Severe Animal Odors - When Salvage is No Longer an Option

When is it not worth saving carpet that has been extensively contaminated by urine or other animal discharges?

There are a few rules of thumb, including:

When over 20% of the carpet is contaminated

When contamination has caused severe color loss

When contamination has caused extensive delamination

When the floor underneath of the carpet is hardwood, and could be refinished to a good appearance and improve the room without carpet

When the cost of the products and labor involved begins to near the value of new carpet, pad, tack strip, and installation

That said, do not think carpet replacement will solve the problem! In cases where carpet has been contaminated so badly that it needs to be replaced, you must assume that the subfloor is also badly contaminated. Sanding and sealing will need to be done at a minimum, and in cases of extensive penetration of urine throughout the subfloor, entire sections of the floor may need to be replaced.