Finally located the smell of smoke

[brabrabra11]

Hi

I have finally located the smell of smoke that comes from the neighbor, and it turns out it's coming from where the baseboard is attached.

How is it possible to smell such a strong odor if it's a concrete wall? Isn't the wall cast against the floor?

 

[Harald Blåtumme]

You probably need to dismantle the baseboards and check what can be sealed with construction silicone, etc. It sounds a bit odd that there should be such large gaps in the building elements between apartments, but anything is possible.

 

[brabrabra11]

You might have to remove the floor moldings and check what can be sealed with construction silicone etc. It sounds a bit odd that there would be such large gaps in construction elements between apartments, but anything is possible.

You might have to remove the floor moldings and check what can be sealed with construction silicone etc. It sounds a bit odd that there would be such large gaps in construction elements between apartments, but anything is possible.

There is a baseboard and a quarter round trim. Should I remove the baseboard too?

 

[Harald Blåtumme]

If you have located the source of your smoke smell there, then it seems like a reasonable measure. It's possible that these measures fall on your landlord if you live in a rental apartment. As for condominiums, I'm not aware of what applies.

 

[brabrabra11]

If you have located the source of your smoke smell there, then it is a reasonable action. It might be possible that these measures fall on your landlord if you live in a rental apartment. As for condominiums, I am not familiar with what applies.

Is there an alternative so you don't have to dismantle the trim and baseboard?

 

[mrsnhp]

Is there an alternative so you don't have to dismantle the trim and skirting?

If you have painted trims/skirting and it's okay to glue the skirting to the floor, you can try sealing gaps between the skirting and wall/floor with latex caulk. However, if you have wooden floors (like parquet), there's a risk that the caulk against the floor may crack if the floor significantly expands and contracts due to temperature and humidity variations. It can also be tricky to remove all the caulk from the floor and wall if you ever want to, for example, replace the baseboards.

If you have unfinished skirting in, for example, oak, it won't look nice with caulk around them. You can paint the caulk, but it will show even if you manage to find a brown color that matches the wood's hue.

The safest solution would probably still be to carefully remove the trims/skirting and seal behind them. You need to move the furniture a bit, but otherwise, it doesn't have to be a big operation. It might very well be easier and faster than masking and starting to apply caulk on visible spots if you're not experienced.

 

[brabrabra11]

If you have painted moldings/baseboards and it doesn't matter if you glue the baseboard to the floor, you can try to fill gaps between the baseboard and the wall/floor with latex caulk. If you have wooden floors (e.g., parquet), there is a risk that the caulk against the floor will crack if the floor expands and contracts significantly due to variations in temperature and humidity. It can also be tricky to remove all the caulk from the floor and walls if you ever want to, for example, change the baseboards.

If you have unpainted baseboards in, for example, oak, it won't look nice to have caulk around them. You can paint the caulk, but it will be noticeable even if you manage to find a brown color that matches the wood's color.

The safest solution would probably still be to carefully remove the moldings/baseboards and seal behind them. You might need to move the furniture a bit, but otherwise, it doesn't have to be a big operation. It might very well be easier and quicker than masking and starting to smear caulk on visible areas if you're not experienced.

First tried with duct tape. It helped quite a bit. But the smell is also present on the other side of the apartment, at the wall I share with a neighbor who doesn't smoke. I've also noticed that when it's windy outside, I can smell it more.

 

[mrsnhp]

First tried with silver tape. It helped quite a bit. But the smell also occurs on the other side of the apartment, at the wall I share with a neighbor who doesn't smoke. I've also noticed that when it's windy outside, I can smell it more.

The smoke might be finding its way through the joist under the floor.

At our place, it blew in at the facade, straight through the joist and up behind the baseboards at the other end of the room. We removed the baseboards and sealed the gaps, and now it doesn't blow in anymore.

 

[brabrabra11]

The smoke might be seeping through the beam layer under the floor.

At our place, it blew in at the facade, right through the beam layer and up behind the baseboards at the other end of the room. We removed the baseboards and used drev to seal the gaps, and now it doesn't blow in anymore.

Hmm, very possible. Why did you choose to seal with drev instead of some type of sealant?

 

[mrsnhp]

Hmm very possible. Why did you choose to seal with drev instead of some type of sealant?

There are quite large gaps and foam sealant doesn't feel right in a house from 1934 🙂

 

[Tomtom79]

If the smell of smoke comes from the neighbor and into your home, it means you have lower air pressure than the neighbor. You need to seal it COMPLETELY if you want it to stop. If you seal between the list/wall/floor, the smell of smoke will seep under the parquet and leak elsewhere in the room.

Imagine tilting the house so that the neighbor's apartment is above you, filling it with water, and think about what happens then. If it is not completely sealed where it leaks through the wall, it will just find its way further.

Alternatively, make sure the neighbor has lower or the same air pressure as you. I would think this is actually the right solution. Have you opened vent-vents too much so you have too low pressure? Has the neighbor closed theirs so he doesn't have the right underpressure?

So, either it must be completely sealed in the wall, or the pressure difference between the apartments must be zero for the flow to disappear (or decrease to near zero; everyone knows that even if you have exactly the same pressure in a large room, a silent fart will spread throughout the room).

 

[brabrabra11]

There are quite large gaps, and expanding foam doesn't feel right in a house from

If the smoke smell is coming from the neighbor and into your place, it means that you have lower air pressure than the neighbor. You have to have it COMPLETELY sealed if it is not going to continue. If you seal between the list/wall/floor, the smoke smell will get under the parquet and leak somewhere else in the room.

Imagine you tilt the house so that the neighbor's apartment is above you, fill it with water and think about what happens then. If it is not completely sealed where it leaks through the wall, it just seeks further.

Alternatively, you make sure that the neighbor gets lower or the same air pressure as you. This I would believe is the real solution. Is it that you have opened vent valves too much, causing you to have too low pressure? Is it that the neighbor has closed theirs so they don't have the correct negative pressure?

So, either it must be completely sealed in the wall, or the pressure difference must be zero between the apartments for the flow to disappear (or decrease to nearly zero; everyone knows that even if you have the exact same pressure in a large room, a silent fart spreads throughout the room)

I have a little update.

The neighbor refrained from smoking during the afternoon/evening. I sniffed several times at different times at the mail slot without smelling any smoke.

Oddly enough, I've still smelled the same smoke odor. And the smell has been constant. Not even a pause for 10 minutes. In the stairwell, it has also smelled stale.

The smell is present in different places in the apartment, at floor level.

Regarding pressure difference, I tried to create overpressure by opening several windows and throttling the exhaust in the kitchen. It's almost worse with open windows, as if the smell is "helped" to enter the apartment.

 

[Tomtom79]

I have a small update.

The neighbor refrained from smoking during the afternoon/evening. I sniffed several times at different times in the mail slot without smelling any smoke.

Strangely enough, I've still sensed the same smoke smell, and the smell has been constant. Not even a 10-minute pause. It has also smelled stale in the stairwell.

The smell occurs in different places in the apartment, at floor level.

Regarding pressure difference, I have tested creating an overpressure by opening several windows and throttling the exhaust in the kitchen. It almost gets worse with open windows, as if the smell is "helped" to get into the apartment.

It's not coming from below then? So that if you open windows, your apartment works like a chimney?

 

[brabrabra11]

It doesn't come from below then? So if you open the window, does your apartment work like a chimney?

No. No one smokes in my "länga" either. There has been a constant supply of smoke smell for a few days now. It's been a while since it was this bad. I've removed wall sockets and sniffed but haven't felt anything. It comes specifically from where the baseboard and quarter round are.
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