Leaking roof - smell of pee?

[Lusi83]

Ok bit of a puzzle
Bought house that had been empty for a year ...used to be lived in by two eldery people (one who had dementia)...
Every time we looked at it it had a musty empty house smell but not of pee...and no strong odour of air freshener etc as if they were trying to cover it up ...
But when we got the keys a week ago one bedroom absolutely stank of pee...
Got round to getting rid of the carpet today...when I ripped it up I found a patch of carpet was still damp ! -not soaking but a bit damp ...the underlay, paper liner and floorboards were all stained and stinking - this is an area approx 2ft by 2ft if anything the centre of the paper/floor boards seemed drier than outskirts (first day for ages it hasn't rained today) ....and it doesn't seem to have come up from underneath (carpet wetter than underlay) ...
Now thinking ...this patch used to be under a bed - the carpet is sun bleached so it had been there a while - bed was there up to house clearance men coming day or two before we got keys ...
There is a fine crack in the ceiling - but no water marks and it looks dry ...but didn't have a ladder to feel it ...
So could a small leak in the roof smell of pee? Is it possible that some water ingress has caused old pee to start smelling?
Only other thing I can think of is someone (house clearers???) did a big pee on the floor just prior to us getting the keys...no heating in house and constant rain so it hasn't dried out..but can't think that is likely..

 

[foxhole]

Maybe house clearance men took a pee on your carpets? or spilt something while clearing the property.

 

[joinerjohn]

The patch is under where the bed used to be? Hmmm could be the elderly couple used a chamber pot and this got spilled on to the carpet. People with dementia often become incontinent anyway.
Years ago I worked on council house refurbs. In one house we had to replace one bedroom floor (after years of chamber pot spillage) Not a pleasant job. But one of the neighbours wanted the old floorboards to build a shed with So we let him have the floorboards and he duly built a fairly nice looking shed with them. Dunno what it must have smelled like in summertime though.

 

[Burnerman]

It won't be water ingress mate, there's nowt like a ray or two of sunshine coming through the window to set things off.
Replace those boards - the pong will be there for evermore. Had to do this recently in a house owned by wealthy drunks...they let the dogs wee all over the lounge, and believe it or not the joists below had rotted No kidding.
John

 

[Lusi83]

Managed to get a ladder today and felt ceiling and it is dry -no water coming in ...

Guess it could be the sun...and bed over it kept the smell down ...might ask the neighbour - they had a key and were in to get some personal belongings for one of the daughters (they live abroad) - they might have tried to clean it up and made it worse (why it is damp)

or check you tube for video of clearance men peeing on carpet for a laugh...

It is evil though....you smell it when you walk in the house ....in the boards - put bio washing powder solution on boards today and then sprinkled with bicarb and if anything it seems worse ...think it might be a board replacement job (only a couple and they are gappy and squeakly anyway) ...

 

[Burnerman]

Aye the perils of growing old...see what we have to look forward to!
Wishing you well with your new place.
John

 

[joinerjohn]

If it is urine, just be glad they weren't doubly incontinent.

 

[Diane2]

pour vinegar on to neutralise the wee smell as a temporary fix...

 

[TheVictorian]

Just replace that bit of floor, not difficult and you won't spend the rest of your life thinking you can smell urine.

 

[Nige F]

If enough Diynot regulars pray for you - the smell will go - they are always taking the ****