ORIGINAL REDDIT POST
Which kilz for pet odor?
Just bought a house and the previous owners cat was often confined to a bedroom which now smells strongly of cat. I am going to pull up the carpet and clean the wood underneath with a vinegar solution first but once dry, what kilz is best? I’ve seen kilz…
Just bought a house and the previous owners cat was often confined to a bedroom which now smells strongly of cat. I am going to pull up the carpet and clean the wood underneath with a vinegar solution first but once dry, what kilz is best? I’ve seen kilz original oil based and kilz restoration. For those with experience, how long does it take to air out the smell of kilz before installing new carpet?
Collected discussion
BIN Shellac based primer https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Zinsser-1-gal-B-I-N-Shellac-Based-White-Interior-Primer-and-Sealer-320991/100398381?
Awesome, thank you! I hadn’t heard of this yet. How long did it take to dry and air out for you?
This was going to be my reccomendation. I used for a similar reason and definitely took care of smells.
Cleaning the wood with a vinegar solution is not the right choice. It will smell like a cat pissed on a pickle. If the wood underneath is damaged enough (which is a low bar with cats), you need and enzyme based solution or you need to replace the wood. Is it plywood subfloor or old hardwood planks? What’s on the underside of this wood? Are you planning to seal the underside with kiln also, because if not, that smell is still going to be smelled.
bin is the move, kilz oil works too but the shellac dries faster and seals better for cat piss. open every window and run a fan, the smell is strong but it's gone in a day or two
I would get a black light from a pet store and check the bottom couple of feet of walls. If the cat was spraying it would be there, and it has a very strong smell. then give the walls a good scrub to remove it
Replace the wood underneath. And the baseboards. It will never go away.