Like with anything, there is always a “best way” to do something, and in this case, there is a “best way” to perform an ozone shock treatment to get rid of second-hand smoke odors. I’ll explain how.
First, smoke jobs take considerably more ozone than everyday odors, and heat and humidity both cut ozone output, so the space should be kept cool and dry. The exact dosing for your square footage, plus the humidity and temperature targets, are worked out for your machine and your space on the safety consultation included with every Forever Ozone machine (after you order, call or text 501-654-4330, 9 AM–5 PM Central, Monday–Friday).
Next, the actual protocol to get the job of removing second-hand smoke damage done right, per years of experience in the remediation industry. First, don’t even think of painting over smoke damage. It will still seep through. What about the carpets? Carpets are nasty, especially if someone smoked or had pets. Tile is easier to clean, or hardwood floors, so get rid of the carpets, especially in a rental.
The first step is to run the initial ozone shock treatment in the empty space. Run times and cool-down periods matter for both results and machine life, and we set them for your machine during your consultation. After that initial shock treatment, wipe down all surfaces and walls with a degreaser to get rid of the tar and nicotine from the smoke damage. You know, that dull yellow haze that films the walls and cabinets? Ozone will get rid of the odor but not that funky stuff. That needs to be removed with a towel dipped in dishwashing soap, tied to the end of a mop stick, and continuously being changed or cleaned. That’s the hardest part of the job by the way.
The next step is a series of follow-up shock treatments. Smoke residue that has soaked deep into walls and materials needs to be drawn out to the surface so ozone can break it down, and the timing and temperature cycling that make that happen are worked out for each customer on the included safety consultation (after you order, call or text 501-654-4330, 9 AM–5 PM Central, Monday–Friday). There are over 1000 chemicals in second-hand smoke. Most cause cancer and respiratory issues. If you live in a house that was smoked in, my guess is you’re getting yearly respiratory illnesses like bronchitis and your kids may develop asthma, even if nobody is currently smoking in your home. The damage that was done will continue to cause illness for many, many years until someone remediates the smoke damage.
The Step Most People Skip
The last step is clearing the treated air and lingering residue out of the home after each shock treatment. Professional remediation contractors use a specific technique for this, and skipping it or doing it wrong is why many smoke jobs fail. I walk you through it on the safety consultation that’s included with every Forever Ozone machine, a value-added reason to buy from us. After you order, call or text 501-654-4330, 9 AM–5 PM Central, Monday–Friday, or use our contact page to book it. Always air the space out completely before anyone goes back in.
Now, if after you do that, you want to paint it? Knock yourself out. At least now that new paint won’t wreak of second-hand smoke when temperatures start to warm up!
This is, I guarantee, the only way to reverse second-hand smoke damage from a structure. You can try to paint over smoke damage, but the smoke damage will leach into the paint, even Killz paint, and all of those cancer-causing chemicals will still make you or your future tenants sick! They will leach through and harm the future occupants, guaranteed, and you (the owner) may find yourself legally liable if they suffer permanent lung damage, and guess what? They will. That’s what second-hand smoke damage does, harm people. By now, everyone should know that.
If your lungs were harmed by moving into a place that previously suffered second-hand smoke damage or has/had mold damage, you may want to consult with a lawyer and your insurance company to make yourself whole and to fix the problem right. Why do you think Insurance companies are happy to pay ServePro (they have a contract with insurance companies) thousands of dollars to run ozone generators in structures with second-hand smoke damage? Because they know the financial liability that looms if they don’t. They’re in the business of risk management, and liability mitigation. They know that harming a kid’s lungs for life can cost them hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, and they know that there are case precedents to support that type of action. Negligence is no excuse. Second-hand smoke is known, and medically established that it causes serious harm to the lungs, especially the lungs of little ones or older folks, and it can create life long asthma and even lung cancer. How much is that worth? I don’t know. Millions perhaps if that were my kid.
Sadly, the HVAC industry spends a lot of time poo-pooing ozone shock treatments instead of ineffective HEPA filters or carbon filters that do NOTHING to remove chemicals from walls, cabinets, floors and the roof. Yes, ozone gas is not for breathing. Yes, you need to flush the area with fresh air afterward. And yes, ozone is the only way to permanently remediate second-hand smoke damage from a home. Period.
P.S. Lawyers also love to sue ozone generator companies as well because ozone gas, when inhaled, can cause lung damage. For this reason, you must place a sign on the front door that says “Warning, Ozone Shock Treatment in Progress. Stay Out” so that if a burglar breaks in and harms their lungs with ozone, they can’t sue you. Most often, it will be a Real Estate agent and his clients, from past cases where a warning sign was not placed. We don’t get sued because our machines are not air purifiers, they are only to be used in unoccupied spaces for ozone shock treatments, never for breathing or as air purifiers. That means they use common sense precautions and use our equipment as directed, that includes using them with fans, not placing them near curtains, on the carpet, etc. (per our instructions.) We live in a litigious society, so one has to be careful to protect themselves.