Decorative Concrete Prep Part 2: Removing Paint, Sealers & Other Contaminants
When preparing your concrete surface for the decorative concrete process, there are several steps and considerations that you must do first for the job to succeed.
This is part 2 of an on-going series on Decorative Concrete, and covers how to remove existing concrete sealers, paint and other contaminants.
When evaluating a new project, determine if the floor has been sealed by using a basic water test. Simply pour water on a section of the surface and observe for beading or penetration. If the water penetrates, the concrete will turn a darker gray, and there is no sealer present. If the water beads or sheets and the surface does not change color, a sealer exists, and it must be removed in advance of staining.
If a paint or sealer exists, apply Concrete Resurrection Sealer and Paint Stripper to remove any historic sealers. Concrete Resurrection Sealer and Paint Stripper is applied full strength with a roller for large areas and with a brush for small areas.
You must allow sufficient time for the chemical agents to soften the sealer. Depending on conditions, this could take two to eight hours. You can test an area with a margin trowel to identify when the sealer is lifting.
When confident that the sealer has been softened, use a squeegee to gather the sealer and remove it from the work area. After removing as much loosened material as possible, follow the process for preparation of aged and residue covered surfaces using Concrete Resurrection Degreaser in your scrub and wash process to finish surface preparation.
Paint splatter or droppings are treated using Concrete Resurrection Sealer and Paint Stripper directly from the bottle. The same approach is taken for carpet glue except you will be applying Concrete Resurrection Adhesive and Mastic Remover. Oils, lumber crayon, and other marks are spot treated by following the label instructions on the Concrete Resurrection Degreaser.
We recommend that you have the following tools and supplies on hand as you approach an exterior floor project:
- Pressure washer 4000 psi with four gallon per minute at a minimum.
- Washing deck.
- Wide blade floor scraper.
As with interior surfaces, a quick water test is recommended to ensure no cure and seal or sealer has been applied.
If you have a large exterior project where a sealer has been applied, you should consider suggesting to your customer that a sandblasting contractor be subcontracted to sandblast the surface. This approach is most often more economical and easier than chemical treatment for sealer removal on exterior surfaces.
Very often, you will encounter miscellaneous spots and sections of the surface with unique contaminants. Small areas with these substances should be treated prior to pressure washing with cleaners for oil, paint, and other contaminants. With both exterior and interior surfaces the goal is to minimize the effects of these substances.
To purchase the entire DVD Mastering Concrete Engraving call 1-800-884-2114.
2 comments
I have problems on interior floors removing the “S” curve stains left on the floor after all the carpet glue mastic is removed. They always ghost through the acid stain. Any help?
The truth is that there is no way to take the glue ghost out of the concrete, and so a RAC stain won’ eliminate it.
In this case, I would use my RAC stain as a base and then load some WRC stain in a HVLP and lightly fog on some stain that is close in color to the RAC. This will help to conceal the problem area.
Once you engrave a design into the concrete it will take your eye away from the glue ghost.
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