You smell smoke but don't know where it's getting in
- Where I am
- The smell shows up in the evening and you can't say from where.
- Where I want to be
- A short list of the exact gaps to seal.
- What's in the way
- Smoke travels through gaps you can't see, and sealing the wrong spot changes nothing.
Try this first, free: Close every window and door, switch off fans, and wait until you smell smoke. Then walk the apartment slowly and note where it is strongest.
The fix
- Close windows and turn off the bathroom and kitchen fans, so air isn't pulled in from outside.
- Light an incense stick, or hold a strip of toilet paper, near a gap. If the smoke bends or the paper leans into the room, air is coming through.
- Check these spots in order: outlets and switches on shared walls, the baseboards, the edge of the front door, the holes where pipes go under sinks, and any vents.
- Write each spot down with a note of how strong the draft was. Seal the strongest first.
- Keep the incense away from curtains and let it burn in a dish.
What this won't fully fix: Finding the gap doesn't stop the smoke by itself. It only tells you which of the other fixes to start with, and some routes, like shared ducts, aren't yours to seal.
What to get
These open an Amazon search, so you can pick the one that fits. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.