Getting smell out of a cement floor??

VINMAN · 07-02-2007, 04:17 AM

I'm in the middle of doing a basement remodel for a customer. I pulled up a carpet that was wet for who knows how long. Plus I think that thier dog used it too. Anyway, the cement floor now reeks. Hard to tell if its mold , dog piss or both. The floor was cleaned and mopped. The basement has been airing out for about 4 days with no improvement.
I had suggested putting a sealer over the floor but they wouldnt go for it.

Any ideas??

stomachmonkey · 07-02-2007, 04:20 AM

Bleach.

Joeaksa · 07-02-2007, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by stomachmonkey
Bleach.

+1

Dog or cat urine is not easy to remove and may take repeated treatments.

dad911 · 07-02-2007, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by VINMAN
I'm in the middle of doing a basement remodel for a customer.......
I had suggested putting a sealer over the floor but they wouldnt go for it.

Any ideas??

Have the customer hire a separate cleaning contractor to get rid of the smell. If you do the repairs as part of the remodeling, I predict callbacks every time they have odors in the basement, even if it the dog marking his spot again.

I once had to strip an apartment down to the floor joists, couldn't get the smell out of the plywood floor.

stomachmonkey · 07-02-2007, 04:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dad911
Have the customer hire a separate cleaning contractor to get rid of the smell. If you do the repairs as part of the remodeling, I predict callbacks every time they have odors in the basement, even if it the dog marking his spot again.

I once had to strip an apartment down to the floor joists, couldn't get the smell out of the plywood floor.

That's an even better idea.

gr8fl4porsche · gr8fl4porsche's Garage

With a plywood floor you have to replace the wood.

Concrete is like a sponge. They are going to have to 'pull' the odors out. I would use a powerwasher, lots of water, lots of cleaners, degreasers, bleach, etc. then run a dehumidifier for a few weeks.

Then the odor may still persist and it will be time for a sealer.

Good luck

VINMAN · 07-02-2007, 05:24 AM

Thanks for the Ideas guys!. I suggested the bleach Idea ( that was my first thought). But they are worried about the fumes. The cleaning contractor is a good idea. That way I'm not liable. I know one method to remove smells is by using an ozone generator. The ozone permeates everything, and kills off any living organisms that cause odor.
I have been looking into doing crime scene cleanup as a business ( this engineering stuff is getting boring)

Steady work, good money. Always new customers..

Joeaksa · 07-02-2007, 06:58 AM

PineSol is also your friend here. We would steam clean it after using bleach, then soak the area in PineSol.

Randy's comment about having to remove any wood associated with the floor is correct as well. No way to get the smell out of wood and its easier to juts replace it and move ahead.

kaisen · 07-02-2007, 07:15 AM

Muratic acid and water. Ventilate!

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by kaisen
Muratic acid and water. Ventilate!

He said remove the smell, not the floor!

Actually not a bad idea if others fail... If the smell has only permeated a little bit, this can help remove a small layer of the floor.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by gr8fl4porsche
With a plywood floor you have to replace the wood.

Concrete is like a sponge. They are going to have to 'pull' the odors out. I would use a powerwasher, lots of water, lots of cleaners, degreasers, bleach, etc. then run a dehumidifier for a few weeks.

Then the odor may still persist and it will be time for a sealer.

Good luck

Yep!!

Z-man · Z-man's Garage

Sorry I can't help you -- but if you need to remove blood stains from a concrete floor, gimme a call... I have some connections....

-Z-man.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Concrete, not cement.

[smartass-architect-mode=ON]Cement is a constituent ingredient of concrete, which also includes fine & coarse aggregate, water and admixtures.

[smartass-architect-mode=OFF]

Anyway, I agree with what's been said - concrete is porous and will absorb liquids (and their smells) over time. There are numerous commercial chemicals that will help to remove odors, but you may need to look at aggressively drying out the area (dehumidification) in addition to chemical cleaning. Applying a sealer might be a good idea afterwards too.

Jim Bremner · 07-02-2007, 08:39 AM

head on over to your local pet store. You'll find a organic scent remover.

it uses microorganisms that should seep into to cement

buy twice as much as they say that you'll need.

I would 2-part epoxy the floor after the treatment to contain any ligering stench

VINMAN · 10:12 AM

I'm gonna leave the odor removal up to the homeowner. Save myself alot of headaches. This is my side business. Its supposed to be a two weekend job.
These are the type of customers that make you regret taking the job in the first place. You suggest the right way to do something, but they watch too many home improvement shows and know everything, and want to spend nothing.

trekkor · 07-02-2007, 10:23 AM

[quote]"...they watch too many home improvement shows and know everything, and want to spend nothing."

Grrrrr....

Makes me insane...Walk away...Turn and walk away.

KT

kang · 07-02-2007, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jim Bremner
head on over to your local pet store. You'll find a organic scent remover.

it uses microorganisms that should seep into to cement

buy twice as much as they say that you'll need.

I would 2-part epoxy the floor after the treatment to contain any ligering stench

I've used the enzyme types, also purchased at pet stores. The enzymes are specifically designed to dissolve urine.

It will require repeated treatments with several different chemicals. The previous owner of my house kept dogs enclosed in the concrete side yard. It took years to really get rid of the smell.

Good luck.