Getting rid of cat (urine) smell

[holymoly]

I have a conditional offer on a house with a basement that reeks of cat pee. It`s a mostly full basement, plus a small crawl space. It has a linoleum tile floor directly on concrete, and I think some of the smell is from the floor, but mostly I think the cats have used the crawl space as a litter box. Most but not all of the smell is confined to the basement (the power is off in the house so the air hasn`t been circulating a lot.) The rest of the house has laminate floating floors. In the living room, the laminate is in rough shape, with edges peeling/lifting; it may have taken some pee, too. There`s no carpet in the house, and currently no furniture in the basement (though there used to be a couch -- I was hoping the smell was all in the couch, but no!)

I`ve been reading about different methods of getting rid of the odor. If you have a good method, I`d love to hear it.

I plan to pull up the laminate floor. But my fear is that I won`t be able to get rid of the smell in the basement without breaking up the concrete floor -- I read online that this has been necessary at times. That sort of work is beyond what I want to take on now. Do any of you have experience with cat smells and concrete? Should I be worried enough to consider walking away from the deal? Thanks in advance.

 

[dplummer]

Using a black light will help you locate the urine spots. The urine will be twice the size on the back of the carpet/flooring then on the face. Removal of the carpet/flooring may be advisable. Wash the concrete with a good detergent & let dry. If the odour still persists seal the concrete with a stain sealer like Kiltz, Bin, SPS. This method has always worked for me. Best of luck!
Doug

 

[Brianrpaul98]

If you are in Calgary, I have an ozone m/c that I rent out for $60/3 days. The ozone m/c will get rid of all house odours including urine, mold, etc from floors and carpets. 3 days with the ozone machine will do the trick.

I sell the machines as well.

Regards,

QUOTE (holymoly @ May 22 2008, 07:25 PM) I have a conditional offer on a house with a basement that reeks of cat pee. It`s a mostly full basement, plus a small crawl space. It has a linoleum tile floor directly on concrete, and I think some of the smell is from the floor, but mostly I think the cats have used the crawl space as a litter box. Most but not all of the smell is confined to the basement (the power is off in the house so the air hasn`t been circulating a lot.) The rest of the house has laminate floating floors. In the living room, the laminate is in rough shape, with edges peeling/lifting; it may have taken some pee, too. There`s no carpet in the house, and currently no furniture in the basement (though there used to be a couch -- I was hoping the smell was all in the couch, but no!)

I`ve been reading about different methods of getting rid of the odor. If you have a good method, I`d love to hear it.

I plan to pull up the laminate floor. But my fear is that I won`t be able to get rid of the smell in the basement without breaking up the concrete floor -- I read online that this has been necessary at times. That sort of work is beyond what I want to take on now. Do any of you have experience with cat smells and concrete? Should I be worried enough to consider walking away from the deal? Thanks in advance.

 

[Stephen1151]

I talked to a guy who has a business doing ozone shock therapy. He told me that its impossible to get out pet urine smell if its in concrete. the only thing that works is to dilute half water half bleach and soak down the concrete. then once that is dry to paint with a zinzer paint. he said this is still not perfect but its the next best thing other than ripping up your concrete

 

[holymoly]

Thanks for the advice. I`ll look into buying a blacklight for the next time I go into the property. There are no carpets, but it`ll be helpful on the floors and crawlspace. If I do close I`ll rent an ozone machine, which is something my agent also recommended (I`m in Ontario, Brian, but thanks anyway). I guess I`m still not sure what to do... the idea that `there`s no way to get the smell out of the concrete` is something I`ve heard before and it scares me. Maybe a black light will tell me that the urine isn`t on the floor, that`s it`s only in the crawl space. That would be easier to deal with than possibly-impossible concrete.

Thanks for the bleach tip too, and the different paints that stop odor transfer.

 

[dplummer]

Be very carefull with the ozone & the bleach mixture. A true ozone machine should not be used by the inexperienced. Over output of ozone could be worse heath ways then the urine. Ozone can cause a bleaching effect to paint & houshold furniture & cause some damage to various types of rubber. Bleach & water is old school & can be hard on you as well. There is much safer & more effective treatment. As a owner of a restoration co specializing is water, mould, fire & odour control for over 25 years I know a little about this. Call a janitorial supply house in your area. They should be able to help you . We have never had to replace the concrete floor.

Doug

 

[Ready4Rent]

We have had this problem a few times, we use a bacterial enzyme solution (breaks down the urine, you can find the product at most cleaning stores). Clean and Clean again, then seal the concrete with a sealing paint (B.I.N., Kiltz). We have also tried the ozone machines, but not that effective for urine smells.

Hope this helps.

John

 

[holymoly]

More good information -- thanks.

 

[Brianrpaul98]

I agree with Doug that it you should be careful when using ozone machines. Many ozone manfacturers and sales companies market their machines as "air purifiers" to be run at low levels constantly, presumably to tap into a exponentially larger market, and I believe this is where much of the confusion arrises. All reports show it is not healthy to be in an environment where ozone is produced at low levels under the guise of it being an air purifier.An ozone machine, when run at a low level does nothing to kill bacteria. The most effective way to rid odours is to shock the space with the ozone machine on high, and therefore it is imperative that the space be vacant. After the treatment, the ozone dissipates within a short time (an hour), and this can be accelerated by opening the windows.

Below is a summary of what the EPA had said in a report from 2006. It emphasizes that it is not safe to be in the environment when the machine is running, and secondly, that it is ineffective in removing bacteria at low levels, hence the only effective method is to run it at high levels (shock treatment) and obviously in a vacant unit.

My experience has been excellent when the ozone machine is put into a vacant unit for 2 or 3 days to get rid of smells, odours, etc. After a day or so the apartment smells fresh again and is ready to rent. That is my take on it. Again, below is a summary from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that was largely in response to companies selling ozone machines with the claim that it is safe to run and use constantly, at low levels as an "Air Purifier" for you home.

/Brian


Summary

Whether in its pure form or mixed with other chemicals, ozone can be harmful to health.

When inhaled, ozone can damage the lungs. Relatively low amounts of ozone can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and, throat irritation. It may also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma as well as compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections.

Some studies show that ozone concentrations produced by ozone generators can exceed health standards even when one follows manufacturer’s instructions.

Many factors affect ozone concentrations including the amount of ozone produced by the machine(s), the size of the indoor space, the amount of material in the room with which ozone reacts, the outdoor ozone concentration, and the amount of ventilation. These factors make it difficult to control the ozone concentration in all circumstances.

Available scientific evidence shows that, at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone is generally ineffective in controlling indoor air pollution.

The concentration of ozone would have to greatly exceed health standards to be effective in removing most indoor air contaminants. In the process of reacting with chemicals indoors, ozone can produce other chemicals that themselves can be irritating and corrosive.



QUOTE (dplummer @ May 24 2008, 08:19 AM) Be very carefull with the ozone & the bleach mixture. A true ozone machine should not be used by the inexperienced. Over output of ozone could be worse heath ways then the urine. Ozone can cause a bleaching effect to paint & houshold furniture & cause some damage to various types of rubber. Bleach & water is old school & can be hard on you as well. There is much safer & more effective treatment. As a owner of a restoration co specializing is water, mould, fire & odour control for over 25 years I know a little about this. Call a janitorial supply house in your area. They should be able to help you . We have never had to replace the concrete floor.

Doug

 

[holymoly]

Excellent and valuable information about using ozone machines. Much appreciated!

 

[timbits1]

Brain, hello from Calgary. If possible, would you please forward to me, more information regarding the Ozone Generator. Renta/Purchase options etc.

Regards;

Tim

 

[eddyb1978]

I had the same issue in one laundry room...

Here is what i have done to get rid of it...

Step 1
Pet Value or any specialized stores carry a 2 to 3 gallon solutions ( approx $25 ).... you will need to soak the concrete 2 to 3 times with it to get rid of the smell..
I kept repeating using 3 jugs-gallons...

Step 2
Once the floor is dry- pay a visit to Benjamine moore.... Purchase a alochol based primer normally used in burnt houses because it seals any left over odours ( about 60 dollars )
Also buy a special a concrete paint/sealer oil based 2 gallons ( about 70 dollars) and do 2 coats..

Worked for me no odours... the place smelled so bad before from miles away..

Hope this helps..

Cheers,
Eddy

 

[jwilbrin]

Just something to keep in mind when viewing a property that has a strong cat urine smell in the basement -- particularly if part of the basement is a crawlspace. Excessive moisture in a basement can often smell like cat urine.

A few years ago I had an offer in on what I thought was a great 10 suite building -- fabulous location and super character. I thought it was strange that there was a strong cat urine odour in the basement since the basement only housed the mechanical room, laundry and storage and there were no residential suites down there.

The inspector upon walking down into the basement immediately said "there is a moisture problem down here can you smell that?" When I told him I thought it was cat urine he said that`s what it smells like but it is most likely a moisture/water issue. Upon deeper inspection there was substantial foundation problems found.

We walked away from the deal as the seller was not willing to negotiate -- he had back up offers with no inspection conditions on them. I sure feel sorry for the folks who bought that property with no inspection.

 

[ScottL]

I once owned a house with stinky cat pee. It was not on the concrete though. It was on the carpet throughout the house. I ripped the carpet out, painted and spots on the subfloor, and put laminate over top. 2 years later when I sold it, there was still no odour. I am glad I was not intimidated by the odour. I made a healthy profit on that house

. Good luck to you.

Scott

 

[Brianrpaul98]

QUOTE (holymoly @ May 24 2008, 02:50 PM) Excellent and valuable information about using ozone machines. Much appreciated!

Hi Tim,

You can reach me at 403 690 3522 for more info regarding the Ozone M/C. I live in Calgary NW btw.

Reg,
Brian