How to Paint Over a Heavy Smoker's Walls

Move furniture away from the walls and apply a drop cloth over the floor surface to protect the floor from damage.

Mix one part chlorine bleach and one part water in the bucket. Saturate the sponge in the bleach water and wash the walls thoroughly. Allow the walls to dry completely before you proceed.

Pour the shellac primer into the paint tray. Load the 3-inch brush with the primer and paint the perimeter of the walls. Paint across the ceiling, around windows and doorways, over baseboards and along adjacent walls.

Load the paint roller with shellac primer and apply it in an even layer over the entire wall surface. Allow the primer to dry according to package recommendations.

Apply a second coat of primer after the first coat dries to ensure adequate sealing of the odors and stains from the smoke. Allow the second coat of primer to dry.

Apply the paint over the wall using the same technique as you used to apply the primer. Let the first coat of paint dry and apply a second coat of paint, if you desire.