Non-toxic alternative to Killz

[New_Natural_Mom]

We flooded :( and now we need to replace what was Pergo floor in one room.  We plan to put bamboo down, but we need to paint over the plywood subfloor.  Every time the room gets warm it smells like pee.  Everyone is telling us to use Killz, but I really don't want all that VOC fume filling our air.  Any recommendations?

[flightgoddess]

Ok, this in not from experience but just postulation...I'm assuming all the baseboards are off already and you have inspected the drywall and none of it was damaged or got wet. Because if it did soak any water, the risk for for mold goes way up.

Anyway, on to the floor part. Has it been cleaned with bleach? You probably could google for the proper concentration, this would be best if you need to kill germs and any possible mold. I'm guessing you could use an enzymatic cleaner (Biokleen Bac-out or similar product??) if smell is the only issue.

Mind you, this is a theory!

So what I'd try is to mop the whole floor (pretty sopping wet, not rung out) to get it all wet and covered with the solution (bleach or enzyme) you choose. Then use a wet/dry vac to suck up as much standing water/moisture as you can, then put in a bunch of fans (maybe even a dehimidfier if you have one) and blow them all over until the floor is BONE DRY, might take a day or two, or it might take almost a week, depends on how much the floor soaks in and how humid your house is. Then procede with painting. If you are using a low voc paint and not regular floor paint, maybe go with something with a higher gloss so the finish is less permeable/harder?

A lot of work. Kilz is faster, becuase you don't have to treat as much underneath because the kilz seals in anything thats there, and makes it close to anerobic.

[flightgoddess]

Ok, this in not from experience but just postulation...I'm assuming all the baseboards are off already and you have inspected the drywall and none of it was damaged or got wet. Because if it did soak any water, the risk for for mold goes way up.

Anyway, on to the floor part. Has it been cleaned with bleach? You probably could google for the proper concentration, this would be best if you need to kill germs and any possible mold. I'm guessing you could use an enzymatic cleaner (Biokleen Bac-out or similar product??) if smell is the only issue.

Mind you, this is a theory!

So what I'd try is to mop the whole floor (pretty sopping wet, not rung out) to get it all wet and covered with the solution (bleach or enzyme) you choose. Then use a wet/dry vac to suck up as much standing water/moisture as you can, then put in a bunch of fans (maybe even a dehimidfier if you have one) and blow them all over until the floor is BONE DRY, might take a day or two, or it might take almost a week, depends on how much the floor soaks in and how humid your house is. Then procede with painting. If you are using a low voc paint and not regular floor paint, maybe go with something with a higher gloss so the finish is less permeable/harder?

A lot of work. Kilz is faster, becuase you don't have to treat as much underneath because the kilz seals in anything thats there, and makes it close to anerobic.

[ChristyMarie]

Can you just replace the plywood?  Plywood is kinda like a sponge - I'm not sure even a coat of Kilz will get rid of the smell completely.

Plywood is relatively cheap....

[talia rose]

You could try AFM Safecoats primers and paints over the plywood. It seals in toxic chemicals from offgassing, so it stands to reason it may also seal in horrible smells like cat pea, although we have not tried it ourselves for that particular reason. We have used it ourselves to seal up plywoods and particle boards that were offgassing formaldehyde....

[bigteamug]

I think that AFM is preservative-free and therefore can ONLY be used on surfaces that are free of mold.  Don't know that it is the best product for this use.  Replacement might be best.  

Maybe it might be worth looking into one of the natural oil products?  Linseed oil or such?  They do have their own odor, and you have to be careful which one you get - many aren't low VOC.

[talia rose]

You are right! Painting over mold would not be a good idea. First you would want to kill the mold with a product like Concrobium Mold Control....it encapsulates the mold spores and suffocates them...

[talia rose]

Ok even more info from my hubby who is much more knowledgable about paints & building products. He says you can choose to use the Killz and then paint over that with the AFM Safecoat paints and they will seal in the toxicity of the Killz. So a few options depending on which route you want to go....personally we have done the Concrobium/AFM Paint method a few times, before installing cork and marmoleum, but I'm not sure our situation was as severe as yours....

[New_Natural_Mom]

THanks all.  We don't actually have mold.  We dried out the water in time.  There was a little mold in one corner from a bad door and I used Concrobium with great success.  I looked into the AFM safecoat and think we will do that.  DH is grousing that it is expensive, but I had to remind him that everything I get is expensive - I pay for safe, healthy stuff.

[Think of Winter]

The subfloor may need to come out, and anything else that got wet.  I think you should get an expert opinion, and not from someone who has a financial stake in whatever you end up doing.  After my in laws flooded last year, they had an inspector from FEMA come out, then they had volunteers come and do some of the remediation.