Nicole, before you start painting you need to treat all of the urine surfaces with a biological agent that actual works to break down the urine. With just ozone the smell can come back when it gets wet or damp. I worked as a home inspector and I've seen horrors. You can buy the biological agent from janitorial supply stores. If you have access to the kitchen floor and cat liter room from below, you should spray down the beams and sub floor. Good Luck, its going to be beautiful!
Agreed. Not sure if you're using professional cleaners or doing it yourself. When I was working in NY in Insurance we referred Servpro. I know they service the boroughs, you may want to check if they're available in your area
Agreed. You can also go to the vet and buy something that breaks down the urine smell. I am in Canada and buy a product called Elimo and it works amazing.
You are going to need to remove all surfaces that are saturated with urine. This may include the subflooring, below the lino. You may also need to remove baseboards/ trim that was in contact as well as the lower part of the drywall - where ever there was saturation. You cannot paint over it to remove the odor; this will not work.
You might want to look at tearing out sheetrock in the worst spots. We had a basement that had a similar treatment of lots of animal urine and the pee soaked all the way through the sheetrock and even to the foam/padding behind and behind that to the concrete (in a daylight basement) We cleaned, did killz paint and the smell was still really bad until we ripped out sheetrock. We took out the bottom 2 feet of Sheetrock in the entire basement and the smell disappeared.
I totally agree. We bought a cottage that smelled of smoke. We used Klilz primer and painted over it and it took a few years for the smell to go away, especially in the heat. It was a cottage so we weren't in the building the all that much but a home...you need to be drastic.
Agree with Sheetrock suggestion. We had a place that we even had to replace sections of OSB subfloor because of cat urine. It almost reached the trusses underneath. 🤮
@@redcyan77 haha yep, my house was the same. Had to replace the subfloor and the bottom 2 feet of drywall because....animals piss on the walls. So nasty. But SO GLAD we did that instead of just replacing the floor and trying to paint over it, because it would NOT have worked. There was so much cat urine soaked into the subfloor that it had pooled and congealed on the ductwork between the basement and first floor.
I've been through a similar situation with a rental. Kill restoration maximum stain and Odor or Zinsser Odor blocking primer on ceiling walls floor etc prior to painting. Also use on floor after removing linoleum, prior to putting new flooring down. It will help. I'm sure you will make it fabulous!
Oh, girl. You are so full of optimism and good cheer even in the face of literal sh*t. I agree with everyone else in the comments talking about enzyme cleaner being a big help. I had a horrible urine smell in one room my house when I bought it and I hosed it down with an enzyme cleaner made for pet urine a few times and it really helped. I haven’t really gotten over the bitterness I feel towards the people who lived here before and left the gross messes they left, and I am impressed that you don’t seem to be projecting those types of bitter/ angry feelings. You are a good person.
The easiest way to remove the paper backing from the walls is to buy some "DIF" wallpaper remover from your local hardware store. Either use a garden sprayer or a roller to apply, let sit for a few minutes. Then use a wide blade putty knife to easily scrape the paper off. Make sure to remove any existing paste with hot water and a sponge or rag so your walls are clean before you paint.
Nicole this is my hobby redoing houses. That wood floor can be saved! I rented a sander myself and lightly sanding the floor. Put a light stain and then I buy a sealer I have done many floors that looked worse than your floor. Try that first before u rip it up. It will get rid of the smell too. I have 4 rentals. Most tenants leave them looking like this. It’s just part of the business.
I came here to say this as well. I would rent a sander, use a finer grit, sand it lightly. I have sanded a floor that was is pretty bad shape. It's never going to look new, but definitely a cost savings from installing a new floor. Sand it, seal it, and put some area rugs down. Now maybe there is a lot of cupping in the boards, but I can't tell from the video. That may be why the flooring guy suggested that the floor was too thin to sand. But I would try to sand it, if you don't like it, then go with a new floor.
OMG, Nicole. How can people live like that? Hoarders with clutter and stuff is one thing. But human waste and cat litter? Oey! I’m surprised they agreed to pay. It’s a nice house. I’m glad your aunt is going to live there. It will be a nice place for her and you’ll have eyes on your nursery when you’re not there. This is not something you needed, for sure. Glad you have your positive attitude about this. Sending love and hugs. 💖😊
Sorry this happened to you. I took possession of a hoarders house from a flipper. They did not use Kilz when they painted. I had to repaint and use Kilz before I painted to get rid of the cat/dog urine smell. Please use the Kilz on every wall, floor, and ceiling. Good luck.
Oh my....I was thinking of renting out my family home. I'm reevaluating that thought😮 I'm so sorry you had to add that to your already FULL schedule. You are my Super woman!!!!!
My daughter rents homes and they are high $ rentals…..there are pigs in them…….people have no respect for anyone or anything when they trash homes….She had a couple she liked renting to for 8 years…then divorce happened and the wife became a real B….h and trashed the house saying it was her husband that did it…………it’s taken them over a month to restore it all back …..she’s selling it now and just doing flips from now on…. With all you have been thru and the worries you’ve had over finances I’m surprised your building another greenhouse….don’t you have enough and with your farm gardens and high tunnel……at your home……wow you’re carrying such a load now……🫣🙏
Periodic walk through's are a MUST!!! NO need to bag the idea, it's a great way to supplement income! You just have to vet your renters and do pop-up inspections at least a few times a year. A good lawyer for writing your lease is imperative, too!
Part of the key here is you need to have in writing that you can inspect the inside of the house on a regular basis. As often as every 3 months. Things get this way because no one is held accountable for years.
Our landlord inspects the property regularly so they can assess whether there's any maintenance that needs done and I am happy to oblige. A renter looking for a home that will be maintained would see that as a positive aspect of renting. Anyone who doesn't want the inspections to be done would be a red flag in my opinion.
Spouse of one time rental manager- that place needs Kilz, Kilz and more Kilz! Shocking the state in which some people will choose to live! Might want to be checking carefully for bed bugs as well (under outlet covers etc) So very sorry this happened while your family was coping with your Grandfather's illness and passing. Sending huge flower friend hugs
I rented a house one time from my grandma that I basically grew up in and moved away, came back several years later after divorce and needed a place to rent and grandma told me the horror story which left the place basically like what you are dealing with, only 10 times worse. If you don’t plan on replacing any wood underneath the urinating areas the smell will still come through . I did soak it with apple cider vinegar several several times and poured baking soda on several times and it did do wonders but that smell ugh you could just keep smelling so it has to go! Rip out all carpets and clean all walls super good then paint with kilz primer 2 times everything and then your paint color. Love the alablaster color. Good luck getting the money! Hopefully everything turns out for you!
I would go ahead and pull up that linoleum to see what's under. Probably pine t&g which is likely also soaked so I wouldn't rush to cover it up again - make sure the subfloor is treated and dried THOROUGHLY!!!
Please make sure you treat the subfloor with enzymes that eat the smell away and then Kilts the floor before you install the new otherwise the cat pee smell will seep through.
Hey Nicole. I have a friend that used to do these kind of clean ups for a living. His advice on cat urine is that the ONLY way to deal with it is to tear out the floor, SEAL the subfloor and then replace the flooring. It's in the wood, and you can't get it out, you have to seal it in. I'm SO sorry. What a mess and absolutely the worse timing. I can't believe you are gonna get the former tenants to pay you. It must be family and not the actual tenant. Anyone leaving bottles of urine in the closet is not well enough to be able to pay to clean out that mess is my guess. Good luck to you. That front porch is swoon worthy.
Sadly, I just went thru the same thing with one of our rentals. Mine was not a beautiful old treasure like yours. After ripping out the carpet I wash the bottom 2 feet of all the walls and the subfloor with TSP Cleaner using a scrub brush on a broom handle. Then sprayed the same areas with a pet odor enzyme using a new weed sprayer. The last step was to paint the same area with the OIL based Kilz. I tried for a month not to do this process, but every time I had to close the house up due to weather or got something wet it would smell. I did take all the trim off so I could get under it, then treated the trim with the same process. It was 5 months of hell but it worked. Good luck my heart goes out to you having to deal with this.
Not my business, but I must say that I’m quite concerned about your debt load. As a FORMER, repeat, former landlord, I must warn you not to be disappointed if the former tenants don’t pay up. Many say they will in hopes of not being sued. Fingers crossed that they keep their word.
Kills paint helped a TON when we were remodeling a home with tons of cat pee stains and stench!!! would highly recommend! We torn up the flooring and painted the floors with kills paint before putting the new flooring in!!
Oh my goodness! The hand the universe has dealt you this year... Huge hugs and love! In addition to expressing that, I did want to write a quick note to agree with the folks mentioning that if it's really bad, you may need to take things down to the studs in some areas. I lived in a rental when I was a student where the former tenants had placed litter boxes on the stairwell. We had to keep the doors closed and shove a towel in the gap between the door and the floor to keep the ammonia smell out. Our landlord was great and steam cleaned, enzyme treated, did everything recommended, but the moment it got wet the smell would get horrible again. Finally he tore the wood out and bottom half of the sheet rock out and replaced it and that was the only thing that fixed it. I'm SO sorry you're dealing with this on top of everything else
I'm sure there are a few options that will help with the smell and residue that may still be on the hard surfaces...including the walls. Prep those before painting or the moisture from the paint will just accentuate the smell. Not easy, lots of hard work!! I know you've got talented people helping you, reach out and ask for help!
Oh my god, we use to do rentals, key was use to. We had a hoarder issue, it was bad and hard to get them out. The best thing we did was spray the whole room including the floors with kilz. It sealed the smell in. We did paint the floors afterwards with porch paint and put down large carpet rugs. It held up really well till we could afford to do new flooring.
Nicole, been following you for ages now lol. Greatly enjoy your content. Especially your willingness to share as you're learning. But what I think keeps me coming back is your positive glass half full attitude lol. That's the way I was raised as well. Always look to the positive side of things. The world has enough Debbie downers and Gloomy Gusses hahaha 😆. The house itself is absolutely charming! Love it's original features that it has retained over the years. I would go by the year it was built and over time as it can be afforded, try to replicate it to the appropriate period. It's hard to find structures these days with great character and individuality. I'm sure it will be absolutely adorable when you get done with it.
Wow- can’t believe anyone would leave that kind of mess behind. Just want to share what I learned about cat urine. We moved into our house in 2003. The previous owner had a male cat that sprayed EVERYWHERE AND EVERYTHING. Front door, walls, carpet, wood trim. We tried everything, removed carpet and wood trim too. The sheet rock in one room had been saturated. We ended up replacing it. Finally after new sheet rock and wood trim, new carpeting and flooring, using kilz, having the heating ducting cleaned and replacing the wall grates the cat had sprayed, and repainting ceiling to floor, we got rid of the odor. Good luck with this! I wish you the best!
Spray the wallpaper with water. It will loosen the adhesive on the paper and then you can use a putty knife to scrape it off 😊 A little fabric softener mixed in will make it easier and help with smell. I just painted trim in Alabaster!!!
Oh wow! The first house we bought, it was like that, we did not know when we purchased it! Later we were told by the neighbors that those people, never threw the garbage out..... the yard was full, at least 7 big dumpsters full or more, I don't really remember anymore but was ridiculous! We cleaned everything even the hinges. It was a labor of love and the neighbors started remodeling their houses. They were so excited, neighbors from the whole area where coming to see what we were doing and were so supportive. It was a great experience! The house is going to be beautiful, your aunt will love it! After you take out the floors, only then the house will smell good! Good luck my dear 💞💞🤗
Quick suggestions: 1)Killz primer paint first on interior walls. 2)Maybe use the usable porch flooring somewhere else in the house. Then use vinyl plank flooring on the porch since it's more durable against moisture. Think snowy boots!
In my area, the standard approach for pet/people/trash/tobacco/high temp spice cooking odors that have steeped into the house is to clean, then paint all paintable surfaces with a stain killer like Kilz to seal the odor into walls & sub flooring. Otherwise, the odors and stains will “bleed through” the paint and new flooring over time and under hot/humid weather conditions. Good for you for reclaiming a wonderful home!
@@jenniferwolford4646 It means that some people cook things like curries with lot of oil and without enough ventilation so the smell of the spices sticks to the walls and floors.
Was going to suggest an ozone generator, glad you had access to one. I think you will need to rip up the laminate and possibly replace the plywood underneatth to get rid of the cat piss smell.
OMG! Been there. That's why we aren't landlords any more! We had to buy so much pet odor removal sprays. The kitchen floor had to totally be removed to the studs. Nightmare. did I mention the fleas? The horrific part was they had children living there. We weren't ever able to track them down. Small claims, even if you win, you have to collect it yourself. I feel your pain and love your positivity.
One more thing you didn't need to deal with but you're getting it done. I hope the former renters actually pay what they agreed to. Good luck either way. I know it will be beautiful and a nice place for your aunt when you're finished.
I am so sad and disappointed they left your home in this condition. I understand the mentality regarding the hoarding as my mom is working through her hording history. The additional work for you and your family, ugh. My goodness
You will probably have to replace flooring before getting rid of urine smell. Including the hardwoods. I had to replace hardwood flooring and base boards including a portion of the drywall to get rid of urine from dogs! Once it is absorb into the floor and walls you can't totally get rid of it. Sorry you had to go thru this. People are so gross! But I doubt you will recoup any money without going to court. Unfortuately!
In 1968 we took several layers of wallpaper off our daughters bedroom walls (large room)...used sprayer with wallpaper remover and I think vinegar mixture...took us days...then our bedroom, and then the boys smaller room . (Had already taken up black carpet with big red flowers in it....great carpet texture and fairly new but not for a young family). The floors my husband sanded......SO SORRY you have the pee and poop problem . .oh my gosh! Praying
I have a relative that just bought a house with the same problem and little money, considering every penny went to the down payment. They settled on vinyl plank. It was cheaper even than carpet and looks great. They figured it will do the trick till they can save money and replace the hardwood. Just a thought.
Omg! So sorry you have to go through this. 😞. How did you know the situation was bad and had the tenants already left? I would not know what to do in a situation like that. But glad you are able to breathe new life into the house and that your Aunt is moving in. How wonderful is that?🥰
Nicole, as temporary fix , a flooring person can fill the gaps and re-stain the floor ( this staining the filler and the aged areas). It is a “thing” that not every flooring person goes by cause it ain’t expensive;)
Oh Nicole! How awful! Hope you can get that odor out of the house. It may be saturated into the wood. I think the house will be so cute when you're done with it though.
Horrific, where i am it is usual to charge a bond which is four times the amount of weekly rent so if the tenants do not leave the home in the same way as they entered it you can refuse to give them there bond back and have some security knowing you have that money to help pay for the dmages (removal and cleaning etc) so sorry youve had to deal with this, i dont think id be as positive well done you have a great attitude! Admirable. I hope they pay but i suspect the type of people that do that to a home might not. Also that will be so nice having your Aunty there when its all fixed up! 😊
I stopped being a landlord after I had similar done to me. He flooded the basement, not telling me and ruined the water heater, water softener and furnace. He had 2 Rottweilers, a parrot and a monkey ( I found out when I evicted them). There were so many fleas in the house they were biting me @ll over, just walking in. The parrot pecked the walls over the curtain rods and I had parrot poop and monkey poop everywhere. This was @ physician in residency and he also moved out of state to Florida where I can’t get to his pay. I sold the house to a realty co. And cut my loses. Guess who isn’t a landlord anymore! I feel your pain and really wish it hadn’t happened. What a horrible time to go through this. Keep your chin up!
Been there....done that. I wouldn't wish that situation on anyone. It's a great house though, any worthy of transformation. I can imagine how charming it will be. Looking forward to following.
PAINT WITH KILLS FIRST! We bought a smokers house and it hit us like a ton of bricks. I had to paint TWO COATS of kills on the walls, ceilings, doors, trim, and subfloor. I also bought an ozone generator. It worked well. Good luck!!
I can so sympathize with you. My best friend inherited a Mobil home park. She had worked their prior for her father and the condition these homes were left in could be unspeakable. Thankfully very few were rented so it didn't happen often. I always said these people must be mentally ill.
I'm so sorry that happened to you. I mixture of hot waterr and fabric softener will help remove the old wallpaper quickly, added bonus smells better than urine.
Nicole--try kilz for the smell. Paint the walls as a primer, and paint your floor base after you rip up the flooring to replace. It will neutralize it as well as kill any mold spores present! We moved into a house in similar shape and had to replace flooring etc--- kilz had the smell gone within the week. You probably already knew that, but just in case! It's a cute house, you can fix it up nice. 👍
House is beautiful. Your Aunt is so lucky. Try not to replace the windows. If you do, use wood and not vinyl. That way you don't lose the charm of the house 🏠 💜🌻
If professional cleaners cant get the smell out, yes you are right and a lot of flooring replacement is needed. Unfortunately you may have to replace drywall (I hope it drywall, not plaster!) in that area where the cats had their little boxes. Cat urine is oily. A friend of ours who lays carpet says the odour never leaves once it soaks in. I hope Auntie dosen't have a cat because that area now becomes a territorial target for more urine. Unless its all replaced. What a drag! Love the tin ceilings and little porches off the house. Nice thing about tin and drop ceilings is you can put in LED pot lights. Def do an update on the renos. I am learning from you!
you guys will do wonders to this house. I'm excited for you on this new project. I will be a good place to "showcase" your flowers and plants too! You're well on your way to make this corner of your town the best one yet!
We had a similar situation where the spare bedrooms were used as dog kennels. We sealed the walls before we painted them and it did get the rid of the smell. Good luck. Cheers Bronwyn 🇦🇺
Nicole, Cant you prime and paint the floors with floor paint and with painters tape you can make large triangles with the base being an opposite color. It’s how my friends floors are done and they look incredible
We had to deal with cat urine and the best solution we had that completely took care of it was a diluted mixture of vinegar and water. Spray directly onto the walls. This worked like a charm. Do this BEFORE priming and painting, and yes, you definitely want to KILZ prime it.
Try finding an enzyme cleaner that breaks down uric crystals. I foster cats, and I've tried so different brands. I'm not sure if this brand is available in USA Enzyme Wizard Urine, and odour remover is the best I've come across.
So very sorry this happened!! Question: Is this like a water damage issue where removing part or all of the dry wall is necessary to make it livable and sanitary? SUE THE CRAP OUT OF THOSE TENNTS!!! I know you probably won't get much but a judge can garnish future wages etc.
Woooow so sorry that you're dealing with that! Wish we could rally all of your viewers and tear out and redo all the floors and walls and tackle that together 😊❤
My neighbor used to keep cats in his garage. They would urinate all over the concrete floor and up some of the walls. No cleaning agent or chemical treatment got rid of the urine smell. It dissipated when doors and windows were open but once closed the smell came back tenfold. I'm not 100% sure but I think cleaning agents have to be reapplied as needed so those aren't a permanent solution? Anyway, my neighbor had to drill out the concrete flooring and replace it with new. Same with the lower walls. Total replacement. Have you thought about painting your hardwood floors to postpone replacing them? Charming little house. I'm sure you'll make it something really special. Can hardly wait to see what you do with it. Wishing you the best.
Nicole, you are an amazing woman. I’ve never met anyone as positive and energetic as you. It’s so awful that those tenants lived the way they did, damaged your house and left such a disgusting mess for you to clean up. But if anyone can overcome the obstacles this house represents, it’s you. You’ve proved time and again that you are up for the challenge; you and your incredible extended family! All of you are truly inspirational. 🩷
Nicole, have your flooring company screen your existing floors and paint them with a porch paint. My Douglas fir floors were beyond repair. Painting them was suggested. Turned out beautifully. I love them. Chose a French Gray color. Beautiful. Better than natural wood finish.
Oh what an adorable house! Perfect spot for your aunt, we have those same tin ceilings in our house. Sending all the good thoughts about making it "livable". I don't understand how this could happen but it's actually very sad.
My neighbors went to Home Depot and got a kit to restore a floor. They lightly hand sanded the floor, I believe it came in the kit. And they put a top coat down and it is beautiful. It was work yes but it wasn’t a total replacement of the floor. I believe the cost was minimal. The floor is 90 years old. I’m not kidding when u tell I it was stunning. Maybe check into that. Can’t hurt.
Wow, after working in healthcare and in trauma settings, not much grosses me out, but I have to say, thinking about your situation is still making me feel like throwing up! I can't even imagine how much work it has been for you and the cleaning crews. And it sounds like much more work is in store. However, like you said, the character of the house is absolutely charming and it makes me so happy that you are giving this place another chance at being a good home for someone special. Great job, and your positive attitude is really contagious, thank you for sharing!! Now to clean my house... and I thought my pile of laundry was bad!!
Sounds like the kitchen area subfloor will need to be replaced. I’ve been there.Owners of the first house I bought couldn’t afford diapers and had 6 kids (4 were under 4). I had no idea HOW BAD it really was until I pulled up the linoleum and carpet. It was soaked all the way thru the subfloor and saturated the framing below it! The lower sections of drywall also had to be replaced because of how much soaked up from the floors. It’s a lot of work /$ but you won’t regret it in the end. This house is lovely and not beyond TLC. Happy ending for my house, I was able to sell it 18 months after I bought it and doubled its value after ALL costs. It wasn’t intended to be a flip, but job change had me moving. Oh I should add - this was all DIY too (I couldn’t afford to contract any help at that time) AND my daughter was 1 year old when I moved out! 😊. You’re doing a great job!!!!!!!!
Can't believe anyone would think it's ok to live like that!!sorry you're stuck with the mess but it will be adorable with the right amount of love!I'm seeing the vision!😊
