Advice please - dog urine smell and hardwood floor dilemma
A Green
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Hello everyone, please let me know your experience with treating dog urine smell. We bought the house with hardwood floor knowing there was a section of the darkened floors to be replaced before sanding/staining. Unfortunately, it was not the dog pee that occured 13 years ago (as we were told) because the floor was wet (moisture level >30% with being vacant for nearly 3 months) and subfloor was ruined (stain on base plates, joists, basement ceiling...).
We did as much as we can. We ripped off some basement ceiling, replaced two subfloor boards, applied Kiltz (two coats water-based mixing with Lysol and two coats of oil-based). However, when we walked into the house today after being away for two days, we can still smell the faint dog urine smell. We haven't moved in yet. I am debating on whether I should just rip-out and replace the ENTIRE living room floor. I sniffed the floor, there are still certain smelly boards in the living room. We have already replaced 1/4 of the living room floor. Though the damage is in the living room, my neighbor told me that the dog lived in the family room. I went to smell the family room floor, there are a couple of smelly boards, too.
Do you think staining and refinishing the floor would encapsulate the smell? We plan to use water-based floor stain.
Featured Answer
Comments (16)
A Green
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoRelated Discussions
removing dog urine smell
Comments (22)Problem 1 : The urine odor. Try saturating the smelly spots with Natures Miracle or Odoban. Let air dry (keep windows open day and night), then have the rug professionally shampooed. Chem Dry comes to mind. Good luck. Problem 2. Regarding the behavior of the Nanny. My daughter is a self-employed nanny. She has plenty of customers because she is darn good and kids love her (and she loves them) . She is reliable, always on time, will clean up a little, make meals and feed kids, changes diapers, has her own transportation (Mom and Dad keep her car running, but she buys her own gas). Anyway, my daughter would never, ever have a pet. She owns a cat that lives with us (Mom and Dad). She had an apartment for a while but her cat remained with us. So, allowing a Nanny to even have a pet is OUT. Tell your sister to be very careful in her next hire. And my daughter's in New York, and not willing to re-locate, so I guess she's out....See MoreI need advice on hardwood floors, please
Comments (8)First some of my experience (as a new hardwood floor owner), and then your questions. Pleasant surprises - much easier to keep clean that I expected. After almost half a year, I still love to look at my floor every single day. I still look to find "favorite boards" and see how they look in different light. And I still love the feel of the floor on my feet. However - some of the downsides I discovered. If I don't wear a padded or soled slipper, I get toe cramps. Weird, huh? We also live in a place where people tend to sand their icy walkways rather than chemical/melt. That's fine, except it requires some caution to keep from sand papering your floor simply by walking in the house. Rugs do the trick for the most part, but there's always those few loose grains. We're looking at installing a whole house humidifier. We need it anyway, but if we didn't we'd still be looking at it for the floors. We have very humid summers, and very cold/dry winters. Our floors have developed expansion/contraction gaps in some places that are nearly 1/8" wide. I haven't run into this yet, but my aunt had hardwood floors put in and sold her house 4 years later. She typically vacuumed rather than shook/beat her rugs. When she pulled them up after their house sold, the hardwood under he rugs was noticeably darker than around, due to surrounding areas having faded. I don't know how prone hardwood normally is to fading, but something to think about. For you rpictures - I think hardwood would look good in there. Is the entry at your front door already hardwood? You have a lot of warm colors & I think you would enjoy the aesthetics (you have a lot of stained wood accessories, and I think I see a fair bit of oak, so I'm assuming you enjoy the look of wood grain). How much distance is there between your couches? You generally want to place the rug so that at least the front feet of the furniture can rest on at least the border of the rug. Are you thinking prefinished, or finished onsite? Mine were finished onsite, so I could see the actual stain on the actual wood - an in larger areas than your average sample board. That helped. Go to a flooring store (or look through pictures here, or both) and get samples and set them on your floor. Move them throughout the day and notice how they look in different light. Usually the floor is more permanent than the furniture, so consider how you rwood looks with your furnishings to the degree you think is right. If the store has multiple samples, see if they'll let you check them all out and you can "pretend" to have one large sample. (I do that with like 10 paint chips at a time!)...See MoreDog urine on hardwood floor (x-post on Home Disasters board
Comments (9)I (hope) suspect they had a pet sitter. We used to use one in our house when we went on vacation, but I can tell you, it's an imperfect system since my dogs would eliminate in the house (and the pet sitter wasn't nearly as eagle eyed as I am!) so we came home more than once to a stain on the rug. Luckily, heart pine seems to handle dog urine better than other types of floors. Have you tried a little wood bleach or oxalic acid (Bar Keepers Friend?) - try a bit in an inconspicuous spot and see if it helps. If yes, then go for it over the entire area. Or try Nature's Miracle first. Our dogs have been pretty awful about going out since we moved to this temporary apartment and I swear I've been through a gallon of the stuff on our living room rug. Some days I forget they're housetrained. Sigh....See MoreI'm feeling sick!! (hardwood floors dilemma)
Comments (15)Yikes... that's quite a herd of pups! Sorry you're having problems... but I'd have to agree with anyone who suggested removal, replacement of the area involved... With any luck (and a bit of expertise) either the people who did your prior "refinish" will have the stain brand & or formula, and can PERHAPS blend in the new material to match (close) to the original... however, there aren't many of us willing to assure a perfect match. Floor looks like 3/4" x 2-1/4" Oak (although if it's actually very old, the material was milled to 25/32" thickness, and in that pic, I'd say Red... but possibly White oak)… Point is, that product is quite readily available UNFINISHED, from most local flooring distributors, (but there may be some slight differences in milling, lumber appearance, etc..) The "old growth" lumber definitely looks a bit different in comparison to the more modern stuff... but as I said, a guy who knows what he's doing should be able to get you back to where you were. One last suggestion... should you try that approach, consider using a water-based poly finish... there are many on the current market that afford the "user friendly", almost odorless, less toxic results in a fraction of the time needed for oil based finishes... and one that comes to mind (which we use regularly) is Emulsion Pro by Basic Coatings. It's an oil emulsion, water-based product which ambers slightly to give the same rich, golden tone associated with oil based products. And, it's easy to maintain & or repair (if needed), although, once again, I don't recommend having someone who isn't "qualified" jump into the picture... experience may come with a slightly higher price tag... but it's typically well worth it in the long run. Sorry to "drone on"... best of luck, and if you have any questions, we'll try to help....See More
cat_ky
3 years ago
olychick
3 years agochispa
3 years agoA Green
3 years agoA Green
3 years ago
ILoveRed
3 years agoChessie
3 years ago
Lindsey_CA
3 years agoA Green
3 years agoChessie
3 years agoLindsey_CA
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago
Related Stories
HOUSEKEEPINGHow to Clean Hardwood Floors
Gleaming wood floors are a thing of beauty. Find out how to keep them that way
Full Story
MATERIALSWhat to Ask Before Choosing a Hardwood Floor
We give you the details on cost, installation, wood varieties and more to help you pick the right hardwood flooring
Full Story
FLOORSHow to Paint Your Hardwood Floors
Know how to apply nail polish? Then you can give your wooden floors a brand-new look
Full Story
REMODELING GUIDESContractor Tips: Smooth Moves for Hardwood Floors
Dreaming of gorgeous, natural wood floors? Consider these professional pointers before you lay the first plank
Full Story
GREAT HOME PROJECTSWhat to Know Before Refinishing Your Floors
Learn costs and other important details about renewing a hardwood floor — and the one mistake you should avoid
Full Story
LIFEThe Polite House: On Dogs at House Parties and Working With Relatives
Emily Post’s great-great-granddaughter gives advice on having dogs at parties and handling a family member’s offer to help with projects
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGNPet-Friendly Design: Making Room for the Dog Dish
In a dog’s life, you eat on the floor. Except in kitchens like these, where pets are factored into the design
Full Story
LANDSCAPE DESIGNHow to Create a Stylish Dog-Friendly Backyard in the City
Follow this expert advice to make the most of your petite plot for you and your four-legged friend
Full Story
MOST POPULARPros and Cons of 5 Popular Kitchen Flooring Materials
Which kitchen flooring is right for you? An expert gives us the rundown
Full Story
PETSHouzz Call: Send in the Dogs
Have the greatest dog in the world? Share your best design photo featuring the dog you live or work with
Full Story
ci_lantro