Can I stop the weed smoke by insulating my interior wall?
Apparently a decent sane non smoker has no right when it gets to smoking. I am living in a 3 story townhouse that shares a common wall with my next door neighbor, an older retired couple who smoke weeds 24/7 with no regard to me having asthma issues. The smoke drifts from the living room wall when they sit on the other side and smoke. They have refused to open their windows to air out their space and refuse to smoke next to an open window. As a result, all the smokes drift to my side. It is disgusting, and it makes me literally throw up. I have left my condo and living with family now for months. But I can’t do that forever. The condo associations have ignored me and asked me to get a lawyer to communicate with them, the board of health has no authority over condo and no lawyer has accepted my case. I have heard, soon people would be allowed to smoke at works . Can’t get worse than that this. My question is would be is there a way to insulate my interior walls whether through the foams, brick, or any other material to stop the smoke coming to my side. I heard spray foam causing cancer and due to my ongoing health situation, if that the case, I don’t want to expose myself to such hazard, yet marijuana has its own harmful effect and want to avoid inhaling that. Just the fact that I am forced to smoke whenever my neighbor smoke, makes me really mad, frustrated and helpless. Please advise
GBA Detail Library
A collection of one thousand construction details organized by climate and house part
Replies
Insulation won't help in this case. You want to air seal.
What year was the structure built?
I would start with removing all the electrical outlet and switch covers on the wall you share with the neighbors and caulk between the box and the drywall. If you are at all handy, turn off the circuit, take the switch or outlet out of the box by pulling it back so you have access to the inside of the box, then also caulk all the holes in the back of the box. I significantly reduced the transmission on cigarette smoke from someone's neighboring condo sealing the electrical boxes.
Check you kitchen hood venting to figure out if you share a vent pipe with the neighbors.
One thing you can try to prevent the smoke from coming into your unit is to create positive pressure in your unit. That is more complicated, depending on your construction skills.
thanks
It was built in 1984, and I purchased it a few months ago.
Thanks for your reply, Is there also away to leak proof my vents, some of the vents are coming from that shared wall. However the central heat/AC venting are separate for each unit.
+1 on using a fan to positively pressurize your space.
Spray foam causing cancer sounds like a stretch to me. Be careful what you read about things like that, and never believe the “known to the state of California” warnings that are pretty much meaningless.
You need to air seal the shared wall. Use red silicone fire caulk (red silicone, not the intumescent stuff) on screw holes in the box. Don’t go crazy, just use enough to seal the holes. Use canned foam or caulk, depending on the size of the gap, around the boxes. See if that improves things. I suspect the stink might be able to permeate drywall as some things can. If that’s the case, you might be able to use a sealing primer like BIN to seal the wall, then paint over that primer. If that doesn’t work, you could put up polyethylene sheet and sandwich it between the original drywall and a second layer (which will also help to reduce sound transmission through the wall).
The next option is to slightly pressurize your home with a fan bringing in fresh air from somewhere away from the pot smoke. If everywhere brings in stink, you can try an activated carbon air filter which will probably help, but those have a life so you’ll be replacing them as they gradually lose effectiveness.
To paraphrase a reply to a similar type of problem that Martin once wrote (his reply was “move to Vermont” :-), move somewhere and when looking at listings, ignore any properties that list an HOA fee. Where I am, my nearest neighbor is about 700 feet away. Most are over half a mile. It makes for a nice retreat from the crazy world, where one can quietly contemplate building science issues without noise and smells from annoying neighbors :-)
Bill
Thanks Bill
Polyurethane spray foam has highly toxic blowing agents, which leak out rapidly as it's applied and then in a slow exponential decay curve. When you're applying large quantities in a confined space, this can cause acute lung injury from just one application.
Best practice is to use exterior air supply and a positive pressure hood during any large application, and keep anybody without that ventilation out of the home for a while to give the foam time to offgas. You'll probably be fine applying a few ounces to an outlet or a crack, just from dilution of the air in your home, but foaming a wall is an entirely different matter.
https://www.spraypolyurethane.org/personal-protective-equipment-ppe/
+2 on positive air pressure. The air sealing gambit is more difficult and time intensive.
Get a window fan and have it blow inward to your unit. If the weather won't cooperate when they're smoking, fight fire with fire. Play the tuba. Or ring their doorbell and run. Repeat ad nauseum.
Best of luck.
lol
Confused. You live in a 3 story townhome yet you've stated that you "left your apartment to live with family". IF you're a tenant this is an issue between your landlord and the property owner of the neighboring unit. Notify your landlord and if he/she won't do anything then find another apartment.
Your neighbors are violating your property rights by allowing their pollution (smoke) to migrate into your home. Technically they should air seal their side of the unit because it is their pollution.
If you really want to stop it call the DEA because although it may be legal on the state level it's still not legal federally. Just tell the DEA that they're smoking up a storm and you feel that there's an uptick in foot traffic in/out of the unit. ;)
Of course there's always small-claims court. That'll get their attention.
weed smoking is legal in my state and the law says they need to do it inside their home. That is why I mentioned as a non smoker I have no right.
It could be worse, they could be bad cooks too.....but pressurizing is the answer as others have suggested, unfortunately it will suck in hot weather, if you have to draw in hot air. If you have a lower level or basement level put the fan down there and close the rest of the windows, other than one or two on the upper floors, to force cooler air up and into your house.
the smell of food is not HARMFUL, marijuan is. I dont want to inhale the marijuana and trying to stop getting that into my place.
I'm finding it very odd that smoke is making its way through the wall and not flanking around through windows or vents. Multi-family buildings have pretty strict requirements for sound attenuation on any common wall -- at least STC 50. Getting to STC 50 requires very good air sealing, which would absolutely stop smoke.
Maybe it's because the townhome is old enough to predate any standard?
Believe it. 15 year old condo and it’s coming in from the pressure caused by the wind at the neighbors.
John Clark said, "If you really want to stop it call the DEA because although it may be legal on the state level it's still not legal federally. Just tell the DEA that they're smoking up a storm and you feel that there's an uptick in foot traffic in/out of the unit. ;)"
So you are suggesting committing a federal crime, (lying to a federal agent) and potentially perjury (if it goes to court) to stop a neighbor from engaging in a perfectly legal activity.
There's nothing perfect legal on the Federal Level.
I'm suggesting that perhaps the OP was unaware that foot traffic has increased in/out of the neighbors unit and if so then they could notify the authorities. In any case the the OP is well within her rights to just tell the DEA that her neighbors are chronic pots heads and they're making her life miserable because they're too goddamn entitled to fix THEIR problem.
There's nothing legal about letting ones pollution travel through a common wall into a neighbors unit. Smoke of any kind is a pollutant. Full stop. I have neighbors that are pot heads and we've had the close the bedroom windows during the spring because they were smoking outside. Annoying for sure but it's not coming through my common wall so it's only a nuisance rather than a problem.
John Clark wrote: "There's nothing legal about letting ones pollution travel through a common wall into a neighbors unit."
John, the legality probably depends upon your state. I know of a claim in a HOA controlled property, where those who were negatively affected by neighboring units cigarette smoke could not find any attorney to take the case, as they all said there was nothing illegal about it. It apparently does not rise to the level of violating your right to "quiet enjoyment" of your own unit.
Beyond legality, some HOA's might have rules (not laws) against smoking, but many are quite reluctant to either take any enforcement actions or if they dont have rules, to make any rules associated with transferred smoke or smells. It leaves those who don't enjoy the smoke with no option other than to do their own remedial air sealing and/or move. Many multifamilies were built years before any STC or air sealing requirements, so the good news is you can often make a HUGE improvement with some relatively minor effort.
True there are legal nuances which must be addressed. IMO the OP, if he/she is the owner of the property, could make an argument in small-claims court and see what happens. Depending on his/her state an award could reach up to $15k. That would go a long way towards paying for mitigation.
Might be cheaper/easier to subsidize edible forms.
I have the same issue. I own a condo in a 4 unit building. I have one shared 20 ft wall and the neighbor smokes from 5am to midnight with his rear windows open in the dead of winter. All the smoke comes through the floorboards and sockets. You can even see the stain on the carpets. So glad I bought this place 3 weeks ago. 😐
Maintaining a slight positive pressure in your home, and bringing the intake air in through an activated carbon filter located as far as possible away from your neighbor's home, should make a big improvement in your indoor air quality in this regard. The positive pressure will make everything leak OUT instead of IN, so the only place stuff could get in would be the fan used for pressurizing your house, and the activated carbon filter will catch smoke particulates before they get into your home. Keep in mind that the filter will need periodic replacement.
Bill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWZgc6vJ_9Q
Plus:
https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/realistic/mach-one.shtml
Just sayin............
I'm not sure there's any way to effectively get rid of smoke, although improving the ventilation system might help. The ideal option would be to change the behavior of your neighbors. A more advanced and healthy option now is to use the safe substances in cannabis instead of smoking marijuana. For example, HHC or Delta 9, you can check on https://www.wildorchardhemp.com/product-category/hhc/ . The natural components of cannabis are legal and help with pain and anxiety. Such substances are often available in the form of marmalades or vapes. But the vapor from vapes is many times safer than the smoke from smoking cannabis, and you could hardly feel it. Good luck dealing with this problem.
I agree with the above comment.
The easiest solution, in my opinion, would be to knock on their door, and talk to them neighbor to neighbor. Let them know the harm that the smoke is causing you, and ask that they switch to a vaporizer. Some vaporizers can use the same flower material that usually gets burned.
One would hope that a good neighbor would, once they are made aware of how they could be a better neighbor, would do so.
If you wanted, you could give them a vaporizer, probably for a similar cost (materials wise) for a positive pressure system in your house. Such a gesture would likely be well received, and go a long way towards fostering a positive relationship.
I haven't smoked weed for a long time. I'm hooked on CBD products. CBD relieves chronic pain by affecting the endocannabinoid system, controlling pain and inflammatory processes. Most diseases are accompanied by pain and inflammation, and CBD stimulates the exact receptors that counteract these symptoms. Because of this, CBD is so incredibly effective in treating many different diseases. It also has a preventive effect on many health disorders. First, it is a natural treatment option for various diseases that do not cause any side effects. For this reason, CBD https://www.tillmanstranquils.com/product-category/cbd-gummies/ is superior to many medications.
I wonder if the bot that generated the above ad will engage with me in conversation
Insulating your interior walls may be an option, but it's important to do your research and find a reputable contractor who can advise you on the best materials to use. As you mentioned, some materials can have potential health risks, so it's important to be cautious and make informed decisions. In terms of purchasing products to help manage your own health issues, I would recommend checking out Dispensary Edmonton ALBERTA https://www.numocannabis.com/ , a licensed dispensary with knowledgeable staff who can help guide you towards products that may be helpful for your asthma symptoms.
Hey, that's a rough spot to be in! For insulation, consider mass loaded vinyl or acoustical caulk to help block the smoke. Maybe also try an air purifier for extra protection. Good luck!
Hey there, I totally get your frustration with the smoke and your health issues. It sounds like a really tough situation. In order to block the smoke, you might consider adding insulation or a soundproof barrier to your shared wall. Some people have success with materials like mass loaded vinyl or even sealing gaps with acoustical caulk. As for your health concerns, maybe look into using an air purifier to help filter out the smoke particles. I know that's not a perfect solution, but it could help to make the air more breathable. Also, while it's not exactly related, I've heard some folks using the best hemp for sleep to help with their rest at night. I hope this helps and your situation improves soon!
While insulating your interior wall might help mitigate some of the smoke, it's crucial to address the underlying issue with your neighbors directly. Have you tried having a calm conversation with them about your concerns and how their smoking impacts you? In the meantime, it's understandable that you're seeking relief from the situation. If you're looking for alternative ways to relax without the smoke, you might want to explore https://www.trythecbd.com/products/hhc-gummies/. They offer a variety of CBD products, such as HHC gummies, which could provide a calming experience without the irritation of smoke.
I think it's easier to find a new place than try to pull what you're offering.
You could try sealing any gaps where air might be sneaking through, like outlets or vents, using fire caulk or foam if you're okay with it. Also, some folks swear by creating positive pressure with a fan pulling in fresh air to keep the smoke out. Not a perfect fix, but it might help a bit. If you’re trying to avoid smoke altogether but still want some benefits, legal thc gummies might be an option to look into instead of dealing with the secondhand stuff.
Your solution is non technical.
Just saying.
Good luck
To help reduce the smoke coming through the shared wall, insulation might help, but it's important to choose the right materials for both health and effectiveness. While spray foam insulation can be a good barrier, it’s understandable to be cautious given its potential risks. Instead, you might consider alternatives like mineral wool or fiberglass batt insulation, which are non-toxic and offer good soundproofing and fire-resistant properties. Additionally, sealing any gaps in the wall with caulk or weatherstripping can further minimize smoke transfer. If the smoke continues to be an issue, you may also want to explore air purifiers or devices that can improve air quality in your space. In the meantime, consider checking out options like the Voopoo Vmate Max Pod System Kit for a healthier alternative to smoking. It can be found at this link: https://thevapetown.com/product/voopoo-vmate-max-pod-system-kit-1200-mah/