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Plastering & Rendering

Dealing with Heavily Nicotine Stained Walls

Anonymous user 03/03/2024 - 3.12 PM

Hi, We are buying a house from someone who smoked there for decades and the walls are heavily yellow stained throughout the place. I was wondering if it would be necessary to tear back the walls and have the whole house replastered from scratch? I grew up with breathing complications and am not sure whether just using a product to seal it in the wall and contain it would be good enough? Does the nicotine actually seep into the walls and penetrate the plaster or does it just sit as a deep greasy stain on top? Can it with some product or way of cleaning or scrubbing be completely pulled out of the walls? (I'd rather be safe than sorry and in a few months have breathing problems again). Kindly :)

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3 Answers

Elite Decorators

Rating: 5 out of 5
Uxbridge
hi, whenever we are decorating a heavily nicotine stained property the quickest way to make sure it is covered and will not come back through the new paint/paper is to apply a coat of oil based undercoat first. another option is to use a sugar soap solution with water and use rags to clean it off, remembering to rince it off with clean water and rags before repainting. the second option takes much longer and the first option is more expensive, but we prefer the first as it has not failed us yet.
Answered12 November 2014
3

mydecorator

Rating: 5 out of 5
Leamington Spa
I suggest washing with something like Mr Muscle & give it a good scrub & rinse off as much as you can. Then apply an oil based undercoat to seal the ceiling & walls followed by your chosen colours or wallpaper. Should keep you busy for the next few weeks/months, Enjoy! Or take up smoking a pipe to counteract the cigarette smells!
Answered13 November 2014
3

MPL Home Improvements

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Uttoxeter
If you have a wallpaper steamer then this will lift the nicotine out. It can take a while but has the advantage of being relatively cheap, especially if you do it yourself. A coat of undercoat will seal in any that is left.
Answered13 November 2014
3