Nicotine staining

[orangepudding]

I've seen a house which has lots of potential to be a lovely family home but it is seriously nicotine stained. I haven't viewed the property yet but it's very clear in the pictures.

How do you get rid of nicotine, do the walls and ceilings need to be replastered or will repapering be enough?

painted surfaces will need Stain Blocker (looks like white paint, applied by brush)

Wallpapered surfaces will probably be OK if stripped.

It will stink for years.

Stripping off the plaster and floorboards would certainly take away most of the stink. I'd do doors, skirtings and other joinery as well.

Smoking is revolting. I wouldn't buy it.

it will also need a serious clean with sugar soap - and let me tell you that is a FILTHY job.

if you like the house otherwise, make a low offer.

I wouldn't be getting my hopes up until I'd been in there and smelt the place. Maybe they gave up smoking 10 years ago (and haven't bothered to redecorate since ), and the smell has dissipated, but I would find a stinky house way more depressing than yellowed paintwork...

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-43335671.html

Look at picture five, I can almost smell it already. Think I will have to give the house a miss!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-43335671.html

My house had severe nicotine staining when we moved in. It smelled horrible. But with plenty of elbow grease and buckets of hot water and sugar soap, you can get rid of it. I had to clean every surface, from woodwork to ceilings, several times but it did go in the end.

Even if the house smells bad when you view it, removal of their smoky furniture and changing the carpets will make a massive difference.

It doesn't take too long for the smell to go. My mil and fil used to smoke 100 fags a day in their house and it absolutely reeked. They both packed it in and the smell went went in a couple of months. The had to change carpets etc.

Nice house. It will take a bit of work but if you like the house-it will be worth it in the end!

Looks like that gas fire has been leaking carbon monoxide with all that staining on the wall above it
Id be looking at that very carefully if i was interested in the house

PigletJohn: "Stripping off the plaster and floorboards would certainly take away most of the stink. I'd do doors, skirtings and other joinery as well."

Well, PJ, that seems a bit OTT. Immediately after WWII 82% of men smoked... surely you are not suggesting that all pre-war houses should be re-plastered and re-trimmed. Even in the 70's 55% of men smoked.

www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/types/lung/smoking/lung-cancer-and-smoking-statistics#history

Much as I hate smoking, getting rid of soft furniture, carpets, curtains, etc, and redecorating, will remove most, if not all, of the smell of nicotine.

It will stink for years.

Nope. The smell was gone from each room in my house almost as soon as the walls, woodwork and ceiling were washed down and soft furnishings removed. Carpets and curtains went straight in the skip.

Ok, I'm going to be needlessly pedantic (sorry) and point out that it isn't actually the nicotine that causes either the stains or the smell... It's tar and ammonia and all manner of other filthy stuff in cigarette smoke. Likewise, carbon monoxide doesn't stain (or smell either), though it does sometimes coincide with sooty fires, and I would also be getting that gas fire very closely looked at. I actually wonder if the gas fire might be the sorce of the problem... Look at that steak up the wall...