Damp smell under vinyl/lino

glider3560

I lifted up the old vinyl in my bathroom today. There is now an awful smell of damp and urine in the room, which wasn't there before.

The vinyl was looking very damp damaged around the bath. The previous owners weren't very tidy or careful people, so probably allowed the bath to spill over.

Can anyone suggest anything to reduce the smell? It is over two weeks until the fitter will come to lay my new vinyl, so plenty of time to let it air.

trigger_fish

glider3560 wrote: »

I lifted up the old vinyl in my bathroom today. There is now an awful smell of damp and urine in the room, which wasn't there before.

The vinyl was looking very damp damaged around the bath. The previous owners weren't very tidy or careful people, so probably allowed the bath to spill over.

Can anyone suggest anything to reduce the smell? It is over two weeks until the fitter will come, so plenty of time to let it air.

Get another fitter.

z1a

trigger_fish wrote: »

Get another fitter.

Why? The fitter isn't the problem.

magn8p

Correct me if I am wrong, but do you have MDF boards between your vinyl and the floor boards?

If so, they would've absorbed all the leaks from the bathroom. Try to change this when you are about put new vinyl on.

Also, when you lay the new vinyl, try to seal the corners using an anti-mould sealant like http://amzn.to/2hET1iX

All the best.

glider3560 wrote: »

I lifted up the old vinyl in my bathroom today. There is now an awful smell of damp and urine in the room, which wasn't there before.

The vinyl was looking very damp damaged around the bath. The previous owners weren't very tidy or careful people, so probably allowed the bath to spill over.

Can anyone suggest anything to reduce the smell? It is over two weeks until the fitter will come to lay my new vinyl, so plenty of time to let it air.

glider3560

magn8p wrote: »

Correct me if I am wrong, but do you have MDF boards between your vinyl and the floor boards?

Thanks, but it is a concrete floor. Looks like they've used a leveling compound in places which is a different colour to the concrete. There's no visible damp and the ground feels dry, so I hope leaving it to air should solve the problem.

magn8p

Ah concrete! Well as you know cement/concrete absorb moisture and they retain them.

Airing sounds like a good solution but also try to spray urine smell remover - http://amzn.to/2jv7s9P. It seems to have good ratings so I am sure it will work for you.

glider3560 wrote: »

Thanks, but it is a concrete floor. Looks like they've used a leveling compound in places which is a different colour to the concrete. There's no visible damp and the ground feels dry, so I hope leaving it to air should solve the problem.

PhilE

Also use bleach and light water. Air and dry well, then liberally sprinkle with bicarbonate of soda. Leave it overnight and vacuum off. Repeat.

RedFraggle

Less MSE than PhilE but you can get solutions for neutralising where animals have urinated on floors, that would probably do it too but at greater cost.