How to remove cigarette odor?
I went into a potential investment property today and was overpowered by the smell of cigarette smoke before I even walked through the front door. It was so bad that the curtains were yellow, the linoleum floor in the kitchen was yellow, and the walls were yellow. You could see where all the pictures were hung and I now have a migrane just from being in the house for 15 minutes. Another couple came with their agent while I was looking at it and they walked in the front door and right back out because the smell was so bad. My question was do you need to do more than remove the carpet, wallpaper and repaint? The answers that I have received are:
Remove all wallpaper and window treatments
Make sure to use Kilz to prime the walls before you repaint and use oil based paint
Replace the carpet and vinyl flooring
Have a professional cleaning company come in and clean before and after you repaint and recarpet. The walls, cabinets, etc. all have to be thoroughly sanitized first. The cleaning company coordinated with other carpet and paint contractors.
Open the windows and air out the place
I have 15 years experience as a remodeler/builder and sometimes this problem can be a real pain. Most painters can handle it, but you must be certain they understand that it must be completely resolved. Often we have had to start by using a detergent to clean the residue off and if it is really bad, a scraper. Once it is down to a thin film, it can be sanded lightly and then painted with a product call Kilz. This is a product which seals stains and bonds to most surfaces…even tar film. It may take a few coats to be convinced that it will no longer bleed / penetrate the subsequent coats of paint. What should have been one or two coats can turn into 4 or 5 to get the job done right. Be sure the painter understands this and guarantees the outcome. Both the paint and kilz mix with the tar much like oil and water. It takes time and lots of work to remedy the situation properly. The other thing to keep in mind is that not doing it right form the start can create a nightmare if the individual decides to turn back and start over. Once you try to pant with regular paint first, the effort can become ten times worse than it would have been to begin with. Trust me, I have had to bat cleanup on a number of jobs the homeowner started and got frustrated with when they failed to get the paint to bond correctly. Bottom line, find a reputable and experienced painter and it shouldn’t be a problem, but it will be 2x more than usual at least.
Check with ServicePro and some of the other cleaning companies that deal with houses after a fire.
Duct cleaning and washing everything in the house with vinegar and water or bleach-water. Wash the windows really well.
Before installing new carpet and padding- you will need to paint/seal the floor with Kilz ( a product that seals odors ) OR use a floor sealer made by MinWax , both can be purchased at Home Depot. It makes a world of a difference.
Kilz primer lots of it (even for the subfloor) and a fragrance additive for paint will also be necessary. Sherwin Williams and Duron should carry it.
If you know anyone who is interested in buying an investment property please email kim@kimdarwaza.com. To search the MLS for free or to get other information on the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market please visit http://www.kimdarwaza.com.