Cigarette smoke

[Andy Hall]

Exactly. I think that it would be reasonable for this to be referred to the environmental health people.

[Andy Hall]

They are even more revolting thatn cigarette smoke.

Very few.

There's no reason to "live with" cigarette smoke at all.

Multiple occupancy and attached dwellings should be treated as public buildings for the purpose of smoking legislation.

[Bazza]

If you can detect it in your house next door to the evil smoking house then I would be worried about the build quality and move straight away before the house falls down about your ears. Start a campaign that HIPS should contain a regulation that any smell of cigarette smoke from an adjacent property has to be declared, then you have the choice whether to buy or not.

[whitely525]

Sounds more like a modern house was not built according the regs OR modern regs are s**te and have nothing to do with what real people expect. In the first case you may well sue the developer.

Maybe you could use a radioactive tracer, but I have never heard of them used in the gas phase.

=2E- Hide quoted text -

[Andy Hall]

The pernicious fumes penetrate even well made structures.

I would agree with you other than I don't like government involvement in personal business transactions and especially not HIPs.

[Antony Jones]

I thought we had air leakage tests back in 2001 as part of the building regs? If so, then you might have a claim under the NHBC 10 year warranty. The leak could be due to shrinkage as the building dried out since completion.

The leak probably means the party wall has settled and opened a large-ish crack. The air is then getting past the plasterboard somehow. If you can't see a crack in the wall then check any obvious openings like sockets and where pipework passes through. Remove the socket and seal the holes in the back box using mastic or tape depending on size.

Then you should take off the skirting board (and coving if you have it) to see if there's a gap underneath. This could be easily blocked using a combination of filler, expanding foam, draft proofing foam strip or mastic depending on size. The leak could be completely out of sight, i.e. in the floor or ceiling void, and then seeping into the room away from the wall.

If you really can't find the source of the leaks (or the builder when they honour the warranty) then you could always install a Positve Input Ventillator (e.g.

so the leak always goes the other way....

-Antony

[The Natural Philosopher]

If they do,then so do draughts from outside, and inter residence noise.

since it bothers the OP, its their problem to fix.

Chances are the houses share common airspaces in the loft, and under the floors and neither are sealed wrt to them at all.

What about your farts, and the smell of your disgusting perfume. And the dog farts and the cat crap and the cat pee?. Not to mention the strong sell of garlic, boiled cabbage and curry.

Perhaps they took up smoking to deaden their olfactory senses. ...;-)

[al]

Gave up 15 years ago (minus 4 days -ish), hate the smell of smoke - but not as paranoid as some on here.

Al

[al]

The amount we are talking about must be very small, surely opening a window for 5 minutes will clear it? Al

[Andy Hall]

Even small amounts permeate the fabric of the property, get into furnishings and generally make for an unpleasant environment. Opening the window for 5 minutes doesn't address that because it recurs as soon as the window is closed and somebody lights up.

Adding scents to the room doesn't help either. Those designed to address tobacco smells simply make matters far worse.

[al]

Yebut we are talking the house next door here, surely the fabric of the building on the other side of the wall will filter most of the particles (look at walls and ceilings of a smokers house)? Non smokers are becoming worse than ex-smokers :-)

Al

[Andy Hall]

You would think so, but clearly something can get through. It may not be a secondary smoking health hazard at these concentrations, but it's still pretty disgusting.

.. and never-smokers are the worst of the lot ;-)

[al]

Years of smoking must have damaged my sense of smell.

Ah -never-smokers -thats what I tried to say :-)

Al

[scotsgal]

Um, I actually posted on this site to help others with the same problem and get practical advice myself. Of course you would expect air to move around in old buildings, but I am not trying to 'hermetically seal' it and it is recommended practice nowadays to draught-proof your property using caulk or sealant anyway to save energy. I get along very well with my neighbour so I don't think it's an issue for environmental health - you can stop people smoking in public places but people who own their own home can do as they please.

[scotsgal]

Hmmm. I'm a bit disappointed so I'll not visit this site again. I posted messages to help others with the same problem and get practical advice, not cheeky comments about candles.

Of course you would expect air to move around in old buildings and ventilation is essential, but I am not suggesting trying to 'hermetically seal' it and it is recommended practice nowadays to draught-proof your property using caulk or sealant anyway to save energy.

I get along very well with my neighbours. I just don't like their cig smoke. Wherever air goes, the smoke can go - that's your answer to how it permeates everything, including the fabric/structure of our homes. And if you're a child or asthmatic, the chemicals in even faint smoke particles are more than just a nuisance.

[The Medway Handyman]

Sorry Al, its no good trying to make a perfectly reasonable point to a rabid anti smoker. The facts simply don't matter to them.

[The Medway Handyman]

Alas only in your imagination.

[The Medway Handyman]

Quite right Andy. Smokers should be prevented from carrying out a perfectly legal activity within thier own homes.

Hanging's too good for em.

[Andy Burns]

Clearly you're anti-anti-smoker ;-)

Now, I'm not a rabid anti-smoker, someone smoking in their own house is fine, but I don't let guests smoke in my house, so I'm damned sure I wouldn't like it if the neighbours' smoke was wafting through, I'd have to do something about it.

[Frank Erskine]

It's totally unpleasant, apart from any health issues.