# smoke restoration - what paint?



## Netmouse (Apr 6, 2008)

Am I being told the right products to use?

My insurer approved painting the inside of my house after clean up of a grease / protein fire in the kitchen where a sauce pan plastic top melted and a turkey was cremated. 

The painter seems resistant to BIN and is trying to use a latex primer - but I've convinced him finally to use the BIN original white based shellac on flat painted walls, ceilings both flat and popcorn, and semi-gloss wood trim. He will follow a coat of that with Ben. Moore paint two coats. Zinsser's website says the only product to use for odor blocking is BIN.

He says the recommendation for the kitchen oak wood cabinets is not Zinsser's Bulls Eye clear, but that the paint store prefers to use minwax polyurethane. And he also says he cannot use anything on the particleboard shelves inside the cabinets as it may peel but he will consult with the paint store on what to do about the non-wood shelves.

And can the steam radiators be primed like this as well or should they be just painted? He says ok to prime. Heat not an issue.

Any feedback is appreciated. They start mid-next week so I have only a few days to push back if I have to.


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

I can't tell from here if your painter is making an accurate assessment of the situation, and/or if they are familiar with dealing with smoke/fire damage

I can say that if there is any smoke/fire damage and/or blackened walls/studs and/or smoke odors, a regular latex (acrylic) primer is not a good choice
Although an oil primer sealer _might_ work, the pigmented shellac _will_ work, and would be considered standard in the fire recovery industry
I wouldn't consider anything but a pigmented shellac if there is any smoke/fire/water damage at all
I hesitate to use it also, it stinks (you need a respirator), doesn't apply well, and is nearly impossible to clean up
But you do what you must for fire damage

I also would prefer a poly for the cabs
But if they smell, they will need the clear shellac
Poly will not hold back smoke odor any more than latex primer will

The particle board shelves can be sealed
A quick, light, coat, of solvent-based primer should not activate and separate the "glue" that holds that "sawdust" together, it's usually the water-based (latex) that messes that stuff up
I prefer shellac on these also...and if they smell, that's pretty much your choice anyway

The steam radiators should not have absorbed smoke odors
I suppose if they have a lot of paint on them, the paint could have absorbed some
But depending on what's on there, they might just need paint (primer if need be, or a self-priming metal and wood enamel, or they might need a strip


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## Netmouse (Apr 6, 2008)

Thank you very much !


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## ting (May 13, 2008)

Thin Bin 50/50 with shellaque, it seals smoke smell better, you will need two top coats for any colored paint anyways. if you are doing a white topcoat, stick with the straight up bin for the primer (you can use it as a finish un areas that you are not particular about sheen or washability)

Latex paint/sealer CAN NOT seal smoke, it amplifies it's smell


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## ghostlly (Jan 22, 2009)

*charred rafters*

can I seal charred rafters the same way? would I have to scrape off some of the char?


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## Netmouse (Apr 6, 2008)

I should say that the result worked perfectly. The painter used shellac - bin on the paint and Zinsser's Bulls Eye clear on the cabinets and woodwork. The contractor also removed and renailed the loose trim around the wall tops and also caulked at the meeting of the wall/ceiling and similar to ensure if any smoke got behind these that it would not smell. It was a lot of work but it did the trick. It almost a year later and no smell of smoke returned. Finally.


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

ghostlly said:


> can I seal charred rafters the same way? would I have to scrape off some of the char?


Scrape off what you can, then seal with a shellac-based product


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

Netmouse said:


> I should say that the result worked perfectly. The painter used shellac - bin on the paint and Zinsser's Bulls Eye clear on the cabinets and woodwork. The contractor also removed and renailed the loose trim around the wall tops and also caulked at the meeting of the wall/ceiling and similar to ensure if any smoke got behind these that it would not smell. It was a lot of work but it did the trick. It almost a year later and no smell of smoke returned. Finally.


Thanks for the update!


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## Matthewt1970 (Sep 16, 2008)

slickshift said:


> I can say that if there is any smoke/fire damage and/or blackened walls/studs and/or smoke odors, a regular latex (acrylic) primer is not a good choice
> Although an oil primer sealer _might_ work, *the pigmented shellac will work, and would be considered standard in the fire recovery industry*


Yes. 100%


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## ccarlisle (Jul 2, 2008)

Is this the same job you posted about last April? Been a while, hasn't it.

In then end, how much did your insurance cover, and if that's the reason it took so long; I'd be interested to know. Thx


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## Jack of most (Jan 21, 2009)

I am currently doing a fire insurance claim. Wash everything first.(Don't worry about the ceiling if it's a popcorn texture) Use Kilz Premium or another primer rated for smoke coverage. Prime everything. Ceilings, walls, and all trims. Put 2 coats of paint over that. Should be OK


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## sirwired (Jun 22, 2007)

Jack of most said:


> I am currently doing a fire insurance claim. Wash everything first.(Don't worry about the ceiling if it's a popcorn texture) Use Kilz Premium or another primer rated for smoke coverage. Prime everything. Ceilings, walls, and all trims. Put 2 coats of paint over that. Should be OK


I wouldn't waste time with anything but shellac, unless time is not very valuable. Shellac _will_ work, oil-base _may_ work.

SirWired


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## suki (Mar 23, 2009)

Would the clear shellac be OK to use on brickwork? I don't really want a shiny finish. I also have to treat 100 year old oak beams for smoke damage. Any advice?


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

Bin does work and is used by insurance claims often. Did these for years. Cabinets are normally replaced not refinished. All charred wood is scrapped clean and or replaced.


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## sirwired (Jun 22, 2007)

Hmmm... brickwork... that is a toughie. I would use a masonry primer first for pore-sealing and texture, seal the smoke with BIN, and then topcoat.

Are you wanting the oak beams natural or painted?

SirWired


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## suki (Mar 23, 2009)

Sorry I forgot to say, I want the brickwork and the oak to look unpainted. Also I'm in the UK so I don't know if I can buy Bin here, but if you could tell me the type of paint,sealer ... Many thanks for any advice you can give me.


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## sirwired (Jun 22, 2007)

Never mind about the BIN, it is pigmented, so that is not what you want if you are going for the natural look.


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