How to Paint or Wallpaper Nicotine Stained Walls

Besides being unhealthy, nicotine also causes damage to the home of a smoker. It gets into the furniture, the carpet, the curtains, and the walls. A home of a smoker will eventually show unsightly yellow stains of various sizes on the walls, nicotine stains. Such stains are difficult to remove, especially from the walls and ceiling. Even, if the smoking in the house stopped and new stains are unlikely, a regular paint job or new layer of wallpaper will simply not do the trick to cover the old stains. Nicotine is water-soluble, and without special treatment it will quickly "bleed" through the new coat of paint or layer of wallpaper.

To tackle this special remodeling job, you should first closely inspect the walls. Any layer of old wallpaper should be removed. This way the nicotine concentration in the walls will be reduced. Thoroughly clean the walls to further remove the nicotine from the walls and lower the concentration especially around those visible spots.

Next fix holes, dents, and scratches in the walls as you usually would during a regular remodeling job. Make sure the wall is smooth and dry before you start to prep the walls for painting or wallpapering.

If you desire to paint the walls in the home, avoid water-based primers and paints. Even if they these paints and/or primers are stain-blocking, you have to remember that nicotine is water-soluble. Water-based paints and primers will simply rewet the stain and allow the nicotine to "bleed" through the new layers of paint and primer. The stain will reappear, defeating the purpose of applying a new coat of paint to the wall. Furthermore, if there will still be smokers in the home, new nicotine stains and overall yellowing of the wall will more easily occur with water-based paints and primers.

Therefore, invest in oil-based paints and primers to best cover the stains and avoid "bleeding." If the smoking habits inside the home will continue, a special nicotine stain-blocking primer should be selected along with good quality interior paint. Please be aware that any stain-blocking function will be limited, especially in cases of heavy smoking. Furthermore, the paint should be washable. While a good primer and paint selection will act as a deterrent for the formation of nicotine stains and overall yellowing of the walls, their functions are limited. Eventually, new stains might occur after all especially in areas of heavy smoking. Therefore, you should also opt for washable paint. This will allow you to simply wash off any new stains and delay the need for a new coat of paint on the walls. Such a cleaning will have to be done on a regular basis especially in heavy smoking areas of the home.

Prime and paint the walls as normal. However, you should apply at least two, probably three layers of paint to make sure the stain(s) are thoroughly covered. Make sure that you follow the instructions on the primer and paint cans. Also ensure, that the wall is completely dry before applying a coat of primer or paint.

If you desire to use wallpaper, you first have to apply an oil-based primer/sealer to seal in the nicotine stains on the wall. Otherwise you will experience the "bleeding" of the old stain through your new wallpaper. Apply more than one coat to make sure the stains are properly sealed in. Here, too, especially if there will still be smokers smoking inside the house, you should select a primer/sealer and wallpaper with a stain-blocking function. Opting for washable wallpaper, just as with washable paint, will allow you to wash off new stains and delay the need to re-wallpaper the walls.