Removing Old Latex Paint from Concrete Floor

Has anyone else used this?

Pour a pool of latex paint from a can you do not need anymore onto the concrete floor section you want to strip of the dried latex paint. Wait until it is dry to the touch (a few hours or overnight or even a few days). Peel off with a putty knife.

I happened on this while cleaning latex paint splatters from my living room walls onto the concrete floor and seeing how easily the relatively new splatters just peeled off and left the underlying floor free of the old, dried, otherwise super hard to remove latex. I am prepping the floor for laying groutable, peel and stick tile.

Reply to
Elle
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I have used paint stripper on floor paint:( NOTE ITS VERY SLIPPERY.

you might try a pressure washer sounds like your paint isnt very well adhered...

Reply to
bob haller

I will consider the pressure washer, thanks.

I have used three different chemicals so far with varying but pretty incomplete success:

KleanStrip stripper (big mess; very toxic; need thick gloves and good ventilation)

A chemical that comes in a spray bottle for specifically latex removal. Lowe's sells it. I think it is better than the KleanStrip.

Acetone, which is not bad once the old paint layer is thinned down.

80-grit sandpaper is not bad but it requires much labor.

A Harbor Freight floor scraper is just a little better than my putty knives.

Plain water worked well on one section. I soaked the area for a minute, and the dried latex peeled up with a putty knife pretty easily. But no luck with water with most of the floor.

I am a little concerned about how well the peel-and-stick vinyl tile will adhere after all the chemicals.

I am experimenting further with pouring pools of latex paint from a can I do not need anymore. Pouring them to the right thickness is key. Do not spread the pool. The floor looks really clean in the spot where a pool was after the latex is peeled up in pretty much one piece.

Reply to
Elle

I know. I'd hang plastic sheets first.

I am in a very dry climate. I think surface prep for peel-n-stick vinyl tile is even more important than in a humid climate. Plenty where I live say they have had success, though, especially using extra adhesive.

Okay.

Pouring fresh latex paint on a concrete floor with old, dried, tightly adhered latex paint, then letting the fresh paint dry for about eight hours, causes the new paint to adhere to the old paint. The whole puddle is easily peel-able and pulls the old, dried latex right up.

Reply to
Elle

I am trying to locate Unicide 256 where I live. Brulin has a web site at brulin.com with contact info so I could maybe locate a distributor where I am.

The MSDS for Unicide 256 may be found easily via a google search. It appears the active ingredient of Unicide 256 is various forms of ammonium chloride. I caution folks about using home recipes. Remember what bleach and ammonia mixed together produce, for one. The fumes can severely burn a person's lungs.

Regarding my "trick" pouring pools of liquid latex onto the old, adhered latex on the concrete floor: Best results are with small pools, no more than six-inch diameter, and a low humidity. I am in the southwest. I do not know that this trick will work as well in the humid Midwest.

Oren, I am working on that youtube video.

Reply to
Elle

What has worked well for me is using an old iron on the steam setting. It'll make the iron unusable for clothes, but it works better than any chemical. Just let it sit for 5 to 10 seconds on the concrete while it steams, and then scrape or wire brush off the paint.

I
Reply to
mike

I have just about concluded my concrete prep. My fingers are crossed.

One has to have a lot of old latex paint lying around for the pour-dry-peel= method above. It did mostly help.

I bought some muriatic acid, diluted it to about 5%, and tried it outside f= irst. I neutralized (hopefully) with a bit of diluted bleach. I tried it in= side on about one square foot. The fumes are a bit much. I switched to plai= n old white vinegar (still neutralizing with some bleach) and got decent re= sults here and there.

I tried the hot iron set on steam setting that mike suggested, with a thin = rag between the iron and floor. No luck.

The leveling compound I will be using says that whatever is still adhering = to the concrete had better adhere to the tune of at least 75 psi. I took my= air compressor, set it at 120 psi, and went over the floor. It pulled up s= ome of the old paint. I vacuumed. I am going to rinse the floor down a few = times in the next several days, let it dry out a couple days, go over it on= ce more with the vacuum, then put the leveling compound down and hope all i= s well.

Reply to
honda.lioness

method above. It did mostly help.

first. I neutralized (hopefully) with a bit of diluted bleach.

Neutralizing an ACID with BLEACH???? You gotta be NUTS!!!! You neutralize acid with something like baking soda or lime. NOT SODIUM HYPERCHLORITE!!!

switched to plain old white vinegar (still neutralizing with some bleach) and got decent results here and there.

between the iron and floor. No luck.

the concrete had better adhere to the tune of at least 75 psi. I took my air compressor, set it at 120 psi, and went over the floor. It pulled up some of the old paint. I vacuumed. I am going to rinse the floor down a few times in the next several days, let it dry out a couple days, go over it once more with the vacuum, then put the leveling compound down and hope all is well.

Reply to
clare

Muriatic acid and bleach releases chlorine gas, (world war one mustard gas) which will destroy your lungs and can kill you. You neutralize acid with a base.

Reply to
EXT

steps 3 and 4.

gas than what you say above.

Yes, it neutralizes the acid - but what does the acid do to the bleach? It causes it to break down, releasing CHLORINE (which is different than mustard gas (made using sulphur dichloride and ethyelene)) Depending what acid is used, Sulphur Dioxide can also be produced -or hypochlorous acid, - or even thionoyl Chloride.

two of you are overstating the case a bit.

I'd rather overstate the case a bit than see someone suffer the rest of their life with lung problems - a life which may also be significantly shorter than normal.

Reply to
clare

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