When you buy a house, you get everything that comes with it. On the upside, that includes those desirable features that caused you to make the purchase. Unfortunately, that also includes the idiosyncrasies like squeaky stairs, scuffed baseboards, and distinctive smells. If the previous owner of your home smoked, kept pets, or cooked with strong flavors, it may be the smells that you regret most. That is why many New Jersey homeowners ask if new paint can cover smoke or cooking smells.
Obviously, painting is not going to remove the smell from carpets, curtains, or the air ducts in the home, but it is an important part of the solution. Done right, painting can encapsulate those unwanted smells behind your new coating, improving the air quality in your home.
How to Paint to Cover Smoke and Cooking Smells
To eliminate a strong smell, it is important to begin with a high-quality primer. Use a stain-blocking primer, since that will create an impenetrable layer to seal out those undesirable odors. Be aware that it may take more than one coat of primer. In extreme cases, you may need to use an oil-based primer. While this will create an odor of its own, the “new paint smell” will soon fade, and that smoke or cooking smell will be permanently blocked out.
Once the primer has been properly applied and allowed to dry, you can go ahead and paint your walls with whatever type of standard interior paint you want to use. It is the primer that blocks the smells, while the interior paint provides the color and sheen you desire.
Remember that all painted surfaces can have those odors impregnated into them, including ceilings, baseboards, and painted cabinets. It takes thorough painting to get rid of a smell thoroughly.
Professional New Jersey House Painter
Does your New Jersey home need new paint to get rid of old smells? Cherry Hill Painting is here to help! Our expert painters know exactly the products that will work best in your home, and they apply them skillfully and efficiently. You can trust Cherry Hill Painting to adhere to industry best practices and excellent customer service.
Cherry Hill Painting serves New Jersey and the greater Philadelphia region, offering interior painting, exterior painting, cabinet refinishing, pressure washing, and much more. Contact us today with your house painting questions, or to schedule a free painting estimate for your home.