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Removing Concrete sealer

JLazaro317 | Posted in Construction Techniques on September 6, 2007 04:40am

I need to remove the sealer on a concrete driveway that was just re-sealed. To much sealer was applied and it is splotchy. Are there any ways to remove it other than xylene? I once saw somebody use a citrus cleaner and a pressure washer but I don’t know what it was.

Thanks,

John

J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.

Indianapolis, In.

 


Edited 9/5/2007 9:41 pm ET by JLazaro317

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  1. rez | Sep 08, 2007 05:58pm | #1

    Greetings JR

    This post, in response to your question, will bump the thread through the 'recent discussion' listing again which will increase it's viewing.

    Perhaps it will catch someone's attention that can help you with advice.

    Cheers

     


    sobriety is the root cause of dementia.   

    1. JLazaro317 | Sep 08, 2007 06:15pm | #2

      Thanks for the bump. I was getting ready to do it myself. It's always better when someone else bumps you.  ;)John

      J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.

      Indianapolis, In.

       

      1. rez | Sep 08, 2007 06:29pm | #3

        Let's give brownbagg a ring.

        ~ring~

        sobriety is the root cause of dementia.   

        1. User avater
          Sphere | Sep 08, 2007 11:47pm | #4

          You fixin to propose to him?Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

          "If you want something you've never had, do something you've never done"

  2. dovetail97128 | Sep 09, 2007 02:18am | #5

    JLazaro,

    Assuming you are dealing with an acrylic concrete cure or sealer I know more than I ever wanted to know about doing that .

    First hand experience is that you can do it. The stripper is sold as "Citri-Solv" , another is "Citri-Clean", also sold by many other companies under different names.

    Requires a lot of it, surface must be kept damp with the undiluted product until the sealer softens and you can scrape or pressure wash it off. Think of syrupy paint stripper on a painted wood surface.

    I spent the better part of 3 days with a sub-contractor who's business is stripping floors stripping sealer off a brand new "in color slab"
    It does work .

    I have a first hand health warning for you as well: Using this stuff while already having a mild lung infection (mild flu) damn near killed me

    In spite of the fact that it is organic , and hyped as non-toxic the fumes from stuff can and will damage your lungs. Turns out lung tissue is no where near as tough as the concrete sealer.

    While my situation is not common due to other issues, I ended up in the emergency room , unable to breathe. Lung tissue swollen , airways shut down. Now I have serious asthma, find it tough to work physically for any period of time at all and have had more than one return visits to the emergency room for care.

    Others have suffered allergic reactions that were very serious and left them permanently suffering from allergies they never had before..
    Labeled as safe to use with "Adequate Ventilation" (whatever that means).

    I can't remember where I found info on the web (after the fact ) about the active ingredient of this stuff, but do know that there is a rather large body of evidence that while organic, it ain't all that safe .
    Good luck !

    My advice is if you can smell it then you are in danger.

    "Poor is not the person who has too little, but the person who craves more."...Seneca

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