Cat urine on plaster ceiling.

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mndy1, Aug 9, 8:35am
We think that cats have peed when in the ceiling of a rarely used part of the house and now the paint is peeling off it. The cats have been gone a long time now and we are wondering what would need to be done to the ceiling before painting to get a good fix to the surface.
Its a plaster ceiling which I would ideally love to replace as the cornices are pretty hideous and it has moulded pelmets but I don,t think our funds will stretch that far. Not unless we tried for insurance.
Anyway if we just paint it will the paint stick or will this be an ongoing problem with it flaking off as the plaster will have absorbed the urine.

nonumbers, Aug 9, 2:39pm
Not a roof leak then?

ryanm2, Aug 9, 3:41pm
of course not - clearly the cat pissed up there - being in the roof space it doesn't very hot and has no chance of drying. Must be a cat, or maybe an elephant.

buddytom, Aug 9, 4:07pm
could try the special paint that is used over dried damp spots, then repaint with ceiling paint .

illusion_, Aug 9, 4:20pm
obviously one of those upside-down cats

ayjay1, Aug 9, 4:28pm
It is a common thing for paint to peel off Fibrous plaster ceilings. Just give it a good scrape and some sanding then paint the area with an oil based primer/undercoat and repaint the ceiling. you may have to smooth it out a bit with some plus4 and give that a bit of a priming.
Nothing much to worry about. :-)

tintop, Aug 9, 5:03pm
Leaking cat ?

alan_at_ecotech, Aug 9, 5:52pm
When I saw the message header I thought "that is one amazing cat. Can it pee really high, or can it somehow cling to the ceiling?"

tintop, Aug 9, 6:00pm
lol :) Yes, me too.

Although the 'big cats' can spray quite a distance!

nonumbers, Aug 9, 6:11pm
If the cats are long gone why years later is the ceiling in need of repairs?

mndy1, Aug 9, 6:12pm
This sounds good. Anyone know what it's called?

underconstructy, Aug 9, 6:33pm
Its clearly an elephant.

jsimons12, Aug 9, 8:53pm
Apparently Natures Miracle neutralizes cat pee
http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2480859/painting-over-cat-urine-stain
You should be able to buy it on Amazon - look like they ship it to NZ.
Also activated charcoal is supposed to work for cat pee - I would try the above Natures miracle & then also activated charcoal - & then baking soda with a lot of lavender & citrus essential oils mixed in. (Real essential oils not fragrant ones)

golfdiver, Aug 9, 9:13pm
Try a pigmented sealer.

moltenfire, Aug 10, 5:42am
Slap some resene Sureseal on it then a coat or two of regular ceiling paint. Sureseal will prevent any leeching thru and acts as a dam good surface to grip onto. Yep it's pigmented.

mm12345, Aug 10, 6:53am
You can still buy moulded plaster cornice, retro ornate and plain designs. About $10/meter. Replacing what's there can be DIY, but if you haven't done it before, then you'll be on a steep learning curve methinks. You might need to hunt around for a plasterer who works with it.
If the plasterboard itself is reasonably sound, then keep it. Even if it needs a good skim coat and tidy up, it'll be cheaper to fix it up than ripping it down and gibbing - it's a better product than gib, stronger, usually 1/2" / 12mm, still used but only in premium builds / renovations, as it's about $100/sheet. The modern stuff uses glass fibre.

buddytom, Aug 10, 4:59pm
I'll get the can back from the tenants and post the name on this thread,its a waterbased paint and I got it from the Paint Pot in Levin some years ago

hammer23, Aug 10, 5:55pm
well put.
Cats get blamed for everything

jsimons12, Aug 10, 11:11pm
What about the odour?, unless cat pee is neutralized, in damp or humid weather it makes wood smell absolutely terrible & mixes with paint pigments/the paint or sealant can seal the smell into the wood - unless neutralized. Activated charcoal, & baking soda works. I have used baking soda for cat pee in someone elses home in the past & activated charcoal for other things the combination would ensure no long term smell.

koru67, Aug 11, 12:14am
Yup, my neighbour blames cats for dead patches on his 30+ year old shrubby hedge. Doesn't matter that the plant variety is known to be susceptible to die back, and at 30+ years is overdue for replacing.

jenner4, Aug 11, 4:24am
Wouldn't an Elephant make a waterfall, they pee real BIG time

frank1, Aug 12, 4:35am
How the hell do cats get in the ceiling? -helped up by the owners?

bill1451, Aug 12, 5:48am
probably use a step ladder in the manhole like humans do,
Loll

lythande1, Aug 12, 2:20pm
More likely a leak in roof - or rats.

hammer23, Aug 12, 6:45pm
Where is that pesky Garath Morgan when he is needed.This cat pissing on the ceiling business won't happen when he gets his way. Go Garath.