Field Case 005 · Cigarette-smoke odor remediation
Cigarette-smoke odor removal before a property sale.
This completed residential project involved persistent cigarette-smoke odor in a home being prepared for sale. SDM used source-focused removal and treatment rather than relying on fragrance or a single air-treatment step. The customer reported complete cigarette-odor removal before the property was marketed.
Documented scope
Source removal came first.
Contaminated carpet and pad: removed where they functioned as odor reservoirs.
Underlying slab: directly treated after the floor covering was removed.
Supplemental treatment: ozone treatment and HEPA air scrubbing were used as part of the overall process.
What this case establishes
It documents SDM's source-first approach to a cigarette-smoke condition before sale and a customer-reported successful odor outcome.
What it does not establish
One project does not create a universal treatment recipe. Materials, residue load, HVAC involvement, access and prior work can change the appropriate scope.
1. Remove reservoirs
Highly odor-retentive carpet and pad were removed instead of being treated in place.
2. Treat exposed materials
The exposed slab was treated directly after removal of the overlying materials.
3. Supplemental air treatment
Ozone treatment and HEPA air scrubbing were used after the source-focused work as supplemental steps.
Outcome
Customer-reported complete cigarette-odor removal before sale.
The final outcome is presented as a customer-reported result. SDM does not treat that single outcome as a guarantee that every cigarette-smoke project will require the same scope or produce the same result.