Persistent smoke smell - what to do?

[Deuce]

I am a retired builder and have rebuilt several fire damaged homes. You need to paint everything in that room with a product called Kilzs. This will help hide the smell of any smoke. Airing it out is also a big help but make sure everything has been cleaned!

 

[Scrapr]

I am a retired builder and have rebuilt several fire damaged homes. You need to paint everything in that room with a product called Kilzs. This will help hide the smell of any smoke. Airing it out is also a big help but make sure everything has been cleaned!

Ditto. I had a rental that the tennant smoked inside. It was terrible inside. I had it painted with Kilz & that pretty much solved it. I believe I re carpeted it too.

 

[Badger]

My first small old home was part of an estate in which the old lady died. She must have been a very heavy smoker. The first thing I did was to wash and bleach all the walls that were so thick with smoke stain that it looked like molasses dripping down with the cleaners. Then the old wood floors needed refinishing so I sanded and urethane finished the wood. The processes took a few weeks. It was an old beach house in Florida that had no air conditioning and only an attic fan that sounded like an airplane taking off. But once I cleaned and painted and kept air circulated from outside with the attic fan the odor faded away with time. It was not a quick fix.


Cheers!

 

[Venturer]

This tells me the smell is coming from the subfloor, same as if a dog/cat had peed a few times in the room.

Takes me back to pull up the carpet, paint the floor, caulk around the edge and put the carpet back down and clean it.

But now that I have looked up Ozone generators , they are cheap. So I'd empty the room, go out for the day, maybe do it a few times.
https://www.homedepot.com/s/ozone%20generator?NCNI-5

If it doesn't work, you can always return the device and tell them it doesn't work as maybe that one is defective, how does one know it produces ozone

After looking at these Home Depot prices I would try the less than $100 one and if it doesnt work take it back for a refund! easy peasy!

 

[JP.mpls]

Ditto. I had a rental that the tennant smoked inside. It was terrible inside. I had it painted with Kilz & that pretty much solved it. I believe I re carpeted it too.

Duece and Scrapr,
What is your opinion of the newer generations of Kilz that is water based?
I'm trying some for a water stain soon.
I've used the oil base up until now with great results on stains and odors.
JP

 

[eytonxav]

Might be a shot in the dark, but if the room has an outside wall, perhaps the smoke got into the insulation in the wall. Maybe seal the gap between the floor and the sheet rock, in addition to the other suggestions above. Also, the AC return vent may have absorbed some of the smoke if it has that flexible insulated vent piping.

 

[Amethyst]

It does have that pleated piping, and I'm not sure what to do about it. Can scarcely have the entire run of vent piping replaced (it runs the entire length of the house, meaning tearing out the ceiling, nope, ain't doin' it).

Also, the AC return vent may have absorbed some of the smoke if it has that flexible insulated vent piping.

 

[eytonxav]

It does have that pleated piping, and I'm not sure what to do about it. Can scarcely have the entire run of vent piping replaced (it runs the entire length of the house, meaning tearing out the ceiling, nope, ain't doin' it).

Maybe some ozone can be directed into the vent.

 

[OldShooter]

@Amethyst, what advice did you get when you consulted professionals ?

 

[CRLLS]

Maybe some ozone can be directed into the vent.

Definitely I would run the house circulation fan while running an ozone generator. It my not be as quick/strong a reaction with the cold air return elsewhere in the house. I did this while clearing out smoke smell from a used car that I bought.

 

[Amethyst]

I'm waiting till youse guys finish giving me your perspectives. That always helps us communicate better with the pros. Good pros like it when you've done some homework.

It's interesting that the smell is only in one room. If it were in the air exchange ducts, one would expect to smell it elsewhere. I am thinking it should not be hard to limit the ozone generator to just the one room, without poisoning/damaging the rest of the house.

@Amethyst, what advice did you get when you consulted professionals ?