Cover nicotine or smoke stains — HomeGraft

Wash down, seal with a stain-blocking primer, then repaint so nicotine and smoke stains stop bleeding through.

NS-01Protect the room and yourselfOpen windows for airflow and move furniture clear of the walls. Lay dust sheets over the floor and skirting, and wear gloves and a dust mask — old nicotine film and any flaking paint you disturb aren't pleasant to breathe in or handle.

2 each · Dust sheets

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1 roll · Masking tape

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1 pack · Disposable nitrile gloves

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2 each · Disposable dust mask

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NS-02Wash the stained surface with sugar soapMix sugar soap with warm water and wipe the whole stained area to lift tar and nicotine residue before you paint over it. If it's a lath and plaster ceiling, press gently rather than scrubbing hard — old lath and plaster can crack or work loose from the laths if you flex it.

500 g · Sugar soap

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1 each · Bucket

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2 each · Sponge or cloth

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NS-03Rinse and let it dry fullyWipe over with clean water to remove any sugar soap residue, then leave the wall or ceiling to dry completely before doing anything else. This usually takes a few hours, longer in a cold or damp room — don't rush it, as primer over a damp surface won't seal properly.

1 bucket · Clean water

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NS-04Fill any cracks or marks the wash uncoveredFill small cracks or holes with filler, let it go off, then sand it flush and dust off. Sand lightly over the whole stained area too, so the new primer has something to key into.

1 each · Ready-mixed filler (small tub)

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1 each · Filling knife

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1 pack · Fine sandpaper

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NS-05Apply a stain-blocking primerThis is the step that actually stops the stain — ordinary emulsion will not block nicotine or tar, it just soaks through it. Use a proper stain-blocking primer: a shellac-based knotting-type primer works fastest but smells strong and needs good ventilation and white spirit or methylated spirit to clean brushes; a water-based stain-block primer smells less and washes out in water, but may need two coats on heavily stained areas. On bare or very absorbent plaster, expect to need two coats either way.

1 tin · Stain-blocking primer, 1L

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1 each · Paintbrush, 50mm

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1 each · Small roller and tray

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NS-06Check for bleed-through and recoat if neededOnce the primer is dry, look closely at the surface in daylight for any yellow or brown patches still showing through. Spot-prime those areas again — don't skip this, because nicotine that isn't fully sealed will bleed straight through your new topcoat within days.

NS-07Cut in and paint your topcoatCut in around edges, corners and fittings with a brush, then roll the main area with emulsion. Apply two full coats, letting each one dry fully before the next — check the tin for drying time.

1 tin · Emulsion paint, 2.5L

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1 each · Roller sleeve

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NS-08Clean up and dispose of materials safelyClean water-based brushes and rollers in water; clean shellac-based primer tools with methylated spirit or the cleaner stated on the tin. Lay any solvent-soaked rags or roller sleeves out flat outdoors to dry before binning them — bundling them up damp is a genuine fire risk. Remove dust sheets and keep windows open until any solvent smell has cleared.

500 ml · White spirit or methylated spirit

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