Problem Overflow

Smoke, smells and damp getting into your apartment, and how renters stop them.

Smoke from next door

Smoke comes in through the outlets and light switches

Handy · About 30 minutes

Where I am
The smell is strongest on the wall you share with next door.
Where I want to be
Outlets that don't breathe smoke into your room.
What's in the way
The boxes behind the plates are open to the wall cavity, and air flows through.

Try this first, free: Hold a strip of toilet paper near each outlet on the shared wall. If it flutters, you've found a route.

The fix

  1. Turn the breaker off for that circuit first. Check that a lamp plugged in there is dead.
  2. Unscrew the cover plate. Don't touch the wires or the outlet itself.
  3. Fit a foam gasket behind the plate, then screw the plate back on over it.
  4. Turn the breaker back on and test with a strip of toilet paper again.
  5. Add child-safe plug covers on unused sockets for a snugger fit.

What this won't fully fix: Gaskets stop the draft through the plate. They won't seal the wall cavity behind, so a trace of smell may still find another way.

Safety first: If you see burnt marks, loose wires, a hot plate or a crackling sound, stop. Leave the breaker off and tell the landlord.

Moving out: Unscrew the plate, pull the gasket out, and put the plate back. It takes two minutes.

What to get

Outlet foam gaskets on Amazon Small screwdriver set on Amazon

These open an Amazon search, so you can pick the one that fits. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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