So sorry this happened to you! I too am very sensitive to smoke - it’s gross and really unlivable… hope you find a good solution that doesn’t cost you and arm and a leg!

Thanks @mdln I've looked into it and so many people say that it's temporary. And I guess you can't run it with pets or people in the house because it's dangerous.

Did you paint the ceilings too when you painted the walls? We had this issue in a house, and scraping and painting the ceilings seemed to help. My daughter’s apartment complex uses an ozone generator to rid apartments of smoke smell. It seemed to work, but she did have to leave the apartment for 24 hours while they were doing it.
So sorry you are dealing with this!!

It was used by the restoration company, after my house fire.

Was it effective?

We just bought a home where there was a kitchen fire two years ago. On two inspections, we detected no odour--while wearing Covid masks.

@mgkmelaine Yes we painted everything. I think we would have had better results if we were able to clean beforehand, but they painted everything. We spoke to a fire/water restoration guy and he said we're pretty much screwed if it wasn't thoroughly cleaned before it was painted.

Your lower level sounds like it needs a dehumidifier. If it has as much humidity as you have indicated, then you may need more than one. All the painting on those walls etc, doubtful, there is any smoke smell coming from those areas. Do you have carpeting? If so, that can hold odors.

Could it be that it's not just the previous smoker that's the problem? Maybe having multiple paint jobs and high humidity issues in the house could also be causing problems, or maybe compounding the original issue?

Out of curiousity since smoking seems be be a big issue.... did you ask the sellers or your relator if it was a smoking house before you bought it? Smoking isn't a required disclosure thing, so buyers have to ask like they would if they had pet/animal sensitivities.

It is entirely possible, that the high humidity level is contributing to your asthma. Try those dehumidifiers and see if it makes any difference. Asthma behaves better in a dry environment.

I have asthma, definitely worse on humid days, also chemicals bother me too.

My mom had a bad reaction to the adhesives or chemicals in our family room years ago.

People definitely have various reactions. Maybe see if any smoke odors are lingering in the attic insulation.

We bought a house under similar conditions, not disclosed they smoked in the house (though my understanding is they aren't required to tell you this) and they had just painted, re carpeted a couple of areas. I noticed when we did the inspection that the house had an odor, but since we were planning on gutting it we decided to purchase anyway. That was in 2018. Until we did the full gut we BINs every surface after scrubbing, including doors, cabs, ect. Honestly we finished renovations last month and it was not until EVERY original porous surface, ie. all drywall, flooring, doors, windows, kitchen cabinets were gutted and replaced that the smell was truly gone. The dumpster reeked. I would say if you're planning on staying at min all drywall and flooring probably needs to be replaced. For us it was a lesson in diligence and while it's crappy that to our understanding this does not need to be disclosed, we'll look into this further if we buy another house. I can't say I'd ever want to deal with it again but it worked out for us. Best of luck

Thanks @Lindac92

Yes, other family members smell it too. In fact, we just replaced the ducts and the workers accidently broke into the plaster on the opposite room. We took a sniff and it smelled as if someone had blown cigarette smoke directly into our faces.

When smoking was allowed in restaurants, I was a kid, so there wasn't much we could do about it. My dad used to smoke, but I didn't realize I was sensitive until my early 20s. But if I start to reflect, I was sick a lot as a kid. Makes sense.

@cat_ky Totally. We just bought a second dehumidifier for the basement. The first one would fill up every 6 hours or so. I came to the house this morning and it seems to have made a difference. Now I just have to add a hose so it empties continuously.

@beesneeds No, that's probably our biggest regret. 😩 Our previous homes didn't have that issue, so we didn't think to ask. Trust me, we've learned our lesson.

@Doodle D I'm hopeful! They just put new floors in the main living area and kitchen. They're gorgeous, so I hate to pull them out, but I'm sure they did not replace the old sub floor. I'm going to try to refinish them and see if there's some kind of sealer. 🤞

Make sure you change all of the light bulbs.
Take off electrical outlet plates and clean around sockets....turn off electricity first.
New A/c filters...clean all slats in return air vents.

Good luck

Ozone removes odors by changing the molecule structure that create the smell. An extra oxygen atom attaches to the molecules, changing the chemical composition, to create a non-odorous molecule, a process called oxidation. With 3 oxygen atoms in the molecule (rather than the 2 oxygen atoms in air we breathe), ozone is unstable, so the extra oxygen atom detaches and grabs onto other molecules. If the molecules have odors, they change to odor free.

If I missed this question, sorry, but who bamboozled you? Found this article and it sure sounds as if economic and punitive damages are described in your post.

My sympathy...disgusting odor...although dead mice in the walls might compete. We had to take our house down to the studs, have it professionally cleaned...cost $20,000.00. That cost did not include all new insulation, wiring, sheet rock and paint. We didn't pursue it legally, as it was an estate sale, owners passed and it was in the dead of winter when we saw it and there was no heat on, I am positive the broker did not know of the problem.

We had 5 of these lovely gentlemen in the house for 3 days (after my contractor had ripped out the walls).

What If a Real Estate Professional Fails to Fully Disclose Material Information?

If a real estate agent or broker fails to make required full disclosures, either the buyer or seller may have grounds for a lawsuit to recover damages. This may include the following:

• Economic Damages: which could include lost profits or money for repairs;
• Non-Economic Damages: like pain an suffering resulting from the breach of fiduciary duty; and/or
• Punitive Damages: which may only be available for very serious non-disclosures. These damages are meant to punish very egregious behavior, like the failure to disclose a known defect that ended up severely affecting a buyer’s health.

In case of the failure to fully disclose, it is highly important to get all aspects of a sale in writing. Keep all documents and records regarding dealings with the real estate professionals involved in the sale. Some important documents are home disclosure forms and conversations regarding offers.

Judianna, no one is required to disclose if former owners were smokers.

We had a cleaning service use an ozone machine in our house after a fire. A week after the fire the smell was unbearable. It worked perfectly. You must remove pets, aquariums and house plants before treatment as it turns H2O into H3O. Hydrogen peroxide.