Clean Basement Floor

[utseay]

We just moved into our house, and the basement floor has a layer of mud/dirt on it. I pressure washed it, but it still is really dirty looking. What can I use to clean it so I can seal it?

[m Ransley]

If you pressure washed it and it is still dark pour laundry bleach on an area, if it lightens in a few minutes its mold. If its mold use a garden sprayer with 50% bleach, or mop it on let it sit for hours, then powerwash again, if its mold do your basement walls also . You may have a high water table keeping the floor damp, a dehumidifier would be best, if its mold.

[Ether Jones]

When you pressure-washed it, did you use plain water, or did you use a detergent?

The dirt you see could be fine clay. It's difficult to remove with just water.

Try mopping with a solution of TSP (the real stuff, not the substitute) and brushing the solution with a broom, then rinsing.

By the way, when you pressure-washed, where did all the dirty water go? Into your sump pit? Does that drain into your septic tank?

[utseay]

I figured a picture would be much easier than trying to explain it. It's not mold, it's just where there was about 2 inches of red clay mud in the basement and all the builder did was sweet it out....so basically...there was about 2 inches of red clay mud still in my basement when I moved it. I pressure washed it, adding a detergent first. It worked wonders, however, I do not feel its clean enough to seal. There are still some splotchy areas of clay that seems to be embedded in the concrete? The first two pictures are of the pressure washed area - and the third picture is of an area that hasn't been pressure washed yet.

Oh yeah, and when I pressure washed the first time, I just squeegied the water out into the driveway/yard.

Ether J> > We just moved into our house, and the basement floor has a layer of

[Ether Jones]

Please explain how you squeegie water off a basement floor out to the driveway. Is your driveway at the same level as your basement floor?

[utseay]

Yes, it's an above ground basement. The house is a split fourer (sp?), up is the "house", down is the basement.

Ether J>

[Larry Jaques]

On 29 Jun 2006 20:33:30 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm, [e-mail] quickly quoth:

--snip--

Those could be some clay stains in the concrete. I'd give it a few more pressure washings (without detergent) to see if any more would come out and to remove all traces of detergent before sealing if it were mine.

Also, you might try some lacquer thinner, naphtha, or mineral spirits on a red spot to see if any more color comes off on a cloth before doing that. Maybe a quick solvent wash is in order, then let it dry, and then pressure-wash it squeaky-clean.

It may seem like a lot of extra work, but prep work is the foundation of all tasks. The better you prep, the better the final work will be.

[Phisherman]

Follow the directions on the can of sealer.

[digitalmaster]

A solution of muratic acid and water..mop on...wait about 20 minutes and rinse...it gets everything.But do not leave it on too long as it will start to eat the concrete.