Berkeley / North Oakland / Albany — Pet Damage in Victorian Subfloors Between Student Tenants
"Just bought a 1920s craftsman near UC Berkeley. Three rounds of student tenants with pets in the prior decade. The smell hits every foggy morning — which is most mornings. Family of four moving in next month."
Decades of tenant cat and dog urine have wicked into the original Douglas fir subfloor. Marine layer humidity brings the smell back daily.
Real Berkeley/North Oakland Job
Berkeley vintage Craftsman — original Douglas fir subfloor, multi-decade cat urine contamination across upstairs bedrooms — 1920s Craftsman near UC Berkeley with original Douglas fir subfloor on the second story. Inspection revealed cat urine contamination across the subfloor in three upstairs bedrooms, consistent with multi-cat household occupancy by previous owners over many years. Marine layer humidity from the Bay was reactivating the embedded contamination on a daily cycle. Common in Berkeley, North Oakland, and Alameda Island vintage construction where multi-decade pet ownership across owners produces deep subfloor saturation. All affected materials are addressed so the odor doesn't return after remediation.
Cities served: Berkeley, North Oakland, Albany, Emeryville, Piedmont (border)




