A Smoking Solution

90% Reduction in the Odor Using Hardcast RC-300™ for Smoke Damaged Condominium

Contractor: GC Industrial Services

Project Type: Smoke Damaged Condominium Unit

Products Used:  RC-300 Multi-Purpose Coating

One of the biggest difficulties in preparing a condo for resale is cleaning the lingering odors. Smoke damage is especially difficult due to the discoloration and absorption into walls and woodwork. Those odors may often stay present for months after the previous owners have left.

GC Industrial Services, a specialized cleaning contractor with exper­tise in HVAC cleaning, water/fire damage and mold remediating, was contracted to clean a heavily smoke damaged unit. Built in the 1970s, The condo was a two-story, 1200 square foot condo with attached units beside and below.  Intense cigarette odors and visible signs of nicotine damage throughout the condo demanded attention. Robert Rizen, the VP of GC Industrial Services, said, “After inspecting, I knew we would have to treat this like a fire damage cleanup project.  Our plan was to clean, smoke seal (paint with a stain/odor blocking primer) and, possibly, ozone the property.”

GC first removed and disposed of all textile items – curtains, blinds, and shades. They washed the entire unit to clean the nicotine stains.  A heavy smoke smell remained after this step was completed, so Hardcast RC-300 coating was used as an odor barrier primer. The product was brushed and roller-applied to all walls, ceilings, trim, doors, and kitchen cabinets. Two days after priming was completed, Rizen stated, “There was about a 90% reduction in the smell. I’ve used every kind of primer for odor blocking and this one works.”

After priming with Hardcast RC-300, a matte latex paint topcoat was applied and the carpets, air ducts, furnace, and air conditioning coils were cleaned. Finally, a three-day ozone treatment was completed to remove any latent odors. The project was completed in February and months later, even in the high heat and humidity of the summer season, there are no offending odors present in the condo.

“Hardcast RC-300 has been in my duct cleaning/coating toolbox and will now be part of our structure deodorization protocol.” — Robert Rizen VP of GC Industrial Services