maybe not. Don't forget the insides of the kitchen cabinets.
They'll stink too. No matter what the floor under the carpet looks
like, plywood, hardwood, concrete, it isn't a bad idea to seal that as
well with whatever sealer might be appropriate, but only after you've
mopped it several times with hot water and bleach. Bleach is your
friend when doing this kind of work. Keep the windows open. Replace
all window treatments (curtains, blinds, etc.) Buy all new plug and
switch covers (or wash the old ones in hot water and bleach.)

You can get rid of the smoke smell, but you have to work on it. That
stuff coats everything. If you can see it, if air can get to it, so
can the smoke. To remove the smell you either have to remove the stuff
by scrubbing it clean or you have to seal it in and go over it.

Do it right the first time. Don't just clean the carpet because that
won't work. Replace the carpet, or better yet, replace the carpet with
an impermeable surface like tile, pergo, etc. This not only will keep
the smell from coming back, but cuts down on future dust problems.

If you don't do it right, you'll still smell it and never be happy.
Take a little time and elbow grease (amazing stuff, elbow grease!:~)
and remove the odor.


--
John Willis
(Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

Marty wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

We just bought a nice home that was lived in by heavy somkers.



Cleaning the carpets didn't help in our house. Replacing the carpet and the
pad made a huge difference.
Painting came later, but by then we didn't notice the smoke any more because
we had replaced the carpet.
For us, I think the carpet was the major offender.



Yep. Carpet and accoustic (cottage cheese) ceilings.

"John Willis" wrote in message
...
On 22 Jun 2005 08:58:18 -0700, "
scribbled this interesting note:

We just bought a nice home that was lived in by heavy somkers.

We'd like to try our best to remove the smoke smell.

So far we've arranged to have the carpets steam cleaned and
de-odorized.

We're going to wash the walls and floors and cabinets. Any tips?

The ceilings are textured (1970's sharp and pointy) any tips on
cleaning the ceiling?

Next we're going to paint. Any tips on the primer? Killz? I heard
adding vanilla to the paint helps too.

First, you need to remove the carpets and pad. Clean, sweep, mop, get
rid of all the dust. Wash the walls and woodwork with TSP or use
laundry detergent mixed with bleach in hot water. Take down all light
fixtures and wash them. Twice. Three times if they need it. Remove all
switch and plug plates. Even inside that it will smell and be dusty.
Blow them all out with compressed air. You are almost ready for paint.
Almost. Do the usual prep work on the walls, and prime with a stain
blocking primer. Killz is one variety, there are others. Spray the
ceiling with that same stain block primer. Paint the ceiling with the
color of your choice. Paint the walls with the color of your choice.
Also the woodwork (I prefer oil based, semi-gloss enamel for the
woodwork, other don't. That is up to you.) Clean the A/C. You might
need the ducts cleaned. The coils may need to be removed and cleaned.
But maybe not. Don't forget the insides of the kitchen cabinets.
They'll stink too. No matter what the floor under the carpet looks
like, plywood, hardwood, concrete, it isn't a bad idea to seal that as
well with whatever sealer might be appropriate, but only after you've
mopped it several times with hot water and bleach. Bleach is your
friend when doing this kind of work. Keep the windows open. Replace
all window treatments (curtains, blinds, etc.) Buy all new plug and
switch covers (or wash the old ones in hot water and bleach.)

You can get rid of the smoke smell, but you have to work on it. That
stuff coats everything. If you can see it, if air can get to it, so
can the smoke. To remove the smell you either have to remove the stuff
by scrubbing it clean or you have to seal it in and go over it.

Do it right the first time. Don't just clean the carpet because that
won't work. Replace the carpet, or better yet, replace the carpet with
an impermeable surface like tile, pergo, etc. This not only will keep
the smell from coming back, but cuts down on future dust problems.

If you don't do it right, you'll still smell it and never be happy.
Take a little time and elbow grease (amazing stuff, elbow grease!:~)
and remove the odor.

In other words do everything one would do for sanitary reasons anytime they
moved into a house or an apartment that had been occupied by smokers or
non-smokers. PERIOD.

On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 15:17:41 -0500, "Hound Dog"
scribbled this interesting note:

In other words do everything one would do for sanitary reasons anytime they
moved into a house or an apartment that had been occupied by smokers or
non-smokers. PERIOD.


You got it.


--
John Willis
(Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

" wrote:

We just bought a nice home that was lived in by heavy somkers.

We'd like to try our best to remove the smoke smell.

So far we've arranged to have the carpets steam cleaned and
de-odorized.

We're going to wash the walls and floors and cabinets. Any tips?

The ceilings are textured (1970's sharp and pointy) any tips on
cleaning the ceiling?

Next we're going to paint. Any tips on the primer? Killz? I heard
adding vanilla to the paint helps too.

Thanks fellow DIYers.

JaKe
Seattle

You are going to have to toss all the carpet and any padding.
Use and oil based paint for first coat and repaint everything. Seconf
coat can be anything.

Been there, done it

LB

wrote in message
oups.com...
We just bought a nice home that was lived in by heavy somkers.

We'd like to try our best to remove the smoke smell.

So far we've arranged to have the carpets steam cleaned and
de-odorized.

We're going to wash the walls and floors and cabinets. Any tips?

The ceilings are textured (1970's sharp and pointy) any tips on
cleaning the ceiling?

Next we're going to paint. Any tips on the primer? Killz? I heard
adding vanilla to the paint helps too.



Best thing to do is take up smoking......

;-]

On Wed 22 Jun 2005 08:58:18a, wrote in alt.home.repair:

We just bought a nice home that was lived in by heavy somkers.

We'd like to try our best to remove the smoke smell.

So far we've arranged to have the carpets steam cleaned and
de-odorized.

We're going to wash the walls and floors and cabinets. Any tips?

The ceilings are textured (1970's sharp and pointy) any tips on
cleaning the ceiling?

Next we're going to paint. Any tips on the primer? Killz? I heard
adding vanilla to the paint helps too.

Thanks fellow DIYers.

JaKe
Seattle

Repaint all painted surfaces. Kilz will definitely help. Rent an ozone
generator and use it at a high setting (the rental company can probably
recommend settings and timing). Make sure that neither you nor pets are
present while it's running.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974


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http://www.avast.com

On 22 Jun 2005 08:58:18 -0700, "
wrote:

We just bought a nice home that was lived in by heavy somkers.

We'd like to try our best to remove the smoke smell.

So far we've arranged to have the carpets steam cleaned and
de-odorized.

We're going to wash the walls and floors and cabinets. Any tips?

The ceilings are textured (1970's sharp and pointy) any tips on
cleaning the ceiling?

Next we're going to paint. Any tips on the primer? Killz? I heard
adding vanilla to the paint helps too.

Wash with non-sudsing ammonia/water solution and/or TSP. Use any
quality high-hiding primer, then good paint. Two coats of primer may
be needed to stop bleed-through.

--
Luke
__________________________________________________ _________________
"This Republican Party of Lincoln has become a party of theocracy."
-- Christopher Shays (R-CT), March, 2005

"Andy Simms" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
In other words do everything one would do for sanitary reasons anytime
they
moved into a house or an apartment that had been occupied by smokers or
non-smokers. PERIOD.

For sanitary reasons you always replace the carpet when you move into a
new home?

New home, No! Used home, Yes!
How often do you move anyway?

Several years ago, 3 skunks got into a fight underneath the raised
foundation of the house I was renting. I probably don't need to explain
how bad the smell was. There's also nothing that lingers quite like
skunk.

An aquaintance of mine who is a real estate agent who once had to clean
up a house for resale after the owner expired and the body was not
discovered until the neighbors notice the smell recommended a company
called Servepro to deskunk my house.

They came and sealed up the house and sprayed this grey smoke stuff that
smelled like baby powder into the house. After a carpet clean plus
this treatment the skunk smell was entirely gone, even to my very
sensitive nose. I didn't even have to take the clothing out of the
closet-the stuff that got treated in the house had no smell, whereas
the stuff I removed fomr the house before the treatment, and triple
washed in cold water and the stuff I dry cleaned still had this faint
whiff of skunk.

I suspect that if it can take care of skunk and dead body (and I know
they also do this for cleanup after a fire) that its should also work
for smoker. A number of professional cleaning companies offer this type
of treatment.

You might want to check out the cost of this before you rip out all the
carpeting and redo all the walls and ceilings of your new house, unless
you were plannning to do that anyway.

Rented a unit from smokers. Febreezed absolutely everything - walls,
carpets wood, etc. And borrowed a Living Air Classic on purify for 4 hours
per room. sweet smelling ever after.
____________________
Claudia
Totus Tuus

So those ozone generators really work on stuff like this?

"Andy Simms" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
For sanitary reasons you always replace the carpet when you move into a
new home?

New home, No! Used home, Yes!
How often do you move anyway?

I find that there are usually enough expenses involved in a move, and
unless the carpet really
needs replacing right away, that's a pretty big expense "just cuz".

Carpets are filthy!

Paid a hospital bill lately Andy?

A few days there will pay for a lot of new carpeting.

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 16:44:45 GMT, Sue
scribbled this interesting note:

They came and sealed up the house and sprayed this grey smoke stuff that
smelled like baby powder into the house. After a carpet clean plus
this treatment the skunk smell was entirely gone, even to my very
sensitive nose. I didn't even have to take the clothing out of the
closet-the stuff that got treated in the house had no smell, whereas
the stuff I removed fomr the house before the treatment, and triple
washed in cold water and the stuff I dry cleaned still had this faint
whiff of skunk.

I suspect that if it can take care of skunk and dead body (and I know
they also do this for cleanup after a fire) that its should also work
for smoker. A number of professional cleaning companies offer this type
of treatment.

You might want to check out the cost of this before you rip out all the
carpeting and redo all the walls and ceilings of your new house, unless
you were plannning to do that anyway.

Thermo-Fog. It works. Kind of. As for a fire, the only way to help
that is to remove as much soot as possible and seal in all the
rest...the same as with what smokers leave behind.

I've done the work. Including the Thermo-Fog unit. It helps, but all
by itself it may or may not remove all the odor (whatever odor you are
trying to remove) and the only sure-fire solution is removal and
sealing.


--
John Willis
(Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

In article ,
John Willis wrote:

I've done the work. Including the Thermo-Fog unit. It helps, but all
by itself it may or may not remove all the odor (whatever odor you are
trying to remove) and the only sure-fire solution is removal and
sealing.


Thanks John. I have to say it did an awesome job on skunk. (they did
treat it twice though so I don't know how bad the residual was after the
first one). I have no idea how much it cost either b/c the landlord
picked up the tab.

On Fri, 24 Jun 2005 03:57:56 GMT, Sue
scribbled this interesting note:

In article ,
John Willis wrote:

I've done the work. Including the Thermo-Fog unit. It helps, but all
by itself it may or may not remove all the odor (whatever odor you are
trying to remove) and the only sure-fire solution is removal and
sealing.


Thanks John. I have to say it did an awesome job on skunk. (they did
treat it twice though so I don't know how bad the residual was after the
first one). I have no idea how much it cost either b/c the landlord
picked up the tab.

Probably would have been cheaper for the landlord to buy the fogger
and solution himself. It isn't all that expensive.


--
John Willis
(Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

In article ,
John Willis wrote:

Thanks John. I have to say it did an awesome job on skunk. (they did
treat it twice though so I don't know how bad the residual was after the
first one). I have no idea how much it cost either b/c the landlord
picked up the tab.

Probably would have been cheaper for the landlord to buy the fogger
and solution himself. It isn't all that expensive.



Insurance covered it for him...They probably wouldn't these days they
don't seem to cover anything now.

Sue wrote:
In article ,
John Willis wrote:


Thanks John. I have to say it did an awesome job on skunk. (they did
treat it twice though so I don't know how bad the residual was after the
first one). I have no idea how much it cost either b/c the landlord
picked up the tab.

Probably would have been cheaper for the landlord to buy the fogger
and solution himself. It isn't all that expensive.




Insurance covered it for him...They probably wouldn't these days they
don't seem to cover anything now.
does anyone know if Gardz sealer works for this. if so it might be a
good product for walls. cut down all the washing. just a thought.

What did your google search turn up?

I'd think of Simple Green for removing tar and nicotine. Seems to work on so
many other things. Works great on bathtubs.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


wrote in message
oups.com...
We just bought a nice home that was lived in by heavy somkers.

We'd like to try our best to remove the smoke smell.

So far we've arranged to have the carpets steam cleaned and
de-odorized.

We're going to wash the walls and floors and cabinets. Any tips?

The ceilings are textured (1970's sharp and pointy) any tips on
cleaning the ceiling?

Next we're going to paint. Any tips on the primer? Killz? I heard
adding vanilla to the paint helps too.

Thanks fellow DIYers.

JaKe
Seattle