Kyle wrote:
# Fred # wrote:
My tenant moved out about 3 weeks ago and the house still reek of dog
pee. The lease states no pets but you know how it goes. Anyway, I've
already removed the carpet and pad but the odor won't go away. I have
about 1,200 sq. ft. of particleboard underlayment so I couldn't use
any liquid chemicals. What next, rip off all the underlayment?

wayne wrote:
You could try KILZ to seal it

Wayne, no, KILZ will not seal anything. It is a water-based primer and
therefore still permeable. I know from trying to seal the stink of 25
years' worth of tobacco smoke into the walls of a house we bought
earlier this year.

If you go the painting route, Fred, use B.I.N. It is a tinted shellac,
and therefore will seal the subfloor against the pee smell making it to
the surface.

BUT, and this is a big but, you still have the possibility that the pee
smell will penetrate the underside of the subfloor, which means a
sensitive nose - attached to, say, a pregnant woman (like our recently
departed tenants) - may still smell pee, especially if this is the
first floor you're talking about and the subfloor is exposed in the
basement.

I hate to say it, but the best bet and the most thorough way of dealing
with this is to take up the subflooring where it's stained and replace
it

you can spray the underside of the subfloor and joists too if the smell
is showing up on a lower level.

the big thing is dont cheap out, use generous amounts and multiple
coats of outdoort poly or oil based kils.

water based products will get a little soft and allow the odor to
reappear......