Help needed - disgusting previous occupant!!!
Discussion
I wonder if any of you fine PHers will be able to help? The previous occupant of our house was incontinent with alcohol on board and subsequently used to urinate all over the master bedroom floor (nowhere else - just the bedroom!!) As a result of this, during hot weather, the bedroom stinks to high heaven rendering it useless. I've tried sanding the boards, neat bleach, disinfectant and painting the floor boards. It eases it for a couple of months then it comes back just as bad. Replacing the boards is not an option as the building is a housing association property and they wont allow me to change the boards, plus, I don't want to go to the expense of changing something I don't own!! Any suggestions to ditch the pong?
The Highway Man said:
I wonder if any of you fine PHers will be able to help? The previous occupant of our house was incontinent with alcohol on board and subsequently used to urinate all over the master bedroom floor (nowhere else - just the bedroom!!) As a result of this, during hot weather, the bedroom stinks to high heaven rendering it useless. I've tried sanding the boards, neat bleach, disinfectant and painting the floor boards. It eases it for a couple of months then it comes back just as bad. Replacing the boards is not an option as the building is a housing association property and they wont allow me to change the boards, plus, I don't want to go to the expense of changing something I don't own!! Any suggestions to ditch the pong?
What paint did you use on the boards? It needs to be gloss and plenty of it. If that doesn't work I'd be going back to the housing association - arguing that there is a structural deficiency in their building.
Slagathore said:
How big are the gaps in the floorboards?
It's probably gone through the gaps in the floorboards and is on the plasterboard below?
Probably need to get the boards up and treat below them as well?
It's a solid mid 40s built house, so all the floorboards are thick tongue and groove, so there's no way it's got through to the ceiling space of the lounge. Looks like we're going to have to return to the housing association to try and get them changed!!It's probably gone through the gaps in the floorboards and is on the plasterboard below?
Probably need to get the boards up and treat below them as well?
They need stripping back to bare wood and scrubbing with hot water and a strong soap - There is some specialist stuff, I can't remember the name. May need doing twice. based on this, I think...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysol
There are specialist cleansers who deal with exactly this sort of thing (and much worse...). Shouldn't need the boards replacing unless its been happening frequently over a number of years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysol
There are specialist cleansers who deal with exactly this sort of thing (and much worse...). Shouldn't need the boards replacing unless its been happening frequently over a number of years.
The Highway Man said:
Replacing the boards is not an option as the building is a housing association property and they wont allow me to change the boards, plus, I don't want to go to the expense of changing something I don't own!!
Are you intending on having bare floorboards in there or some kind of covering?If it was me, I would probably just do it and not tell them, then carpet it (I'm assuming there was one in there before?) and they'll never know. You can get 14.4 sq m of the chipboard flooring from Wickes for £83
Quicker, easier, a definite solution and less hassle than anything else IMHO
I would view the £83 as a small cost towards making my home more pleasant to live in, regardless of ownership. I've spent more than that on paint in two rooms in the rental we're in now (landlord approved)
You could do it one weekend easy.
Just don't put your foot through the ceiling!
Edited by chris1roll on Sunday 7th August 11:28
We've already spent a fortune on the place. When we moved in, the place was yellow from nicotine. No amount of scrubbing would clean the paintwork ready for a fresh coat, so we stripped it all out and put identical stuff in only new. We just stained and varnished the new stuff, easier to keep clean with youngsters. 
We had to strip 5 layers of wallpaper off before we could put up new stuff, I had thick greasy nicotine jelly running down my neck from the ceiling!! that was a bugger to strip and re-paper!! We lost 3 carpets because of the smell, SWMBO has a strong sense of smell and even after cleaning, the carpets still stunk, so they were replaced!! I suppose I'll have to bite the bullet and replace the boards if glossing doesn't work. Her indoors is going to try one last time with the HA tomorrow to see if they'll replace them, they've just replaced all the external doors and windows, so get them whilst they're feeling in a generous mood!!;)
We had to strip 5 layers of wallpaper off before we could put up new stuff, I had thick greasy nicotine jelly running down my neck from the ceiling!! that was a bugger to strip and re-paper!! We lost 3 carpets because of the smell, SWMBO has a strong sense of smell and even after cleaning, the carpets still stunk, so they were replaced!! I suppose I'll have to bite the bullet and replace the boards if glossing doesn't work. Her indoors is going to try one last time with the HA tomorrow to see if they'll replace them, they've just replaced all the external doors and windows, so get them whilst they're feeling in a generous mood!!;)
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