If that’s the case, a carpet-cleaning professional will have the right chemicals to neutralize the odor. Subfloor: The subfloor is nailed to the top of the joist. This will prevent your hardwood floors from coming into contact with the staining urine. When using a commercial product, follow the instructions. By creating an account you agree to the Hunker, A Concord Carpenter: Removing Pet Urine Odor From Wood Sub-floor, Home Repair Geek: Remove Pet Urine Off Concrete. Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252, Password Reset Instructions have been sent to. What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments. Remove carpeting, padding and other flooring around the areas you suspect urine has leaked into the subfloor. Pet urine and pet odor often can't be cleaned from your carpet with a simple top cleaning. Use 1-1/2 in. Spray this mixture on; let it sit for a few minutes; then blot dry. Cut as closely as possible to floor joists. Wood floor types, damage, diagnosis & repair damaged wood floors. Toenail or screw 2x4 blocks to the joists to support the edges of the subfloor and the waste flange. Home Inspection urine damage. Cleaning subfloor. You HAVE to know the thickness of your subfloor. Once the damaged … The damage has been done. Please update your billing information to reactivate your membership. Subflooring is the wooden or concrete support system beneath your flooring. Hydrogen peroxide. You can buy a barrier separately or get underlayment with a moisture barrier built-in. Spray 3 percent hydrogen peroxide on the spot and let sit for a few minutes. If any water vapor penetrates through a concrete subfloor, the vapor diffusion retarder slows the movement of the moisture, preventing damage to the floor. After we moved in, we found out that there are multiple pet urine stains on the flooring throughout the home. It’s worth trying to salvage the new carpet, but there’s no guarantee that the odor hasn’t impregnated the rug. Coalesce's Select Membership is no longer active. Sign up for Individual Select membership today. I would rather not have to replace the entire subfloor. Clip your pet’s nails. The porosity of concrete compounds the difficulty of removing urine odors, so an enzymatic odor remover is a necessity. You will be charged . Parts of the subfloor and the padding will have to go, and maybe the carpet, too. When cats and, for that matter, dogs, do their business in the house, they tend to go in the same place. A few things that can make the job go easier. In this Q-and-A column, we discuss how to treat stubborn pet odors that have gone beyond the carpet and padding, and which products (homemade and commercial) to consider. We also offer home inspections specific to estimating the amount of urine damage caused by pets or rodents. The process is pretty similar. Here are some possibilities: Avoid using any product that contains ammonia because it smells so much like urine that it will just compound the odor problem. Apply an enzymatic pet cleaner (like Nature's Miracle) to the soiled areas and allow them to dry thoroughly for 24 to 48 hours. Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews. Some products you might ask about include: Zero Odor, Anti-Icky-Poo, Nature’s Miracle, Odorban, Odornil, Nilodor, and Cat-Off. Often 19/32- to 1 1/8-inch thick plywood or OSB, the subfloor might run continuously across the joist or two sections of subfloor may meet on a joist. Your help is appreciated. Take our quiz to see if you know if you know what kind you should fix or replace. I’ve done this job before in a mobile home and in a few stick frame houses due to pet damage (everywhere) and water damage in bathrooms. Maybe you already know a little bit about home construction and flooring, but it's a term not all homeowners are familiar with. Once this happens, the only way to get rid of the smell is to remove and replace the floor covering and treat the subfloor. completely. Mark all such places for treatment and use the following protocol for best results: Enzymatic cleaners work best for neutralizing pet urine, but some household cleaners also work, especially if the urine problem isn't severe. Hardwood floor cat & dog urine. However, should a subfloor be damaged or defective, it may only last 20 to 30 years. I’ve replaced both the carpet and padding. Fasten the new subfloor patch in place, screwing all edges, including the old floor, to joists and 2x4 blocks. Seal the subfloor with two coats of a high-quality acrylic or polyurethane subfloor sealer. shiplap that served as the subfloor. It looks like you’re already a Select Member! Subfloor mold. The worst of the subfloor damage was found with a foot going through the floor. You don’t know what’s under the subfloor so for all you know, there are electric or water lines and you do NOT want to cut these. Beside above, can you use Kilz on plywood? Dogs and cats can easily scratch wood flooring and leave scratch marks and other dents all over the surface. If pet urine has reached your subfloor, you’ll be caught in a tough cycle where stains will … It's a white pigmented shellac-based primer and will completely block the pet odor. Foul Smell. Before i do that though I wanted advice on whether that would work or not. Stains on the carpet were invisible to the naked eye but a black light inspection performed on May 1, 2009 revealed that there are multiple urine stains in every bedroom and in both hallways. Subfloor was awful and had black mold in two spots. It’s important to be thorough when you cut, cutting as close to the joists as possible. Subfloor sealing will help repel liquid – not just the urine variety. Cleaning cat urine effectively depends on a number of factors, such as where it’s located, how long it was left unnoticed and the type of surface it was deposited on. I thought it would not be necessary. Remove damaged subfloor. He has degrees in science and humanities and years of teaching experience. They may also feel soft or squishy when stepped on. There are a number of options for cleaners at your local pet store. Should this be the case, a homeowner might need to peel back the layers of flooring and get to work. This means the noise may be beyond the surface and may be a sign of a damaged subfloor. That includes uric acid, which contains crystals that cause the familiar pet urine odor … We provide pet urine odor removal services to remove cat, dog, & pet urine odor damage to carpet, subfloor, concrete, hardwood & stone. Its high surface tension prevents it from soaking into the wood, so it won't eliminate the odor completely. Fasten a 2x4 to the damaged joist with 3-in. Urine in a plywood subfloor or a concrete one can usually be neutralized, and if you seal the affected area before installing new flooring, that should be the end of your odor problem. Stains as well as buckled, cracked, or heaved floor boards of all types may be due to leaks or high moisture, or they may be due to spills of other liquids, solvents, or to bad pets who pee where you'd rather they didn't. Yes! Test the exposed subfloor in multiple spots with a 2-pronged moisture meter. In some cases, removing pet urine odor from wood sub-floor is impossible. There seems to be a problem with your Inman Select Membership. Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more, If you created your account with Google or Facebook, Stuck with a stale listing? Urine in a plywood subfloor or a concrete one can usually be neutralized, and if you seal the affected area before installing new flooring, that should be the end of your odor problem. Not every subfloor has visible signs of damage. One or both cats apparently had a lot of accidents, because even a year after she left I can still smell the cat urine. Chris Deziel is a contractor, builder and general fix-it pro who has been active in the construction trades for 40 years. Do I need to rip up and replace the wood subfloor also? The most fool proof approach is to, cut out and replace the stained sections; treat the rest of the sub-floor with a cleaner specially formulated for pet urine; and replace the pad and carpet. Breaking news as it happens. But not always -- some pet damage can't be easily covered up. Pulling back more of the underlayment revealed that the water-fueled damage spread more than eight feet along the wall. If the moisture level of the OSB is above 20%, it needs to be dried out. White vinegar. Set the depth of a circular saw to *slightly* more than your subfloor to avoid cutting through anything but plywood. Pets that aren't properly house trained tend to choose the same spot over and over again to do their business, and that gives the smelly urine a chance to seep through the floor covering — even if it's wood — and into the subfloor. The best choice for damaged subflooring is usually to have it replaced In this case, move on to removing the entire finished floor in the affected area. https://www.cuteness.com/article/seal-pet-stains-subflooring Your subscription will automatically renew for on . If the sub-floor is particle board I would ALWAYS replace the damaged area. Did not pretreat with enzyme as some suggest. If you decide to go with this, don't be alarmed by the smell. Allow the sealer to cure for a day or two before installing the floor covering. The urine saturates the wood, where all of the odor-causing components remain. Subfloors and Urine Don’t Mix. Q: I have an in-law apartment that I foolishly rented to a person who had two cats. Sometimes, you can detect subfloor problems by strange, unpleasant smells (often from mold … He worked as an expert consultant with eHow Now and Pro Referral -- a Home Depot site. Carefully Cut Subflooring Put on a pair of work gloves, a dust mask and eye protection. It soaks up the urine so efficiently that eliminating all the odor-causing crystals is virtually impossible, so you usually have to replace the affected part of a particleboard subfloor. You were right to replace the carpet and pad, but urine soaked through the old carpet and pad and into the wooden subfloor. Pets can do a lot of damage to your home. Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox. https://www.inman.com/2017/10/05/removing-pet-odors-subfloor You can use washable area rugs and pet-friendly carpets to help soak up the urine and absorb the odors. It's also a good idea to avoid cleaning the subfloor with bleach. Drying a Water-Damaged Subfloor A limited or short-lived leak that's made it as far as the subfloor may not be a big problem, provided you can stop the leak, then dry out the subflooring and any neighboring elements (framing, floor and wall finishes, etc.) I did not treat the wood with any chemical before I replaced the carpet and padding. Determine your hardwood finish: If your floor has a polyurethane finish, it’s at risk of becoming damaged. All moistened areas of the subfloor need to be removed. Top headlines from around the real estate industry. You probably don’t need to replace the entire subfloor. Leading commentary by award-winning journalists. Keep in mind that a "repair" is invisible and a "patch" is what amateurs do, so be a pro and do a proper weave-in of new flooring, repairing the underpinnings as needed. 1. 15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion. You had knock yourself out odors from 8 feet of the subfloor areas. The most strongly affected areas will be discolored, but if you shine a black light on the surrounding plywood, you'll probably detect the telltale florescent shine of uric acid in other places. Drywall damage cat spray. Drying out is necessary to prevent mold and rot. In some cases, it simply won’t be possible to access the OSB subfloor at just a few spots in the area. OUR SERVICES. So, to be safe, cut out and replace the stained sections; treat the rest of the subfloor with a cleaner specially formulated for pet urine; and replace the pad. A DIYer by nature, Deziel regularly shares tips and tricks for a better home and garden at Hunker.com. The best floor sealer for pet urine is a stain blocking primer. A: We’re guessing that you now have a “no pets” clause or a hefty pets deposit in your lease agreement. Sagging floors. If you’re concerned that rubber mats could damage your hardwood, there are a couple of steps you can take. However, an oil, wax, or aluminum oxide finish might not be as at-risk. In some cases, it is impossible to get urine odors out of wood. Not all floors will have this. Finally, avoid products that contain ammonia, as the odor of ammonia is similar to the odor of urine. Sealant goes a long way to prevent future stains from setting in. You will receive additional instructions via email. Cut precisely along the chalk lines you drew. It didn’t take much to dig up some of the flooring, plywood underlayment and the 3/4-in. The first step is to treat the subfloor with an enzymatic odor remover. Use a circular saw set to one-inch depth to cut out the rotting subfloor. It will disapate as the alcohol evaporates. Big time important. Forgot your username? Obviously, your renter didn’t do this. An avid craftsman and musician, Deziel began writing on home improvement topics in 2010. Please contact the parent account holder or Inman customer service @ 1-800-775-4662 customerservice@inman.com. Which means, with any luck, that the problem is localized. A rented “toe kick / flush cut saw” makes it much easier to cut sub-flooring right next to walls and cabinets. Urine in a Plywood Subfloor When your pet has an accident, it soaks right into the carpet and filters down to the subfloor. If damage to the subfloor is minimal from your pet's urine, soak it with an enzyme-based cleaner designed to eliminate pet urine one to two times, letting the floor dry between applications. If sagging is visible, or you feel it when you walk across your floors, this is a sure sign that your subfloor has worn out its welcome. And you might think a few quick fixes are fine. Here are several homemade cleaners you might try, although given the situation, we’d go with a commercial product. galvanized drywall screws to supply a solid, flat nailing surface. For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here. Usually, the first step is to take a rag or wad of paper towels and firmly press it into the area to soak up as much urine as possible. Your Subfloor and Floor Are Severely Damaged. http://www.homebuildingandrepairs.com/repairs/framing/index.html Click on this link for more construction, home repair and remodeling videos. Subscribe to Inman Select for Breaking News and Exclusive Industry Content. Flooring moisture barriers are placed beneath the floor’s underlayment. After you've removed the floor covering, you want to make sure to identify the entire stained area. Note: If you use any of these solutions, it’s a good idea to test them first on a piece of scrap carpet or an out-of-sight area of the floor to ensure they don’t cause damage. Unfortunately, you made a mistake by not treating the subfloor when you replaced the carpet and padding. Cut Damage Out. The better cleaners contain enzymes that break down the urine and neutralize the odor. I have, over the past five decades, opened floors where the damage was way beyond the flooring itself and had affected the subfloor, and sometimes even the joists. Particleboard is a different matter. Using a circular saw set to a 1-inch depth, carefully cut out damaged areas by following your chalk mark guides. To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings. Pull up the carpet and pad and search the subfloor for urine stains. This is not to be confused with their new B-I-N 2 product. Spray the cleaner or spread it over the affected area with a scrub brush, using a generous amount to ensure it soaks in. When pet urine dries, it forms crystals that produce a stench. Your repair must be complete to preserve the integrity of your home. Create a warm-water dilution with 25 to 30 percent vinegar. How to flip the script, 6 things homebuyers love to call out in the final walkthrough, No budget, no problem: 5 home staging hacks that barely cost a thing. This is important. I was hoping that all I need to do is cover the plywood with Kiltz and call it a day. Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines. Sand the stained subfloor area very lightly by hand to prepare it for the sealant. I am rehabbing a house with pet urine stains throughout the upstairs subfloor. 4. Spray this mixture on; let it sit for a few minutes; then blot dry. In this case, it’s been in the wooden subfloor for a long time. Several of the types of flooring damage discussed beginning at FLOOR DAMAGE DIAGNOSIS. Cut Out And Replace Sub-Floor . This will probably be the most effect way of blocking the odor without replacing the subfloor. You can prime the subfloor with Zinsser B-I-N primer. Blot dry with a clean cloth. Cover the treated area with plastic to prevent evaporation and wait for 24 hours before removing the plastic and letting the area dry out. For a stronger solution, mix 3 percent hydrogen peroxide with a squirt of dish soap and a sprinkle of baking soda. Before we talk about subfloor mold, let's explain what a subfloor is. Deodorizing a subfloor that has been soaked with pet urine requires a two-step approach. Even if the damage isn’t dire yet, anything damp will eventually sprout mold and begin to rot. Read More. Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Underlayment: Some floors have a thin underlayment that helps to smooth the subfloor for the floor covering. User promo code onward25 during checkout to save 25% on your Inman Select Membership. We also noticed the house smells terrible especially when it rains or is humid. Editor’s note: This article was originally published on Inman in 2012 and has been updated. The odor you smell is from the crystallized urine in the impregnated wood. This usually worsens the pet urine problem because the liquid settles faster … After you allow the floor to dry out, seal it with a subfloor sealer. Why? If you have water damaged subfloors, you’ll likely notice your floors are swollen or lifted.