Question Regarding Cigar Lounge Construction

I am very slowly working on finishing my basement and turning it into a cigar lounge/hangout. Trouble is, when I smoke down there, the smell tends to come up into like half the house. I will eventually be getting a smoke eater or ionizer or something, but what else can I do to prevent this from happening? The ceiling in the basement is pretty much just insulation. I have considered using that sheet plastic that comes in a roll on the ceiling before I put ceiling tiles up there. I would think that would help. Anyone else have any other ideas? I am trying to do all this on the cheap whenever possible.

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Originally Posted by sushiboy

I am very slowly working on finishing my basement and turning it into a cigar lounge/hangout. Trouble is, when I smoke down there, the smell tends to come up into like half the house. I will eventually be getting a smoke eater or ionizer or something, but what else can I do to prevent this from happening? The ceiling in the basement is pretty much just insulation. I have considered using that sheet plastic that comes in a roll on the ceiling before I put ceiling tiles up there. I would think that would help. Anyone else have any other ideas? I am trying to do all this on the cheap whenever possible.

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Add the vapor barrier in the ceiling, and limit the amount of light fixtures you place in the ceiling. The less openings in the ceiling the better. Use wall sconces if you can. You could also isolate the basement from your A/C loop.

Have an exhaust fan in the room that vents to the outside.

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Originally Posted by craig

Have an exhaust fan in the room that vents to the outside.

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This. And if the space is on the same AC system as the rest of the house like ashauler said, you'll either need the exhaust fan to remove at least 100% of the air that is brought in with the AC or take the space off of the AC system.

Smoke outside.

Thanks for the ideas guys!

I think my plan will be a plastic barrier in the ceiling, an exhaust to outside, and some sort of smoke eater. There is no A/C in the basement, and not really a need for it anyway, so that wont be an issue.

I don't have A/C in the basement either....well, except for a return air supply. :smiley2:

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Originally Posted by sushiboy

Thanks for the ideas guys!

I think my plan will be a plastic barrier in the ceiling, an exhaust to outside, and some sort of smoke eater. There is no A/C in the basement, and not really a need for it anyway, so that wont be an issue.

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You might want to just start with the exhaust option, it may eliminate the need for the barrier and save you some money.

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Originally Posted by CoventryCat86

Smoke outside.

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This option is the cheapest and is the one I employ (even though lately it has been absolutely freezing here, we got below 70 the other night!).

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Originally Posted by ashauler

return air supply

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:smiley29:

Bah. -25 (C) here the other day with the wind chill. Smoking outside just isn't ... elegant.

If you smoke in the house, you're going to smell the after effects of cigar smoke no matter what you try to do. You can spend a lot of time and money trying to minimize it but there's no way you will ever eliminate it to those (like my wife and other non-smokers) who can smell it.

The best solution is to have a separate building like a shed or a garage that you turn into a smoking room. grateful1 has an attached garage at his house but it doesn't have any doors that connect directly to the main house (the house and garage are connected by a screened in porch) and therefore it works perfectly. This is the only case that I've ever seen where it works.

Every Wednesday is "WNS" or "Wednesday Night Smoker" at his house NO HIS GARAGE, stop by tonight if you're in the neighborhood!:smiley20:

BTW, the "neighborhood" is Connecticut, not Cape Breton Island.:smiley2: Us Brettoners have been known to winter in Connecticut, LMAO!:smiley36:

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Originally Posted by craig

Bah. -25 (C) here the other day with the wind chill. Smoking outside just isn't ... elegant.

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LMAO @ "elegant":smiley36:

C'mon, -25C isn't all that bad ya pansy!:smiley4:

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Originally Posted by CoventryCat86

Every Wednesday is "WNS" or "Wednesday Night Smoker" at his house NO HIS GARAGE, stop by tonight if you're in the neighborhood!:smiley20:

BTW, the "neighborhood" is Connecticut, not Cape Breton Island.:smiley2: Us Brettoners have been known to winter in Connecticut, LMAO!:smiley36:

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Ill have to take you up on that offer next time Im in the area.

I have what was once an upstairs apartment that is on a seperate heating system With 4 guys upstairs smoking on Mondays we open a window with a fan blowing out and turn on 2 fans and a Hepa air purifier as well. Since the use of the purifier began neither I nor my wife have been able to detect smoke smell in the main house however before the purifier we could smell it at the bottom of the stairs and a little in the hallway going to the stairs, not terrible though.

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Originally Posted by craig

Have an exhaust fan in the room that vents to the outside.

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Solid advice and that's where I would start too.

Keep in mind your HVAC ducts will pass smoke throughout the house too........especially if the furnace/AC/fan is running and your smoking near a return air intake. Even if the furnace/AC/fan isn't running and you're near a return air intake or supply air vent, it'll still help to pass the smoke and smell around the house so check for any return air intakes and close all supply grills in your smoking area (while you're smoking, open them again after you're done and the smoke has been extracted) as the smoke and smell can pass from place to place through those if the fan isn't running.

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Originally Posted by CoventryCat86

LMAO @ "elegant":smiley36:

C'mon, -25C isn't all that bad ya pansy!:smiley4:

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Says Mr "Winter in Connecticut" ................. who's the pansy????

:smiley36:

Any time you wanted to CC, you could come and visit me and sit out on my deck and smoke a cigar. I'll provide you with the Churchill or Toro of your choice from my meagre stash. All you have to do is sit outside in the wind on the shady side of my house and smoke it when it's -25 C

heh heh heh............

Might have to wait til next winter though as it's close enough to spring our temps have been hovering up around 0 lately.