Homeowner · Signal Hill, CA · Member since 2015 · 521 posts · 70 votes
just got good news, our cash offer was accepted for the perfect small building in commercial zoning, for our planned non-profit pet rescue startup. its 2 floors freestanding with each level being 24ft deep by 18ft wide. the floors are bare concrete, and seems feral cat were living at some point in there while it was abandoned though havent seen any access points nor any kitties outside around the few times visited so far, just some skunks.
how can i best clean the bare concrete of its existing cat pee smell and stains? im thinking, muriatic, neutralize, and pressure wash.
ceramic/vinyl tile is out of the budget for now (this is a humanitarian cause, not an investment!) so i was hoping to just purchase bulk roles of thicker linoleum in sheets and glue it down to the porous cleaned concrete and install painted real wood or plastic (not mdf) molding around the trim for a finished look.
how much would linoleum cost per sq ft and wheres the best place to get it the cheapest around here in LAcounty? (or in OC county if cheaper) lowes?
have always despised linoleum whether in sheets or tiles but being on the low end, should fit the tight budget and the purpose in this instance.
if you are really looking for durability and ease, look into an epoxy floor paint, it rolls on and will give you a nice surface. Never have to worry about tears or scratches.
also start with : cat odors or cat smell or cat urine in the forum search.
but after you get rid of smell, you need to seal the concrete before anything else.
also, 2 dozens of donuts, some sample pets treats and couple hours of chit-chat at the local pet-shelter will get you more info about what is used in commercial pet settings. also regulations....
also don't forget to get friendly with the building neighbors...
thanks a bunch Dimitru, at the moment indeed had totally forgotten about sealing concrete first.
haven't checked out prices yet.. is linoleum really just vinyl sheeting?
Neil:
No. Linoleum is linoleum. It is made from natural, renewable, components (linseed oil, cork, gypsum, pine rosin) and contains no vinyl or petroleum products whatsoever. Linoloeum has been around far longer than vinyl and when vinyl appeared on the scene in the 50s/60s, folks continued to refer to the roll/sheet flooring as linoleum.
Linoleum is frequently used in commercial settings such as hospitals, care homes, daycares, schools as it wears well (colour is all the way through) and is naturally antibacterial - we recently bought a house built in the 1930s which still had the original linoleum underneath vinyl loose-lay fibre floor in one of the kitchens ... the linoleum was in better shape than the vinyl.
These days linoleum is a little more expensive than vinyl, but comes in lots of fun, funky colours and patterns {Google Forbo Marmoleum to get an idea}. It is one of my favourite floors to use in bathrooms and laundry areas.
i'm TOTALLY sold on Roy's presentation of why lino's far superior to vinyl and Dumitru thanks for pointing out why vinyl might be a lousy option even though at face value (appearances) it appears so liquid resistant and durable.
will totally go with linoleum and maybe even when we renovate the run down bath in the building, use linoleum even there!
if you are really looking for durability and ease, look into an epoxy floor paint, it rolls on and will give you a nice surface. Never have to worry about tears or scratches.
I agree with Mike, you should really look into epoxy floor paint. It will go on easy, and best of all it will be easy to maintain! This is what veterinarians use - trust the pros!
Though I do favour linoleum over roll/sheet vinyl in many applications, I checked with a friend who is a veterinarian. He indicated they use sealed/epoxied concrete in the kennel areas and a polymer/cement floor (applied as a liquid so there are no seams) in the surgery. He said that linoleum is nice in the examination rooms and washrooms ... more so for the humans than the animals.
Thanks guys but I've used epoxy on indoor concrete before and it peeled on me and a few clients (like oil/latex paint!) quite a few times even though concrete was prepped to the t.
They just dont make paints like they used to nor how they promise it will bond!
Will still consider it though as linoleum when old does seem to crack?
Thanks guys but I've used epoxy on indoor concrete before and it peeled on me and a few clients (like oil/latex paint!) quite a few times even though concrete was prepped to the t.
They just dont make paints like they used to nor how they promise it will bond!
Will still consider it though as linoleum when old does seem to crack?
Neil,
If not maintained (and maintenance is quite low) linoleum can crack when it is old - as does vinyl when it becomes brittle. As long as it is laid without any bubbles or floating spots and the seams are welded properly, it should never move and the chance of cracking are low.
One thing to watch with linoleum is handling it when it is cold. When we first went to lay the orange {"African Desert") bathroom floor in the picture above, it was winter. The installer's "helper" brought the roll of linoleum into the apartment and threw it down on the floor - after it had been sitting on the truck for a few hours at -20C. Linoleum becomes very inflexible when cold, so needless to say the casual toss created cracks throughout the entire role and we had to wait another week for a new one to be shipped.
If you look for an association of boarding kennels you'll find a lot of experience in what works best for facilities that house animals. There was the ABKA (american boarding kennels association) but they have dissolved. There are likely others.
I would look for products that are very water resistant - including the trim. All the animal facilities I know use either a hose or a pressure washer to clean up after the dogs. If you're only doing cats then it's much easier to clean up.
As for the pee smell, start with a bleach water solution that will usually kill the smell. And it has an added disinfectant benefit.
Take a look at these websites to see photos of their set ups.
Maybe I can help.. my business has been decorative concrete and coatings for over 10 years. Most kennels use epoxy/polyurethane coatings, as they are seamless, resist staining from animal fluids and can even be antimicrobial... not to mention cost efficient Material cost should be around .50 - .75 per square foot. The most important thing is surface preparation.. diamond grinding will ensure proper bonding on the coating materials. As this equipment is not cheap.. it may be worth while to out source that. For materials contact Arizona Polymer Flooring, or a Sherwin Williams commercial store. They should be able to give you the proper materials and process for your needs. Box store materials are not even worth looking at.. they will all fail quickly. Hope this helps