Hardwood and Cat Urine

[BradFenstermaker]

We have made 2 offers on a foreclosure with all hard surface. 2200 sqft is hardwood. The smell of cat urine when you enter the home is almost unbearable.
Inspecting the home I see urine on the baseboards as well as the walls.

Plan to clean walls and trim then Kilz whole house.
Clean and scrub the hardwood with Urine Prespray or Peroxide. Sand, Stain, Seal them.
Will 3 coats of Poly seal any odor present??

I am scared that We may never get rid of the Feline perfume.

What other suggestions are there for the Hardwood Floor??

The property is awesome but may be a big mistake to purchase.

 

[Old Coastie]

Brad, that urine has likely gone under the baseboard and quarter round, into the cracks and down the vent registers. Yes, it can be treated effectively (I would LOVE to hear from the vendors in here on that).
If you asked me to help, I would load Hydrocide (or your favorite urine counteractant) into my steamer. Then we'd spray it on the walls, steam mop them down to the baseboards. Then we'd use the steam to inject the chemical, piping hot, into the edges, cracks and crevices to flush out the hidden, sticky, concentrated urine. If you don't do that somehow, you will NEVER get all of the smell out.

I see you are in N Georgia? If there is any way I can help you with this, please PM me. I get up to Chattanooga regularly, for example. You can buy lunch and we'll get that joint cleaned up. How 'bout it?

 

[Mikey P]

HVAC?

 

[Desk Jockey]

If I were going to save the trim & drywall I'd try Zinzer's BIN instead of Kilz.

However I would not try to save it. As Stephen mentioned it could have seeped down beyond what you can clean & seal. Then after all the efforts you're left with a faint pissy odor.

 

[GeneMiller]

Don't know about poly but shellac will seal in odor. In the worst areas you can remove and replace assuming real wood and not fake. It can be stained to match. Personally Ive used bleach before to kill it. Obviously on bleach safe surfaces like tile. I wouldn't be afraid to try it on a wood floor that was pissed up anyways if it was mine.