Just moved to a new apartment and we discovered, to our dismay, that one or both of the people living just downstairs smoke like fucking chimneys, just about any time of day or night. The inside doors had enough gaps (we’re talking an inch underneath) that I busily set about putting in foam weatherstripping/draft stoppers, etc., and that took care of most all of it.
However, I noticed a mild scent of it in the kitchen. When I opened the under-sink cabinet, I smelled it strongly, and it does seem to be strong when they’re home and not much of anything when they’re not, so it does seem to be due to active smoking and not something old. Yes, they are smoking enough that the smell is coming up around the gaps between the water pipes and the cabinet. :smack: We’re talking maybe a half-inch (give or take) circle around the pipes, in holes cut in the floor of the cabinet.
I’d really like to make it easier on a plumber should something have to be serviced, so nothing like “pump a couple cans of expanding foam insulation in there,” please. Any suggestions for something to pack in the gap, before I just go get a big-ass sheet of foam padding from a craft store/hardware store/wherever and cut chunks to fit? If foam padding is the way, any suggestions for something that’s pliable enough to fit snugly into a potentially irregular shape, while still ‘solid’ enough to block airflow?
(Downstairs neighbors are extremely nice, not to mention fairly quiet barring an occasional late-night TV-watching session, so that’s a good saving grace.)
Thanks! I looked it up, and one description says it’s “re-enterable/repairable” - pardon my ignorance, but does that mean it can be easily dealt with by a plumber who might have to remove pipes should something go wrong with the plumbing?
Something else to consider is putting positive pressure in your apartment. Get a window fan that pumps air in all the time. This could force the fumes back into your neighbors place. Of course pumping in outside air would probably raise your heating and cooling bills.
actually, the expanding foam is probably your best answer.
It won’t bother plumbers – minor repairs would be done to the pipes & traps that are accessible inside the cabinet, and the foam in the opening wouldn’t bother that. A major repair would involve going into the wall to get at the pipes, tearing off the wallboard, etc., so the foam around the opening would be a very minor part of the mess.
And the expasnding foam is probably the best, most airtight (smoke-tight) seal that you can get.
This is what I was thinking. Definitely no need to “pump in a couple cans” but just enough to seal up the hole. If for some reason the plumber did need to remove it, it cuts pretty easy.
If you don’t want to use spray in foam gap filler just go to your local Home Depot or whatever the hardware store equivalent is in your area, and buy some water pipe insulation.
It is made out of plastic foam and is made to wrap around pipes to keep them from freezing, a hollow tube of foam with a split down the side that makes it easy to fit around a pipe. It comes in about 5 foot lengths so just cut off what you need, wrap it around the pipe and push it into the gap. Maybe have to use some tape, but it will be easy to remove it you want to. And it is cheap. Spray in foam can be a pain to work with, messy, sticky, flammable.
I would get some stiff hard board, cut a hole the size of the pipe, then cut in half (to fit around pipe).
Glue in position, use sealant to fill the gap.