6 min read
Tobacco smoke does not sit in the air. It condenses as a sticky tar film on drywall, trim, glass, cabinet interiors and duct walls, then releases again every time the house warms up. That is why a smoker's home in Lake Highlands can smell clean in February and sour in July.
Where the smell is actually stored
Walk the house and think in materials, not rooms. Painted drywall, popcorn ceilings, hollow-core doors, carpet pad, closet shelving, the inside of upper cabinets, window blinds, the air handler and the flex duct all hold residue. Soft goods hold the most per pound; drywall holds the most overall because there is so much of it.
Why DIY hits a wall
Cleaning wipes down the surfaces you can reach. It cannot reach the cavity behind a switch plate, the underside of a stair tread, or six feet into a supply duct. Sealing primer helps on drywall, but if the HVAC and soft goods were skipped, the system re-seeds the house within days.
The order of operations we use
Inspect and score each room, remove anything unsalvageable (usually carpet pad and cheap blinds), degrease and wash hard surfaces, prime where residue is heavy, replace the filter and treat the air handler, then run a non-toxic vapor phase so the cavities and soft goods get treated at the same time as the rooms.
What it takes in Dallas
Most single-family homes we treat fall inside a one-to-four-hour visit. Heavier jobs need materials removed first, and we tell you that on the walkthrough rather than after taking your money.
The short version
- ✓Paint alone seals the tar for weeks, not years
- ✓The HVAC system must be treated or the house re-seeds itself
- ✓Humidity is what makes the smell reappear
Want it handled instead?
We treat homes, vehicles, rentals and businesses across Dallas-Fort Worth, usually same or next day. If the odor comes back, so do we.
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