Hi Everyone —
I just gutted a condo in Maui, HI and when we pulled the drywall off of one of the exterior walls, the wall was filled with cockroaches, droppings and a stench that is probably the combination of the cockroach droppings, dead bugs, mouse droppings and urine. It’s really bad. We scrubbed all the sheathing with a general purpose cleaner, then went back and did it again with a strong solution of bleach followed by a water rinse. Even though it’s dry now, it still stinks. I’ve read about using baking soda, lye, and vinegar, but figured I’d see if anyone has dealt with this problem before I waste any more time. The walls will be insulated with 2″ of closed-cell foam and then hung with 5/8″ drywall. But not until I can get rid of the stink.
Replies
Paint it with a shellac based paint.
odor in wall
I believe Kilz Premium acrylic latex primer sprayed onto the sheeting and studs will seal the odor and also it will kill mold spoors and prevent mold from forming.
I had one like that once. I sprayed it with a bleach solution every nightr before going home for about two weeks before the smell was gone
Try hydrogen peroxide, full strength from the drugstore bottle.
Nature's Miracle, available by the gallon at large pet supply stores, will break down the organic cause of odor
KOE by Thornell Co - per this page http://www.thornell.com/pages/faqs.html#work
"Thornell ODORCIDE® products act through:
Counteraction. Termed neutralization when no odor results and reodorization when a milder pleasant odor replaces the malodor. A nonchemical odor phenomenon which combines two odors to get a third that is weaker in intensity. Works through Zwaardemaker pairs (conjugates); pairs of odorants that neutralize each others' respective odors.
Absorption. Physical penetration of malodor substance into the inner structure of one or more Thornell product substances.
*
Bonding (chemisorption). Chemical binding of malodors to Thornell product's molecular surfaces.
Also utilize:
Inhibitors. Control odors that can be caused by further biological (organic) decomposition (putrefaction).
Residuals. Reactivate after initial application to combat & prevent odors."
There was an abandoned home with cats in Cincinnati a couple years ago - they were able to rehab it despite major urine odor. (http://www.foreclosurecats.org/)
Thanks everyone.
Thank you all. I ended up bleaching it a couple of times, applying two coats of Zinsser's Perma-White, and one coat of Bin. If I were to do it all over again, I would skip the Perma-White and go straight to the Bin. Smell is 95% gone. I'm planning to laminate the wall with 3/8" CDX before hanging drywall just to make sure.
-Pete
I rehab old
and sometimes VERY stinky houses. One product, specifically intended for use with urine odors is Odorxit. It works.
Other ideas posted here are good to prepare for the use of a urine chemical conversion treatment, but do not take the place. Sealing the odor in place with paint or shellac is simply delaying the release and breakdown of the urea (that is the part of urine that is gaseous and that you can smell).
Two ways to treat urine smell that work. Remove the material or chemically convert the remnants of the urine.
Thanks, Tim.