smoke encrusted walls and paintwork General decorating topics, questions and answers. find help, tips and advice on completing your decorating projects

[vstart]

I am moving into a house that is 13 years old and has never been painted. The previous owner was a very heavy smoker. What should I do before painting the walls and woodwork to get rid of the smell of smoke

[chriss]

use a sugar soap to wash down all surfaces. hard work but worth it as you will need to eliminate the smell too. Any problem area there are many cover products that will block out the stains, Zinsser products are expensive but do the trick. good luck

[the paint pot]

[quote="vstart"]I am moving into a house that is 13 years old and has never been painted. The previous owner was a very heavy smoker. What should I do before painting the walls and woodwork to get rid of the smell of smoke[/quote]

hi sugar soap will not work because if you paint the stains will cone through no matter how many coats you use
i would use internatnal stain block then paint as normal
hope this helps