When pet accidents go deeper than the carpet
A pet that is aging, ill, anxious or left alone too long may use the same spots repeatedly. Over months, urine soaks through carpet into the pad, spreads across the subfloor, runs under baseboards and wicks into the bottom of drywall. Feces left on flooring adds bacteria and staining.
Landlords also see this after a tenant with pets moves out. The unit may look acceptable after a carpet shampoo, then smell again on the first humid day. Vehicles that carried pets and veterinary clinics with kennel areas can need the same work.
Finding everything that is affected
Urine spots are often much larger underneath than they look on top, and pets frequently use spots behind furniture or in closets that no one checks. We use ultraviolet lights and moisture meters to trace where urine has spread across flooring and up walls, and we mark the areas before deciding what needs to come out. This is what keeps the cleanup from missing the source.
Kennels, groomers and boarding businesses face a related problem on a larger scale, usually on concrete. The same principle applies: find where urine has soaked in, clean and treat it, and seal what can be sealed.
For hardwood floors, the decision is harder. Light surface staining can sometimes be sanded and refinished, but urine that has darkened boards or reached the subfloor usually means those boards need replacement by a flooring contractor.
From detection to sealing
- Detect and map Affected areas are located with UV light and moisture readings and photographed.
- Remove waste and soiled items Feces, soiled rugs and items you choose to discard are bagged and removed.
- Lift carpet, pad and tack strip Where urine has soaked through, these are removed, since pad and tack strip hold odor that cleaning cannot reach.
- Cut out affected trim and drywall Baseboards and the lower edge of drywall are removed where urine has wicked up.
- Treat the subfloor Wood or concrete is cleaned with enzyme or detergent products and disinfected per label.
- Seal once dry An odor-blocking primer can be applied to treated subfloors and framing before new flooring goes down.
Flooring and finishes at risk
- Carpet, cushion pad and the tack strip around the room
- Plywood and OSB subfloors
- Hardwood flooring and the boards beneath
- Basement and garage concrete
- Baseboards and lower drywall
- Upholstered furniture and mattresses
Health and odor notes
Strong ammonia odor from concentrated urine can irritate eyes and airways. Our crew wears gloves, eye protection and respiratory protection appropriate to conditions.
Lasting odor control starts with removing the source. Air treatment equipment can help afterward, but EPA cautions that ozone may mask odors without removing them and should be used only in spaces where no people or pets are present. We do not use ozone as a shortcut in place of removing saturated materials.
Before we come
- Hold off on steam-cleaning urine spots until the extent is mapped.
- Do not use scented sprays to cover the smell; they make detection harder.
- Keep pets out of affected rooms.
- If you are a landlord, take your own move-out photos before work begins.
Other professionals
Replacement flooring, drywall and trim are installed by flooring contractors or your maintenance team. Fleas and other insects go to a pest control company. If a pet's habits changed suddenly, a veterinarian may be able to help. Once new flooring is installed, an easy-to-clean surface in the pet's favorite area can make future accidents simpler to manage. Larger situations involving many animals are covered on our animal hoarding cleanup page, and odor-focused work on pet urine odor removal.