I live in a Lovell-built semi-detached house, which was constructed in
2001.

A few months ago some smokers moved in next door. Since then we've
noticed the smell of smoke in the rooms that adjoin next doors house
(our kitchen, dining room and 3rd bedroom). I'm pretty sure that the
smoke isn't coming in through the windows.

Can anyone suggest where the smoke could be entering our property? In
addition is there any way I can confirm the smell we are experiencing
is indeed smoke?

Cheers

On 7 Dec, 13:25, tvmo wrote:
I live in a Lovell-built semi-detached house, which was constructed in
2001.

A few months ago some smokers moved in next door. Since then we've
noticed the smell of smoke in the rooms that adjoin next doors house
(our kitchen, dining room and 3rd bedroom). I'm pretty sure that the
smoke isn't coming in through the windows.

Can anyone suggest where the smoke could be entering our
property? In


When I was doing some work and had floorboards up etc, I suddenly
realised I could smell the cooking and cigarette smoke from next door.
I noticed where the upstairs floor joists went into the party wall
there was some large gaps and old cement had fallen out etc. I fill
the gaps with expanding foam and the smell went away. There must have
been an air path through the wall !
The downstairs floor joists ran lengthways with the house, so no issue
there.
If 2001 build, I would have thought cavity party walls, but where
joists enter party walls is a likely place.
Also, fireplaces sharing chimneys - but not likely in a modern house.

addition is there any way I can confirm the smell we are
experiencing
is indeed smoke?

That's a tricky one.
Invite the neighbours round for dinner and give them a cabbage soup
starter, followed by bean casserole and home-made fig rolls, and see
if the smell changes !
Simon.

Thanks Simon,

That's a good point about the joists, though I'm loathed to take the
floor up.

Not too sure about the dinner invite and the cabbage soup, but nice
try.

Cheers

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 05:25:20 -0800 (PST), tvmo
wrote:

I live in a Lovell-built semi-detached house, which was constructed in
2001.

A few months ago some smokers moved in next door. Since then we've
noticed the smell of smoke in the rooms that adjoin next doors house
(our kitchen, dining room and 3rd bedroom). I'm pretty sure that the
smoke isn't coming in through the windows.

Can anyone suggest where the smoke could be entering our property? In
addition is there any way I can confirm the smell we are experiencing
is indeed smoke?

Cheers


Set a smoke bomb off in your house and sit outside and see if they
notice.
--
http://www.orderonlinepickupinstore.co.uk
Ah fetch it yourself if you can't wait for delivery
http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk
Or get it delivered for free

tvmo wrote:
I live in a Lovell-built semi-detached house, which was constructed in
2001.

A few months ago some smokers moved in next door. Since then we've
noticed the smell of smoke in the rooms that adjoin next doors house
(our kitchen, dining room and 3rd bedroom). I'm pretty sure that the
smoke isn't coming in through the windows.

Can anyone suggest where the smoke could be entering our property? In
addition is there any way I can confirm the smell we are experiencing
is indeed smoke?

Just inhale some for a few seconds. If it is indeed passive cigarette
smoke, you should develop several life threatening diseases within minutes &
will probably die in a matter of days - according to the statistics used by
the anti-smoking lobby.

I suggest you kill your neighbours - they are the anti christ.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

On 2007-12-07 22:58:26 +0000, "The Medway Handyman"
said:

tvmo wrote:
I live in a Lovell-built semi-detached house, which was constructed in
2001.

A few months ago some smokers moved in next door. Since then we've
noticed the smell of smoke in the rooms that adjoin next doors house
(our kitchen, dining room and 3rd bedroom). I'm pretty sure that the
smoke isn't coming in through the windows.

Can anyone suggest where the smoke could be entering our property? In
addition is there any way I can confirm the smell we are experiencing
is indeed smoke?

Just inhale some for a few seconds. If it is indeed passive cigarette
smoke, you should develop several life threatening diseases within minutes &
will probably die in a matter of days - according to the statistics used by
the anti-smoking lobby.

I suggest you kill your neighbours - they are the anti christ.

He didn't say that they were Jehovah's Witnesses.

ideal CHRISTMAS gift for your neighbours Smoking cessation
products get it from
http://www.americanvistas.com/healthcare_smoking.html


smoke sorted


On Dec 8, 5:32 am, Andy Hall wrote:
On 2007-12-07 22:58:26 +0000, "The Medway Handyman"
said:





tvmo wrote:
I live in a Lovell-built semi-detached house, which was constructed in
2001.

A few months ago some smokers moved in next door. Since then we've
noticed the smell of smoke in the rooms that adjoin next doors house
(our kitchen, dining room and 3rd bedroom). I'm pretty sure that the
smoke isn't coming in through the windows.

Can anyone suggest where the smoke could be entering our property? In
addition is there any way I can confirm the smell we are experiencing
is indeed smoke?

Just inhale some for a few seconds. If it is indeed passive cigarette
smoke, you should develop several life threatening diseases within minutes &
will probably die in a matter of days - according to the statistics used by
the anti-smoking lobby.

I suggest you kill your neighbours - they are the anti christ.

He didn't say that they were Jehovah's Witnesses.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

On Dec 7, 10:58 pm, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:
Just inhale some for a few seconds. If it is indeed passive cigarette
smoke, you should develop several life threatening diseases within minutes &
will probably die in a matter of days - according to the statistics used by
the anti-smoking lobby.

I suggest you kill your neighbours - they are the anti christ.

Excellent! I got up early today to finish a patch repair on my shed
roof before the forecast rain and was in dire need of a chuckle.
Thanks for providing it :-)
--
Rob

On 7 Dec, 13:25, tvmo wrote:
I live in a Lovell-built semi-detached house, which was constructed in
2001.

A few months ago some smokers moved in next door. Since then we've
noticed the smell of smoke in the rooms that adjoin next doors house
(our kitchen, dining room and 3rd bedroom). I'm pretty sure that the
smoke isn't coming in through the windows.

Can anyone suggest where the smoke could be entering our property? In
addition is there any way I can confirm the smell we are experiencing
is indeed smoke?

Cheers

Dear tvmo

The most likely explanation is indeed a break in the party wall if you
are sure that the windows in both properties are not the cause.
To test this I would note the wind direction every time you experience
the problem or better still, do a record every day of the wind
strength and direction and compare this with "percieved" smell of
cigarette smoke. This presumes they are chain smokers and or that the
smell will percolate at all times which of course it will not but
statistics will mount up and you will soon know after a few months if
there is a linkage with the wind direction thus indicative of wind(ow)-
born external air currrents. Conversely if you notice it when there is
a force 8 gale outside - that would be a clear indicator of party wall
leaks. I would not exclude modern builders from just the same cock
ups as old ones - particularly after my experiences of them for the
last 6 months! they are capable of ANY thing!
To determine it is indeed cigarette smoke will require a bit of
science and money. You will need to get air sampling equipment and
collect some of the "smell" and take it to a lab with a GLC (or the
equivalent) gas liquid chromatography and that will give you both
qualative and quantatative results.
Once proven you could approach your next door neighbour and ask him/
her to mend the party wall or stop smoking! That is because they are
legally causing you a nuisance and in extremis you could call in the
council EHO. None of this is to be recommended by any sane neighbour
as the problem should be shared and solved amicably but that is the
legal default postion to the best of my knowledge.
good luck and let us know how it goes. I sympathise as I can smell the
bloody builders fags as the all crowd outside my front door and light
up when they should be working and I have to go and shut both doors to
be free of the drifting fumes.
chris

wrote in message
...
On 7 Dec, 13:25, tvmo wrote:
I live in a Lovell-built semi-detached house, which was constructed in
2001.

A few months ago some smokers moved in next door. Since then we've
noticed the smell of smoke in the rooms that adjoin next doors house
(our kitchen, dining room and 3rd bedroom). I'm pretty sure that the
smoke isn't coming in through the windows.

Can anyone suggest where the smoke could be entering our property? In
addition is there any way I can confirm the smell we are experiencing
is indeed smoke?

Cheers

Dear tvmo

The most likely explanation is indeed a break in the party wall if you
are sure that the windows in both properties are not the cause.
To test this I would note the wind direction every time you experience
the problem or better still, do a record every day of the wind
strength and direction and compare this with "percieved" smell of
cigarette smoke. This presumes they are chain smokers and or that the
smell will percolate at all times which of course it will not but
statistics will mount up and you will soon know after a few months if
there is a linkage with the wind direction thus indicative of wind(ow)-
born external air currrents. Conversely if you notice it when there is
a force 8 gale outside - that would be a clear indicator of party wall
leaks. I would not exclude modern builders from just the same cock
ups as old ones - particularly after my experiences of them for the
last 6 months! they are capable of ANY thing!
To determine it is indeed cigarette smoke will require a bit of
science and money. You will need to get air sampling equipment and
collect some of the "smell" and take it to a lab with a GLC (or the
equivalent) gas liquid chromatography and that will give you both
qualative and quantatative results.
Once proven you could approach your next door neighbour and ask him/
her to mend the party wall or stop smoking! That is because they are
legally causing you a nuisance and in extremis you could call in the
council EHO. None of this is to be recommended by any sane neighbour
as the problem should be shared and solved amicably but that is the
legal default postion to the best of my knowledge.
good luck and let us know how it goes. I sympathise as I can smell the
bloody builders fags as the all crowd outside my front door and light
up when they should be working and I have to go and shut both doors to
be free of the drifting fumes.
chris

Why do we have semi detached houses?

I still feel embarrassed from when we lived in one and had some visitors
from the USA. They asked why we had two front doors.

John wrote:
Why do we have semi detached houses?

I still feel embarrassed from when we lived in one and had some visitors
from the USA. They asked why we had two front doors.

They do have semis in the USA. They just call them duplexes.

John wrote:


Why do we have semi detached houses?

I still feel embarrassed from when we lived in one and had some visitors
from the USA. They asked why we had two front doors.


Cost of land and cost of houses.

They are CHEAP. and actually more energy efficient.

In article , The
Natural Philosopher says...
John wrote:


Why do we have semi detached houses?

I still feel embarrassed from when we lived in one and had some visitors
from the USA. They asked why we had two front doors.


Cost of land and cost of houses.

They are CHEAP. and actually more energy efficient.





We lived in a Victorian mid-terraced house years ago and
used to joke that we didn't need any heating because the
neighbours on each side kept us warm. After moving from
there to a detached property the heating bills were
something of a shock.
--
David in Normandy

Thanks for all the sensible replies. I can't blame the neighbours they
are really nice people and are entitled to smoke in their own home if
they wish.

The break in the partition wall, perhaps by gaps either side of the
joists is the probable answer - excellent suggestion. The smoke smell
is mainly coming from under the skirting on the adjoining wall with
the neighbours.

I've got someone from Lovell coming around this week to have a look so
I've got to get my neighbours to smoke like hell that day.

Thanks again.

"tvmo" wrote in message
...
I live in a Lovell-built semi-detached house, which was constructed in
2001.

A few months ago some smokers moved in next door. Since then we've
noticed the smell of smoke in the rooms that adjoin next doors house
(our kitchen, dining room and 3rd bedroom). I'm pretty sure that the
smoke isn't coming in through the windows.

Can anyone suggest where the smoke could be entering our property? In
addition is there any way I can confirm the smell we are experiencing
is indeed smoke?

In the days before smoking was banned on airliners, it was usual to find a
pattern of smoke stains on the outside of the hull when it was stripped for
painting. A skilled eye could even use it to judge whether parts of the hull
were showing early signs of undue stress. If it can leach through solid
aluminium, I doubt a party wall in a modern house is going to provide too
much of a barrier.

Colin Bignell

tvmo wrote:
I live in a Lovell-built semi-detached house, which was constructed in
2001.

A few months ago some smokers moved in next door. Since then we've
noticed the smell of smoke in the rooms that adjoin next doors house
(our kitchen, dining room and 3rd bedroom). I'm pretty sure that the
smoke isn't coming in through the windows.

Can anyone suggest where the smoke could be entering our property? In
addition is there any way I can confirm the smell we are experiencing
is indeed smoke?

I thought we had air leakage tests back in 2001 as part of the building
regs? If so, then you might have a claim under the NHBC 10 year
warranty. The leak could be due to shrinkage as the building dried out
since completion.

The leak probably means the party wall has settled and opened a
large-ish crack. The air is then getting past the plasterboard somehow.
If you can't see a crack in the wall then check any obvious openings
like sockets and where pipework passes through. Remove the socket and
seal the holes in the back box using mastic or tape depending on size.

Then you should take off the skirting board (and coving if you have it)
to see if there's a gap underneath. This could be easily blocked using a
combination of filler, expanding foam, draft proofing foam strip or
mastic depending on size. The leak could be completely out of sight,
i.e. in the floor or ceiling void, and then seeping into the room away
from the wall.

If you really can't find the source of the leaks (or the builder when
they honour the warranty) then you could always install a Positve Input
Ventillator (e.g. http://www.kiltox.co.uk/products/loftunit.htm) so the
leak always goes the other way....

-Antony