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[jbhtexas]

After reading Jeremy's thread, there seem to be a number of concrete experts here. My issue is not quite as pleasant as Jeremy's...

The previous owner of my house let her pet (dog or cat, I'm not sure) use the garage as a bathroom. She was terminally ill and had numerous physical difficulties, so I can understand why it happened.

There really is no problem in the winter months when the humidity is down, other than the stains (which are also harder to see when the humidity is down). I bought the house in the winter, and the garage was full of junk, so the problem wasn't apparent.

However, spring, summer, and fall are different stories. As soon as the humidity goes up, the humidity activates the urine spots and the nasty smell comes. This is not just one spot either...it's all over the entire floor.

I've tried several of the enzyme treatments (as that was the easiest) but they seem to do no good. I've searched hours on the Internet. The general internet consensus is that enzyme treatments don't usually work on large areas that have been repeatedly stained, because of the sheer amount of urine that porous concrete can absorb. There seems to be general agreement that the floor first needs to be "washed" with some kind of acid, and then sealed with a special sealer (there are a couple of different brands that seem to be frequently recommended for dealing with pet-stained concrete).

Crackwise, the floor is in excellent shape. If it was cracked, I'd just tear it out and start over, but I hate to destroy a floor that is in good mechanical shape.

Does anybody have any suggestions for dealing with this situation. The garage is a typical two car garage. Is the acid wash the best approach? Is there some method for cutting down the concrete and pouring a new top layer? I've called and left messages with several local residential concrete contractors, but have never recieved a response back, so I'm guessing this isn't a thrilling thing to deal with.

Thanks!