Neighbours cigarrette smoke coming through! Heeeeeeeeellllllllp!

[HonoriaGlossop]

OK MNers you are my last hope...any ideas? We live in an edwardian terrace - very small, 2 bed cottage style place. our neighbours on one side are smokers and every day, particularly downstairs in our front room, the smell of smoke is so strong that they may as well be sitting chain smoking in our room

I'm finding it ultimately depressing and gross. In the evening if I'm sitting in there my eyes are literally itchy from smoke

We have stripped wood floors with gaps between and DH reckons that might be the problem. Also share a chimney and have an open fire (back to the brickwork) which we don't use. Could it be coming through that?

Could it be both?

Just on the offchance that anyone else might have experienced this - MN never failed me yet!

Have to take ds to school but will check back. TIA.

I would say both, but I'd do something about the gaps in the floor first - not least for the draught! There might be something you can paint over the firebricks - like a glaze to seal them? Anyhow- yuk for you!

Ugh, how unpleasant. Bumping for you.

oh thank you guys. i guess I need to deal with both things; how on earth do you seal up gaps between each floorboard?

if you share a chimney, it would be coming from there.

I have seen in the back of "homey" magazines, a balloon-like thing that goes up your chimney to prevent draughts- it should prevent back-flow of smoke as well...cost about £20 IIRC.

There was a case in North Wales recently where someone complained to the council about the smell of cigarettes coming through from neighbours. Think it was in Caernarfon and I can't remember the outcome properly but I think that the neighbours had to stop smoking int he house. i do have a funny feelingt hat the properties were council owned though so no idea if that had any bearing on it

chimney balloon

hae a look here

When we stripped the floorboard in th study, I collected all the sandings, and mixed it with glue, and sort of sqashed it into the gaps. You have to sand again afterwards to get the excess off - it's not a small job! If it's a large room you might want to consider carpet and Thick underlay

thank you everyone, and for the links - much appreciated.

Have to say wall to wall shagpile sounding tempting right now