What workarounds did people try for "How to handle pet urine damage on subfloors"?

Community members documented 22 workarounds: 1. Cutting out contaminated carpet pieces 2. Using temporary odor-blocking primers like Zinsser B.I.N. 3. Waiting for a contractor to replace the damaged subfloor and flooring 4. Sealing the subfloor before laying new carpet 5. Re-pitching and repairing concrete slabs 6. Installing bonded porcelain pavers 7. Applying surface sealants 8. Battling insects with pest reduction efforts 9. Replace all of the flooring and subflooring 10. Sand and refinish the floor 11. Use enzyme cleaner soaked under heavy plastic 12. Use a darker stain to cover discoloration 13. Apply epoxy over the spots 14. Spot cleaning with a dog enzyme cleaner 15. Using a force of nature hypochlorous acid device 16. Using a steam mop 17. Locking the dog in a crate 18. Trying dog diapers 19. Cutting the grass a little longer 20. Watering and fertilizing aggressively with slow-release fertilizer 21. Using a ton of water after urination to dilute the urine 22. Training the dog to go in a designated non-lawn area or spreading out where they go

How to handle pet urine damage on subfloors

Pet urine trapped in subfloors creates persistent moisture and odor that can spread across rooms. Interim measures help control the damage while waiting for professional repairs.

Overview

Last updated Sep 30, 2026

People affected8 accounts across 5 forums

Workarounds found22 items attempted

Community agreement60 total upvotes

What the numbers show

Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count

This comes up 23.9× more often in r/Flooring than across the site as a whole.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

22 items+ Contribute

Found another way around this?

Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.

1
Cutting out contaminated carpet pieces
Did this help you?
2
Using temporary odor-blocking primers like Zinsser B.I.N.
Did this help you?
3
Waiting for a contractor to replace the damaged subfloor and flooring
Did this help you?
4
Sealing the subfloor before laying new carpet
Did this help you?
5
Re-pitching and repairing concrete slabs
Did this help you?
6
Installing bonded porcelain pavers
Did this help you?
7
Applying surface sealants
Did this help you?
8
Battling insects with pest reduction efforts
Did this help you?
9
Replace all of the flooring and subflooring
Did this help you?
10
Sand and refinish the floor
Did this help you?
11
Use enzyme cleaner soaked under heavy plastic
Did this help you?
12
Use a darker stain to cover discoloration
Did this help you?
13
Apply epoxy over the spots
Did this help you?
14
Spot cleaning with a dog enzyme cleaner
Did this help you?
15
Using a force of nature hypochlorous acid device
Did this help you?
16
Using a steam mop
Did this help you?
17
Locking the dog in a crate
Did this help you?
18
Trying dog diapers
Did this help you?
19
Cutting the grass a little longer
Did this help you?
20
Watering and fertilizing aggressively with slow-release fertilizer
Did this help you?
21
Using a ton of water after urination to dilute the urine
Did this help you?
22
Training the dog to go in a designated non-lawn area or spreading out where they go
Did this help you?

Tried another approach not listed above?+ Share your workaround ↑

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/Flooring3 people · September 2026

“The damage is from cat pee and litter.”source ↗

Digital_Fire · r/Flooring · 50 upvotes

“My elderly cat has been peeing behind furniture in the corner of a room.”source ↗

“I’m so scared that it has spread to other areas from the moisture.”source ↗

“What do you think we can do in the meantime?”source ↗

thiswaytothedisco · r/Flooring · 2 upvotes

“I did just replace carpeting due to dog pee but, my underlayment was in way better condition with less urine.”source ↗

OilheadRider · r/Flooring · 1 upvotes

r/CleaningTips1 person · September 2026

“I have an elderly dog that is having major bowel issues that may or may not resolve. I am also pregnant and have a 1.5 year old.”source ↗

“I'm honestly not concerned about staining, I just need to know that the floor is sanitary to live on/eat off of on occasion”source ↗

“I'd prefer nothing too crazy harsh because pregnant/toddler that still have to at least sleep in the house and unsure if this is going to be part of my daily life or not.”source ↗

jacaroniii · r/CleaningTips · 2 upvotes

r/HomeMaintenance2 people · September 2026

“We noticed some smell on hour carpet.. we removed it and we saw that our cat used it as a toilet… Now we have this problem . How can we solve it?”source ↗

Main-Hair1739 · r/HomeMaintenance · 2 upvotes

“That subfloor is going to hold onto the smell forever if you don't seal it before laying new carpet”source ↗

unsung_bedtime · r/HomeMaintenance · 1 upvotes

r/Landscaping1 person · September 2026

“Our puppy only goes to the bathroom on the patio, and the current porous concrete seems to absorb urine, creating odor and attracting flies.”source ↗

Convoho · r/Landscaping · 1 upvotes

r/lawncare1 person · September 2026

“First time homebuyer in my first fall of owning a home with Bermuda. These parts of my lawn were very full and green throughout the summer and have started getting splotchy and bare. Is this a normal Bermuda thing as temps start to drop or am I missing some kind of care that I’m not aware of?”source ↗

Qazquin · r/lawncare · 1 upvotes