Hello all. I'm new here and am just getting into smoking cigars regularly. My girlfriend got me a humidor for Christmas and it's stuffed already. I've gathered many good suggestions for smokes to try on this forum so far. Problem is, I don't enjoy the cigar as much in a cold garage as I would indoors.

I have a spare bedroom that has been used as a 2nd TV room up to this point. It has a big screen and leather couch and loveseat. It has a 3'x5' closet that I'd like to turn into a small bar and maybe store a wine cooler humidor eventually.

The first order of business is how to handle the smoke ventilation. I've seen window fan units that would probably work, but I don't want it to be noisy. I'm thinking the solution would be to put a fan in the attic that blows outside with ducting to a vent in this room. Sound like I'm on the right track? What CFM rating should I look for to effectively vent a 12'x15' room?

I've heard of others installing a timer to the fan to have it stay on for a set amount of time after they are done using the room. I'd like to install some kind of switch on the door that would turn the fan on when it's closed and have the timer keep it on for 30 min. or so after the door is opened. Any idea what specific equipment can accomplish this?

Also, the room currently has carpet. Will the carpet stick of cigar smoke even in a well ventilated room? If so, I'm thinking of removing the carpet and either staining the cement of installing tile.

My billiard room has carpet tiles from Flor. They can be taken up for cleaning if necessary. And, I don't know what the term is, but they have no knap or pile, just a flat carpet (I think anything with any depth to it will certainly retain odours more readily).

The room is about 14x20 and I use a fan to move the air around and an Oreck air purifier to deal with the smoke. The combination works well. After I'm done, I spray the room lightly with a eucalyptus scent and leave both the fan and air purifier on for a bit and that takes care of all odors. The room is in the basement, so the only windows are two small ones (14" x 28" approx.).

If money weren't an issue, I would have covered the walls in spanish cedar, which probably would have helped with odour control as well.

Good luck with your conversion!

In my old house I had my office setup so I could smoke cigars in there without smelling up the rest of the house. The key is to have air moving into the room and out of the room. I put weather stripping around each side and top of my door. With a fan in the window blowing air out and my AC/Heating fan running I could feel a good amount of air blowing in under the door. This made sure that no cigar smoke got out of the room through the door and into the rest of the house.

Short term carpet smell wasn't a problem. I'm sure long term it would be so if it is in the budget I would consider putting in hard wood flooring.

In about 5 years when my son graduates his room will be turned into a smoking lounge. He has a huge closet which will be converted into a walk in humidor. I hope he doesn't mind!

The bed will absorb cigar smoke.

Furniture must be wood, metal, leather or immitation leather.
Curtains would have to be replaced by blinds or washed frwuently if of cloth.
Carpet must be replaced by a hard surface. Hardwood, tile whatever. Carpet is no good.
Cloth tenaciuously absorbs cigar odors.

Bathroom style exhaust fans wont cut it.. I tried this, and it does basically nothing.

Try this link these guys are real good and reasonable.
http://www.air-filtrationsystems.com/view/178

I know a bathroom vent is pretty useless, they are usually rated at 50CFM or so. Here is a unit rated at 380CFM. http://www.rewci.com/panfv40vq3.html Any idea if that would be sufficient? The price is much more affordable than the units in Sheepshead's link.

Also, the room doesn't have any bedroom furniture or clothes in it. It is set up for watching TV. Two leather couches a coffee table and TV are all that currently occupy the room.

All depends 12X15 i don't think thats gonna do it.

Found this calculator for a bathroom. It assumes a air exchange rate of 8 times per hour. With 380CFM, the room would be over 12 times per hour.

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/rewilliams/bathroomfancalculator.html

I'm sure it won't be overkill, but it might be enough.

You need a slight negative pressure to prevent leakage into rest ogf the house.

There must be an air intake into the room otherwise the exhaust fan will not transport air outwards; it will simply churn air around itself.

Therefore a crack under the door is okay as long as air can come in from the rest of the house. However if the rest of the house is superwell sealed then you have the problem again..the fan will not exhaust air it will just churn it around itself.

BTW building codes for public restroonms require 20 air changes per hour.
Naturally at that rate you have an accumalation of stink (or smoke) that is evacuated in the following minutes and not instantaneously.

To prevent the room air fromn turning blue when you are one person is less difficult than when you are 4 smokers.

For smoking rooms an exchange rate of 6 times an hour just won't cut it. Plus exhaust fans are loud. Check out the purifan product, it is absolutely silent, and works. I have one in my office, and people can't tell that any smoking has taken place.

Take a look at the exchange rate for a 20 x 20 room. It would filter the air in your small room in a second or less. You would want to run your ceiling fan on a lower speed to keep a pleasant air speed environment to enjoy your cigar in. My only complaint about the fan is that my preferred smoking location is off center, so some of my smoke as to work its way around the room before getting pulled into the fan body. This will not be an issue with your room.

http://www.purifan.com/

Just so you know, I have no connection with this product. I found it used at a cigar lounge in Montgomery, AL, and purchased on for my application. It is a SOLUTION and eliminates the smoke problem all together.

quote:

Originally posted by Mad Earl:
Found this calculator for a bathroom. It assumes a air exchange rate of 8 times per hour. With 380CFM, the room would be over 12 times per hour.

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/rewilliams/bathroomfancalculator.html

I'm sure it won't be overkill, but it might be enough.

Mine is only an 80 (see cheap crap). It makes an improvement for how quickly the room is cleared out, but WHILE smoking, it can't even keep up with one cigar. I had 4 in there the other day, and the fan might as well have been smoking too.

If you do get this, let me know how it works!

My room is a 8x9, 9 foot side walls. I have a hunter hepaflo air purifier, and a 80cfm fart fan installed and it works real well.

I was off a little on the room size. It's actually 10x15x8. According to my calculations that brings it up to 19 exchanges per hour.

The unit shouldn't be too loud for the space. At 3 sones, it's rated just above a calm office and at the bottom of the TV on the scale. It has to be quieter than a window fan at any rate.

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/rewilliams/panasonicfan.html

Good info on the room pressure. I have a window a/c unit in this room since it was an addition. I can turn it on to fan if necessary.

That purifan looks interesting, but I don't have an existing fan in the room. Also, it looks like it costs quite a bit more than the one I'm loking at. Thanks though, too much information is never enough.

I found this site a while ago. There is alot of info including what you are looking for.

He did quite a nice job I think.

Building a Cigar room