Housing types and how smoke moves
| Housing type | Typical layout | How tobacco odor spreads |
|---|---|---|
| Brick bungalow | One and a half stories over a basement | Up the basement stairs and through retrofitted ducts into every room |
| Denver Square | Two full stories, boxy plan, central stair | Rises up the open stairwell to the bedrooms |
| Up-down duplex conversion | Separate units on each floor sharing a basement | Through floor gaps, shared stairs and any shared heating |
| House with basement apartment | Garden-level unit below the main home | Up through floor penetrations and shared ducts |
| Small walk-up apartment building | Several units around a common stair | Into the stairwell and under unit doors |
Working through a Congress Park house
Order matters more in older, interconnected homes.
Figure out the heating
Many homes here started with boiler heat and later added forced-air ducts, sometimes only on one floor. Know which rooms get air from where.
Identify shared spaces
In split homes, list the basement, laundry, stairs and any shared furnace or boiler.
Start where smoking happened
Clean and seal the unit or rooms with the heaviest residue first, so they do not keep feeding the rest.
Close the paths
Seal gaps around pipes and wires passing through floors, and weatherstrip doors between units and the shared stair.
Treat shared systems
If units share a furnace or ducts, clean the system once all units are done, not before.
Check upstairs last
Warm air and odor rise; the top floor is the best place to confirm results.
Owners, landlords and tenants
Congress Park has a mix of owner-occupied homes and rentals, including many houses where an owner lives in one unit and rents the other. If a tenant smoked indoors, the owner may face odor in both units. Check your lease terms on smoking and any security deposit rules before deciding who pays for what, and get advice if you are unsure how Colorado landlord-tenant law applies.
Most of these houses also predate 1978, so assume lead paint on trim and windows, and be cautious about old pipe insulation, floor tiles and other materials that may contain asbestos. Wash rather than sand, and test anything that will be disturbed.
Questions for the household or the other unit
- Did anyone smoke in the basement, laundry room or on the shared stair?
- Do both units share a furnace, boiler or any ductwork?
- Can work be scheduled so both units are treated in the right order?
- Who is responsible for shared spaces under the lease or ownership agreement?
General information for Cherry Creek, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.