So I’m in the process of cleaning the place out. Using sugar soap and a steamer.

Then the idea is to paint with primer, couple of coats probably the paint.

Is this correct, any advice on this?

How thorough do you need to be on the cleaning part, and how well will the primer do it’s job?

When I bought my previous house, the previous owner’s only hobby was to sit and smoke in the living room it would seem. It was totally rank.

Painted every wall and ceiling, carpet ripped up and skipped and during the week we were decorating, every window was open full.

Once we were finished there was no more smell of stale fags. I don’t believe we washed the walls before painting.

How thorough do you need to be on the cleaning part, and how well will the primer do it’s job?

As thorough as you can be and it very much depends on the primer.

Are we talking cigarette smoke or actual fire smoke?

Stain blocker is your best bet if the damage is severe.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/zinsser-b-i-n-shellac-based-primer-sealer-2-5ltr/10130

Going to use that stuff any use?

It’s a house that been lying empty for a while previous owner smoked and the walls are pretty greasy.

Just bought it to do up and sell.

Zinsser is great stuff but expensive and overkill if it’s just tobacco smoke.

A good scrub with sugar soap and an extra coat or two should be enough with a tin of stain block for any really badly marked bits.

You definitely want to get the walls clean so the paint will stick. Doesn’t take anything special, even baking soda will work.
Zinsser do a water based stain blocking primer which is pnt ridiculously expensive and works well.

Oil based undercoat works very well. Easy to paint over and stops nicotine leaching back through. Does away with steamer and sugar soap. Water based stain blockers even brands like Zinners are not as effective and are more expensive.

we found there was always a smell of smoke in the room if you had been away a few days

what solved it for us was ripping out ALL and i mean ALL of the woodwork and starting again.

stripping the paper , washing the walls with sugar soap and using primer got rid of 95% but i went nuclear in the end . couldnt live with the smell.

cheers all, finished the cleaning just there on the bedroom, so will research the undercoat paints to try. Got a whole house to do, so might buy a couple and test out if possible.

what a bastard of a job cleaning walls is btw! 😆

We removed all wood paper and carpets the washed walls and ceiling before sealing and papering. Also light switch and pendant got chucked aswell.

Good scrub down, get all the soft furnishings out carpet curtain etc and leave it alone for a week with windows open. That’s what I did, my place was rank with cigarette smell and cat wee. Replastered downstairs but couldn’t afford to do upstairs too, as it was a thorough clean with sugar soap was enough. Recommend using decent paint though, I used a couple of coats of dulux trade super Matt then a couple of coats of dulux trade vinyl Matt and it’s come out pretty well with no bleed through of stains or smells.

Zinsser BIN is great but as mentioned expensive. Johnstone’s have recently brought out an emulsion with built in stain blocker called Stainaway. I’ve not used it yet but my PPG rep says it’s getting great reviews from decorators. Jonno’s can mix it in any of their colours. I dare say Brewers can mix it in any colour.

Had to decorate a badly water stained house after a leak and was recommended Zinssers Coverstain.( The house was professionally dried out beforehand ..in fact for longer than necessary .) Bought loads and it was crap .Despite numerous coats the stains still leached through . Expensive too. I have since heard good things about the new Johnstones product