Concerns about setting up a cigar room, future kids?

Hays

Hey gents, so here´s a thought for ya, looking for some input. My wife and I are soon to be converting our 2nd bedroom into an office and cigar room for me. She´s perfectly good with the idea (actually it was her idea to begin with); the room has a big window, and we´re thinking to put in a ceiling fan for good ventilation. We'll have big desks, and an easy chair in the corner for me plus plenty of room for my humidor and accessories. Planning on putting some rubber seals along the inside of the door to prevent smoke from hitting the rest of the house. If you're interested in that kind of thing, I put the designs down below.

Only thing is, we're thinking to start trying for our first child next year (2016), and that room will then get turned into a room for the baby. What I'm wondering is whether there's any potential long-lasting harmful effects from smoking in that room that I should be worried about? The floor is tile, and we'll certainly be repainting if the day comes for a baby, but, well, anything I should know?

Hays

Gray4lines

This is my guess, but especially with tile floor, new paint, and clearly new furniture as well I bet you would never even know a cigar had been in the room.

Ken Light

All you'd have to worry about lingering is odor, and that's not anything harmful. And it looks like you wouldn't have any cloth or carpet or rug in there, so that's not even much of a concern.

Hays

Ken Light:

All you'd have to worry about lingering is odor, and that's not anything harmful. And it looks like you wouldn't have any cloth or carpet or rug in there, so that's not even much of a concern.

Yeah, basically everything there would get scrapped and the whole room redone, I guess I'm just being paranoid...I dunno, some kind of toxins getting into the paint on the walls or something? Never given a sh!t about it before, but when thinking seriously about having a kid I'm having to reconsider a few things.

letsgowithbob

I know there is most likely no actual issue. I know that it is probably fine as long as you primed with a good primer, and then painted, but having had a good friend lose his baby to SIDS, and then finding out about the much higher rates of SIDS around smokers, I wouldn't do it, especially if you are year and a half or so out. It makes no sense. I understand my stupidity, but I always took a shower, and changed my clothes after a cigar, before I held my infants. I know it's stupid, I'm just anal about that sort of thing.

rsherman24

Small exhaust fan if at all possible. I installed a $60 fan behind the bar when I was refinishing my basement. I smoke a cigar every night in the winter and even the wife can not detect a smell of cigars. I put the ashtray right in front of the fan when I smoke, but I can smoke inside while it is single digits outside and not worry about lingering smoke in the house.

jgibv

Hays:

Ken Light:

All you'd have to worry about lingering is odor, and that's not anything harmful. And it looks like you wouldn't have any cloth or carpet or rug in there, so that's not even much of a concern.

Yeah, basically everything there would get scrapped and the whole room redone, I guess I'm just being paranoid...I dunno, some kind of toxins getting into the paint on the walls or something? Never given a sh!t about it before, but when thinking seriously about having a kid I'm having to reconsider a few things.

Cigar smoke might "stink up" any fabric and possibly stain the ceiling/walls, but nothing harmful long term AFAIK. If you haven't already painted that room use a semi gloss or higher, washable paint that way you can clean it down if you feel the need. Otherwise just a coat or 2 of kilz before it gets turned into a kids room and no one will know the difference. A house my mom bought had previous heavy smokers (cigarettes), ceiling paint had been stained yellow from all the decades of packs a day. Washed all the surfaces with a cleaner before repainting, pitched the carpet, and after a couple coats of paint everything looked good as new, no smell, no sign of there ever being smokers. br>
And plus....can't be any more "toxic" than the lead paint and asbestos found in older homes, that previous generations grew up with......

Rain

letsgowithbob:

I know there is most likely no actual issue. I know that it is probably fine as long as you primed with a good primer, and then painted, but having had a good friend lose his baby to SIDS, and then finding out about the much higher rates of SIDS around smokers, I wouldn't do it, especially if you are year and a half or so out. It makes no sense. I understand my stupidity, but I always took a shower, and changed my clothes after a cigar, before I held my infants. I know it's stupid, I'm just anal about that sort of thing.

I'd like to see some studies...I'm not buying it. What if smoke from someone else drifts through an open window, attaches to your paint, seeps through to the wall, lingers for a year....also, what if a meteor hits your house? The cause of SIDS is unknown, so you can't attribute it to anything. Well, except sudden and infants. Breathing kills you too. Don't mean this as a personal attack, buts just throwing around sids is irresponsible without showing supporting data and studies. People that never smoked have lost kids to SIDS. And the flu. SIDS means they have no idea.

Echambers

Washable paint.
No carpet
exhaust fan (something better than a bathroom fan>
Don't worry about rubber seals along the door but replace it with an exterior door that already has the seals
Leather furniture or something you'll throw out when the baby comes.

Ken Light

letsgowithbob:

I know there is most likely no actual issue. I know that it is probably fine as long as you primed with a good primer, and then painted, but having had a good friend lose his baby to SIDS, and then finding out about the much higher rates of SIDS around smokers, I wouldn't do it, especially if you are year and a half or so out. It makes no sense. I understand my stupidity, but I always took a shower, and changed my clothes after a cigar, before I held my infants. I know it's stupid, I'm just anal about that sort of thing.

That's around smokers, as in people actively smoking around the child. Not lingering smoke odor. I get being crazy around your kid, especially as long as you're not endangering other kids (like anti-vaxers) but I wouldn't pass it on to others.

letsgowithbob

Rain:

letsgowithbob:

I know there is most likely no actual issue. I know that it is probably fine as long as you primed with a good primer, and then painted, but having had a good friend lose his baby to SIDS, and then finding out about the much higher rates of SIDS around smokers, I wouldn't do it, especially if you are year and a half or so out. It makes no sense. I understand my stupidity, but I always took a shower, and changed my clothes after a cigar, before I held my infants. I know it's stupid, I'm just anal about that sort of thing.

I'd like to see some studies...I'm not buying it. What if smoke from someone else drifts through an open window, attaches to your paint, seeps through to the wall, lingers for a year....also, what if a meteor hits your house? The cause of SIDS is unknown, so you can't attribute it to anything. Well, except sudden and infants. Breathing kills you too. Don't mean this as a personal attack, buts just throwing around sids is irresponsible without showing supporting data and studies. People that never smoked have lost kids to SIDS. And the flu. SIDS means they have no idea.

http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/04/22/48715.aspx

I take no offense at all to your comment. Like I said, I know that I am being ridiculous. I don't think hays smoking in the room, and then priming, and taking care of everything is going to be a problem. I am just paranoid about this specific subject, and I totally admit it it's ridiculous. For myself only, I chose to pay extra attention to the cigar smoke on me from when I smoked cigars, and when I held my infants. I agree that sids is an unknown in a lot of cases, but if you google SIDS and chemicals from smoking, there are a few studies out there that seem to point to some lhigher rates.

I hope I'm not offending anyone in this post. I choose to smoke cigars, and I enjoy the hell out of them. I like smoking, it gives me solitude sometimes, and a great way to spend time with friends in other instances. I would be more wary of starting a nursery in a room that I had used to smoke cigars in, understanding the whole time that it is paranoia to go to this extreme.

Rain

Thanks, I will check that out!

First Warrior

The ceiling would be my only issue. Is it paintable or that sprayed on texture stuff? Looks like a double hung window, just right for an exaust fan. If you have a garage it may be more cost effective to create a space out there for smoking.

Amos Umwhat

You should be fine. Regarding SIDS, as someone who has taken part in the resuscitation, or attempted resuscitation of several SIDS infants over the years, in nearly ever case the child was laid down wrong, and usually in bed with a parent. I've never heard anyone say that because someone smoked in a room before it was remodeled and repainted that the baby stopped breathing. I'd be more concerned that the paint hadn't fully cured.

avengethis

I use a fan tucked into a double hung window in my den. I also have the ashtray on the arm of the chair right in front of the window. There is no door sealing that room off and as long as I have the fan running before I light up, it pulls the smoke out and there is no lingering smell left behind.

youngryan216

Hays, I think the fact that you are already considering the health of your unborn child to this degree proves you are going to be a good dad when the time comes. Good luck with the room and the baby making.

KCW

Hays:

Hey gents, so here´s a thought for ya, looking for some input. My wife and I are soon to be converting our 2nd bedroom into an office and cigar room for me. She´s perfectly good with the idea (actually it was her idea to begin with); the room has a big window, and we´re thinking to put in a ceiling fan for good ventilation. We'll have big desks, and an easy chair in the corner for me plus plenty of room for my humidor and accessories. Planning on putting some rubber seals along the inside of the door to prevent smoke from hitting the rest of the house. If you're interested in that kind of thing, I put the designs down below.

Only thing is, we're thinking to start trying for our first child next year (2016), and that room will then get turned into a room for the baby. What I'm wondering is whether there's any potential long-lasting harmful effects from smoking in that room that I should be worried about? The floor is tile, and we'll certainly be repainting if the day comes for a baby, but, well, anything I should know?

No textiles (drapes, carpets, upholstered furniture etc.)
When smoking (and for an hour or two after) make sure to have good air "exchange" (Stale air [exhausted] for Fresh air [intake]).

J.S.

My only issue would be redoing the room again so soon. Added work, and I am cheep. But that is just me.

D Fresh

If it's a huge concern, consider something like this...

http://www.rabbitair.com/pages/minusa2-air-purifier

I can't personally vouch for it but it might be something worth looking into. It's pricey though. Irish is the one that told me about this, just haven't purchased it myself.

benhanks

D Fresh:

If it's a huge concern, consider something like this...

http://www.rabbitair.com/pages/minusa2-air-purifier

I can't personally vouch for it but it might be something worth looking into. It's pricey though. Irish is the one that told me about this, just haven't purchased it myself.

HA, it's funny that you mention this particular air purifier. I am buying a house and I plan on making the office a room to smoke cigars in. I have researched the heck out of air purifiers and I have landed on the Rabbit Air Minusa2. It is pricey but the reviews are great! I am also installing a Broan L300 exhaust fan to get the smoke out. I think the combination of the two will do the trick for me!

Good luck with whatever you decide!!

Hays

Lots of great info here guys, and I really appreciate all the input. The point of the room is primarily as an office so we can save the expense of an outside office right now (scrimping expenses during some big growth this year), but since there's really no lounges in Seville and nowhere comfortable outside to enjoy a cigar, this is also about being able to continue my hobby from the States.

First Warrior:

The ceiling would be my only issue. Is it paintable or that sprayed on texture stuff? Looks like a double hung window, just right for an exaust fan. If you have a garage it may be more cost effective to create a space out there for smoking.

The ceiling is paintable, there's no texture. Good point though, I tend to forget about the ceiling. There's no garage - housing in Spain is primarily high-density, what an American would consider condos, and what passes for a garage here wouldn't even count anyway.

youngryan216:

Hays, I think the fact that you are already considering the health of your unborn child to this degree proves you are going to be a good dad when the time comes. Good luck with the room and the baby making.

Hey man, that's nice of you. I'm one of 5 kids and my dad's my biggest mentor, guess I've always wanted to be a dad. Thanks!

J.S.:

My only issue would be redoing the room again so soon. Added work, and I am cheep. But that is just me.

Our business is in RE development so the work is no big deal, but as far as this room goes what you see above is going to be an overall $250 budget or so, based upon stuff we already have. And even still, we're a minimum of 21 months out from any babies, so there's plenty of time to do the work.

D Fresh:

If it's a huge concern, consider something like this...

http://www.rabbitair.com/pages/minusa2-air-purifier

I can't personally vouch for it but it might be something worth looking into. It's pricey though. Irish is the one that told me about this, just haven't purchased it myself.

Not a bad idea, though it wasn't an investment we were thinking to make right now. I like this one a lot - one of the decorative faceplates they have is actually an art piece we already have in this house (Klimt's The Kiss). My wife's uncle sells appliances, so she keeps saying we should ask him what he has in terms of a purifier. We can't put anything in the window though, as it's very important to us to have the light and fresh air.