Covering pet odor with laminate

kjmenchio

My pets have destroyed my carpet with urine, so I plan to rip it out and replace with laminate flooring. I'm sure the plywood decking will reek of urine. Anyone know how to treat the plywood prior to installing underlay, or if the underlay will cover up the odor? Will a moisture barrier work?

allpraisebob

There are a number of enzyme-based products that work extremely well. The best types contain pure enzymes, not "live" bacteria that will (hopefully) produce enzymes when applied to a pet-stained surface. Places that rent carpet cleaners usually carry these products that you either pre-treat the area with or add to the cleaning solution tank. Thinking outside the box, you might want to use the carpet cleaning machine directly on the underlayment, but only if it's plywood (if it's OSB I'd strongly consider replacing it with plywood).

There is no effective way to cover up pet urine stains, especially from male cats. You must either treat them with enzymes (which digest the odor causing molecules) or else replace the affected areas. Plastic sheeting moisture barrier is effectively porous to these molecules and if you ever have dogs or cats in the room again that are not well trained they will zip right over to the stain sites to mark them again. Also keep in mind that a dog's nose is some 10,000 times more sensitive that our schnozzes... You may no longer smell the stains, but that by no means guarantees that Fido won't!

Here's one brand, as an example (not an endorsement!), of a product that is used as a pre-treatment before using a carpet cleaner:

http://www.epinions.com/content_221927476868

There are, literally, hundreds of others available in the pet section of grocery stores, big box retailers, etc.

AtlanticWBConst.

If the enzymes works....

Otherwise, standard procedure is to remove the plywood sheathing and replace.

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- Build Well -

Mikedks

The enzyme cleaners really do work, I unfortunately know from experience. You just need to douse the whole area and give the
enzymes several days to do the job. You may have to reapply a
second time.

Floorwizard

A product called Kilz or Z lac will work well.

joasis

In a rental unit of mine, I ripped out the carpet, and applied Kilz to the sub flooring, and placed down new carpet, and that was effective....after then I raised the damage deposit to tenants with pets to 3 months rent, plus first and last in advance...never had a tenant with a dog or cat in one of my houses again.

I love my dog, and he stays in the house at night, but he will not mark anything...it is all about training. and remember, you get pet urine into laminate flooring, you will be doing this again.

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sundog

FYI someone (pro) from the paint board told me no kilz on a slab unless it stays dry, a local painter agreed saying it is fine for subfloors and concrete that stays dry, (slabs here often dont) otherwise use a moisture sealer appropriate to the surface and following paint. Kilz & low odor Kilz for stain/smoke/mold /tobacco and avoid the kilzII and other latex-based versions.