Undoing the damage that pets have done to a home is time consuming, frustrating and can be very expensive. If you've recently ripped carpeting out of the home and plan to install hardwood flooring, there are a few things that you'll need to do to prepare the subflooring before the hardwood flooring is installed. Here, you'll find a few tips that'll help prevent remaining odors from filling your home after the new flooring is installed.

Assess the Damage

Before you do anything, take the time to inspect the existing subflooring for damage. If the urine has soaked through the subflooring, it would be best to replace it. So, any areas where the wood is soft or shows sign of rot will need to be removed and new wood put down in its place. This doesn't mean you have to replace the entire subflooring surface, but just the areas that are significantly damaged.

Mop with Nature's Miracle

Nature's Miracle is one of the best pet odor eliminating products on the market. What makes this product great is that it kills the enzymes in the urine that cause the odors – and it does it without requiring heavy scrubbing.

Since you'll be treating wood subflooring, you won't want to spray it onto the surface as directed. Instead, pour the jug into a bucket and use a mop to scrub the surface. This will be enough to kill the enzymes that would have produced the smells that would have come through the hardwood flooring.

Seal the Subflooring with Primer

After the subflooring has dried, it's time to apply a coat or two of primer to block the odors from rising. There are two great products that work well – Zinsser and Killz – both of these products go on well and do a very good job of blocking stains and odors from coming through.

If the odors are bad, take the time to apply a couple of coats of primer to the subflooring. Just be sure to wait until the first coat is fully dried before applying the second. Applying the second coat too soon can cause the first coat to bubble or peel.

Talk with your hardwood flooring professionals that will be installing the flooring for you. Chances are, they have a few tricks up their sleeves that'll help to prevent the odors that may remain in the subflooring from filling your freshly floored home. Good luck with your efforts.