Odor in a Commercial Structure

12/30/2019 (Permalink)

We recently had a situation regarding unexplained odors in a continuing care retirement community. Intense odors from pre-existing urine contamination is common in water damage restoration.  Because odor molecules are transported to the olfactory region by attaching themselves to moisture molecules in the air, it stands to reason the more moisture present, the stronger the odor.  Odor can be eliminated only if the source is identified and removed.  This means treating the cause of the odor itself.  Thus, urine decontamination was necessary to safely restore the facility. For the general health and comfort of the technicians and inhabitants of this facility, it was necessary to temporarily control the odor until elimination procedures can be affected.  This can be done by procedures known as masking, pairing, or modifying. In the meantime, for the peace of mind of the residents and staff, we used a combination of deodorants to help dissipate the odor while other more extensive measures were taken to eradicate the odor.