Removing paint from concrete floor

[MichaelD]

More than a year ago I spilled an entire gallon of flat black paint on my garage floor. I literally kicked the bucket across the garage and the thing cartwheeled and paint went over probably 20 square feet of floor.

I sopped up as much as I could with newspapers. The very next day I went and bought many bottles of this acid concrete cleaner "guaranteed" to remove anything. It goes on liquid and you're supposed to let it sit overnight, which I did. The next day I had a ton of white dust that smelled like Drano and every drop of paint was still there.

We're moving soon and I need to get that crap off. I have a power washer, but I doubt that will do anything. What do I use? Stiff wire brush? The paint is "in" the concrete...it's not like chewing gum stuck to the surface. Metal paint scraper does nothing.

How do I get the paint off without destroying the floor?

 

[lxskllr]

Paint the whole thing black.

 

[MichaelD]

Not likely b/c it's not my house. Buying my own house, so that may be an option when I screw up my own garage, but not this one.

 

[zerocool84]

Paint stripper

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I've used muriatic acid before but, it's a pain. I like the idea of painting and sealing the entire floor though. Perhaps those interlocking garage tiles?

 

[Rakehellion]

Paint the whole thing black.

This.

 

[DrPizza]

If your pressure washer won't take paint off a concrete floor, your pressure washer is little more than a fancy garden hose nozzle.

Muriatic acid ought to do the trick - don't bother diluting the stuff. Just pour it on straight, use an old push broom to spread it around, and let it sit 20 minutes. Then rinse off with a garden hose. Helps if you can hold your breath for a little while.


But, one of the best paint strippers I've used - it's made for removing paint from detailed woodwork - is more or less straight lye in a paste form. I don't know how it'll do on concrete though.

 

[olds]

Is the pressure washer gas or electric? Gas, you might get most of it. Most likely it's there to stay.

 

[ponyo]

Latex flat paint is not durable. Pressure washer should easily get it off. Pressure washer can cut through concrete. Flat paint is nothing.

 

[MichaelD]

OK, thanks for the good ideas. The pressure washer is electric and admittedly is not "pro-grade" but I can tell you that it has left skinny white lines on my back patio slab...it's not a toy.

Reason I've not used it in the garage/on the paint yet is b/c the garage is still full of all my tools/boxes/etc. I can't try the pressure washer until we move out a few months from now...I'm just being proactive by asking here. I would like to get some of my deposit back. Real shame, spilling this paint; we've kept the rest of the house pretty much immaculate.

I'd rather spend a few hours with the pressure washer "knocking down" the entire garage floor to a much lighter color, than losing my entire deposit, that's for sure.

I've got a starting point now. Thanks, guys.

 

[Imp]

Paint the whole thing black.

That's the route I would go... except a more appropriate color?

 

[Humpy]

That's the route I would go... except a more appropriate color?

It's not a ridiculous idea. In a similar situation I once took a chip of concrete to Home Depot for them to color match some paint. I faux finished some paint stains on the floor to look like concrete and then sealed the entire floor with a satin sheen sealer. It turned out pretty damn good and probably took a a while for the new owners to notice.

 

[MichaelD]

Hmm, not sure if some of you are getting this. This is your standard, light gray-ish, unsealed concrete floor. Now imagine flat black paint, a lot of it, being soaked in over basically a 10'x10' area. It aint' pretty. There's no camouflaging this at all.

Did I mention THIS IS NOT MY HOUSE, I'M MOVING OUT AND THE OWNER WILL DO A WALKTHROUGH? I'm already assuming I will lose half my deposit, b/c that is standard operating procedure for any rental. You could rent a house or apartment for a year and NEVER live in it for even 1 hour, but they would still claim "wear and tear and you broke the blinds in the living room" and keep half your deposit. I consider the deposit lost money at this point. I just don't want to get a bill for $9,901.01 b/c they "had to replace the concrete in the garage" due to the "paint damage." It's a freaking garage; people will park their leaky car there, keep the dogs in there and use it for storage. It's not like a can of spray paint went off in the family room.

 

[T9D]

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[T9D]

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[WaTaGuMp]

http://www.lowes.com/pd_211755-3422...pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=paint+remover&facetInfo=

 

[lsd]

try paint stripper and then put a thin skim coat of concrete over the area.

 

[Humpy]

Hmm, not sure if some of you are getting this. This is your standard, light gray-ish, unsealed concrete floor. Now imagine flat black paint, a lot of it, being soaked in over basically a 10'x10' area. It aint' pretty. There's no camouflaging this at all.

I think that wetting it with a water based stripper to soften what has soaked in and then hitting it with the pressure washer will be a good start.

Empty out the garage and get to work.

 

[MichaelD]

I think that wetting it with a water based stripper to soften what has soaked in and then hitting it with the pressure washer will be a good start.

Empty out the garage and get to work.

This seems like the most logical solution. I will give it a shot when the time comes. Thanks, Humpy.

 

[compuwiz1]

Epoxy paint the whole floor in gray. I did this in my last house I built. It was really professional looking, like a shop. Anything that dripped was a synch to clean up.

 

[balloonshark]

Epoxy paint the whole floor in gray. I did this in my last house I built. It was really professional looking, like a shop. Anything that dripped was a synch to clean up.

I was thinking the same thing.

If you use a power washer you better hang plastic to protect the walls and ceiling.

 

[IGBT]

paint stripper. never paint cement floors. bad idea.

 

[pete6032]

Is there a home improvement subforum here?

 

[schmuckley]

paint stripper and one of these:

http://www.zoro.com/i/G1968486/?utm...hopping_Feed&gclid=CI_p3Nu38MICFUEV7AodZE4Avg

Maybe some gloves.

 

[PottedMeat]

is there such a thing as a floor buffer with sandpaper pads?