Keeping fag smoke out of my flat

Rillington · 26-10-2005, 18:32

Need some advice about keeping cigarette smoke out of my flat please.

Basically, the situation is is that I lvee in a flat shared by one other person whose front door is on the other side of a shared landing, about one yard from mine. This person is also a chain smoker who consumes around 50 fags (prob more) per day, probably most of them isndie her flat because this person works during the day but when she doesn't she sits in her living room - about five yards from me - smoking non stop and despite there being two closed doors, the smoke gets into my living room to an extent where my living room smells like a pub and full of cigarette smoke, often strong enough for me to smell.

Has anybody any ideas on how I can keep her cigarette smoke out of my flat without causing offence, as I do get on with my neighbour and is in every other way the perfect neighbour - totally quiet, rspectful of privacy etc.

I really am unable to cope with fag smoke at the best of times (and tend to avoid going to pubs etc) and obviously don't need it in my living room 24/7 and I don't want to die from passive smoking and I don't particularly want to move but this is a major concern and something I need to sort becuase I can't live in my bedroom (which is closed off from the living room).

Any help appreciated.

Hom3r · 26-10-2005, 18:40

You could look at anti tobacco deo-derisers or some ionozers

Ramrod · 26-10-2005, 18:46

If you increase the air pressure inside your flat slightly you will tend to keep her smoke out. Try getting an air conditioning unit and see if that helps. Alternatively, point a slow fan at the door that the smoke is entering through......

Rillington · 26-10-2005, 22:13

would an air conditioning unit be cheap and would I put it inside the flat or on the communal landing?

Also, would an antitobacco deoderiser remove the smoke or just the smell? Air fresheners remove the smell but not the smoke?

Hom3r · 26-10-2005, 22:21

Quote:

would an air conditioning unit be cheap and would I put it inside the flat or on the communal landing?

Depends on the size of house/flat and type of unit.

Quote:

Also, would an antitobacco deoderiser remove the smoke or just the smell? Air fresheners remove the smell but not the smoke?

A deodouriser would get rid of the smell only. Ionizoers may help reduce the smoke (I'm not 100% on this thay help get rid of dust)

**Rob** · 26-10-2005, 22:26

An Aircon unit would prove quite expensive, and chilly during the winter. You wouldn't be able to put it on the communal landing. That space is not yours, and indeed some may argue an electric appliance there is a potential hazard of obstruction, possibly fire, etc on the means of escape route.

Look closely at the seals around the entrance door to your flat. Maybe fit draught excluders, all the way round, including across the floor. However full eradication may be difficult, depending on how the building was put together, there may be all sorts of hidden routes for the smoke to percolate.

Is there any way to improve ventialtion of the common landing - get the smoke smells out from there before they get to your flat.

The expensive solution is mechanical ventilation, pressurising your flat slightly. That means a fan or two pushing fresh air from outside the building direct into your flat.

Don't be tempted to block off too many vents to keep stuff out. If you don't allow air to be replaced you can end up with all sorts of condensation issues.

Chris W · 26-10-2005, 22:32

are you in rented accomodation?

if so is your front door a fire door? if it is then it should have smoke seals on- and these should help to keep the smoke out. If there is no smoke seal on a firedoor you can ask the landlord to replace the seal as it will fail a fire inspection.

Rillington · 27-10-2005, 01:21

Council flat Chris and both flat entrances are at top of shared stairs, hers one yard from mine. Through the door is the only way it can get in.

Rob, are you referring to rubber draft strips as has been sugegsted elsewhere? I am told you can get ones specifically for tobacco poison.

Graham · 27-10-2005, 01:34

Is there a window or vent on the stairs? Installing an extractor fan there might be a possibility.

daxx · 27-10-2005, 04:35

get a bathroom fan kit from a DIY store, vent to the outside and your living room and install the fan backwards, result fresh air in, positive pressure keeping smoke out and reasonably cheaply.

Kliro · 27-10-2005, 20:41

Think Chris W has it, rented accomodation has to pass fire inspections, phone the council and tell them that your door isnt properly protected because smoke comes through.

Chris W · 27-10-2005, 20:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rillington

Council flat Chris and both flat entrances are at top of shared stairs, hers one yard from mine. Through the door is the only way it can get in.

Rob, are you referring to rubber draft strips as has been sugegsted elsewhere? I am told you can get ones specifically for tobacco poison.

In order to pass a fire inspection, they must be the "brush" type strips, and be along the length of the side of the door. However, afaik there are no regulations about the bottom of the door so this may still cause you problems...

**Rob** · 27-10-2005, 21:11

There is no compulsion, as far as I know, if the style of entrance door is original to the flat, and complied with the regulations when it was built, to improve it. Thus if there were no cold smoke seals (the brush strips), or intumescent strips (these would swell up in a fire creating a seal), there is no requirement to retrofit.

Most older doors were not provided with seals, but had thicker door stops (the bit of wood in the frame that the door butts against when closed. Most door frames only have stops of around 12mm, but older fire door frames were up to 25mm (1") thick.

If however the door needs to be replaced, then it should meet the standards applicable at teh time of replacement. So a new door today would need brush seals and intumescent strips to achieve a full 30/30 fire resitance.

In fact the fire door on the entrance to a flat is not about keeping fire out of your property, from next door, but more to contain the problem within the flat that has the fire, so that the staircase (means of escape) can still be safely used.

As for the bottom of the door, as smoke and heat rise, generally there are no seals. A sensible standard however is the gap shouldn't exceed 3mm between finished floor (carpet or other covering) and door underside.

Ramrod · 27-10-2005, 22:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rillington

would an air conditioning unit be cheap and would I put it inside the flat or on the communal landing?

You should put it inside the first room in the path of her smoke, so that the air pressure in that room is slightly greater....unfortunately they are not cheap....

clarie · 27-10-2005, 23:06

I think you could ask her. Be extremely polite about it, but just ask if she could possibly smoke near an open window or something. I am sure she would be reasonable if she is, as you say, totally reasonable. She sounds nice and I am sure she could help to come up with a fair solution if you could compromise too.