Imagine the following situation: you live in a condo or apartment and are sometimes invaded by a strong smell of tobacco. You have some work done to put an end to this situation, which, to your great misfortune, soon reoccurs. An unpleasant situation, isn’t it? Well, that’s exactly what one of our customers had to deal with. Read our article or view our short video as we tell you about our customers’ unpleasant experiences and how our experts came to their aid.

Mandated by the condo association to assess the performance of corrective work carried out to control the spread of tobacco smoke odours between two units, our experts went on site with the following mandate: to assess the airtightness of the common wall, the effectiveness of the work carried out, to identify other openings and to propose sustainable and realistic solutions.

As soon as they arrive, our experts use a blower door and a smoke detector to determine the effectiveness of the work carried out so far in the first dwelling, let’s call it dwelling A. Using a smoke detector makes it easier to follow the movement of air between dwellings. The experts install the smoke generator in the bathroom of the neighbouring dwelling, let’s call it apartment B. Then, using the blower door in operation in apartment A, they lower the pressure. This low pressure then has the effect of drawing the air, and with it the smoke, from apartment B into apartment A through all the openings – if there are any, of course!

The results are conclusive: the work is well done.

Unfortunately, our blower door test reveals something else: there are sections of wall where no repairs have been made, and which allow air to pass between apartment A and its neighbor. This is easy to see, as smoke accumulates at the top of a cupboard in apartment A, around sprinkler ducts and electrical wires, and at the junction of gypsum boards.

To leave nothing to chance, our experts also analyze the pressure in the units. Unit B is pressurized by about 2 Pa compared to unit A. This pressurization means that odours from unit B are pushed through the aforementioned openings and into unit A.

In the light of their observations, our experts conclude that the work carried out is adequate and effective, but that it does not cover the entire party wall.  To prevent the transmission of odours between apartments, it is therefore recommended that the sealing work begun in apartment A be continued. What’s more, since the presence of positive pressure in unit B allows smoke to pass into unit A, our experts recommend adjusting the pressure between the two units using mechanical ventilation.

So whether you live in an apartment or a condo, if you or someone you know is experiencing a similar odor problem, there are solutions. Don’t hesitate to call on our building experts to solve your problem once and for all!