We've been living in our house for three years, and it still has a lingering smoke smell from when we bought it. Recently, we discovered a small leak that left some of our carpet wet for a few days, which is making my wife worry about mold. We're definitely replacing the carpet in that room, but the whole house could use new carpet and a fresh coat of primer/paint due to the smoke history. Since we can only afford to do one of these fixes for now, what do you think we should tackle first: the new carpets or the paint/primer?
3 Answers
I’d recommend doing the carpets first. While you’re at it, make sure to paint the subfloor with a product like Kilz or Zinsser BIN before laying down the new carpet. And don’t forget to wash your walls with a mixture of warm water, dish soap, and baking soda to help cut down on the smell—you may want to consider running an ozone machine for added effect.
Have you given running an ozone machine a shot? If you haven’t, it might be worth borrowing one or checking local listings. Just make sure to ventilate the house afterward. It could help you manage the smell until you're ready to paint or replace flooring.
If you're planning to paint yourself, that could save you some money! Just moving stuff to the center and covering everything with a huge plastic sheet works wonders. Paint often goes on sale too, which helps with costs. If you’re looking at flooring options and don’t need subfloor work, have you thought about doing it yourself? Some nice LVP options are pretty affordable! Just remember, many people say carpeting is best left to the pros.