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CHEMICAL STRIPPERS - WHEN TO USE THEM

Are chemical strippers the best way to remove sealers from concrete?

Sometimes the best way to repair a failed sealing job is to chemically strip it off. This is usually a last resort when all other methods have been exhausted.

A chemical compound in the stripper will destroy the coating and turn it into a sludge that can be removed.

It is not a solvent, solvents are used to loosen or rewet a sealer coating and have little to no long term effect to most concrete sealers.

Solvents are usually used to remove moisture problems or blisters and bubbles on a sealer surface.

It is also not an acid. Most common acids like hydrochloric and phosphoric will not effect cured epoxies, polyurethanes or acrylic sealers.

Today there are natural soy and citrus based strippers that are environmentally safe and methylene chloride based strippers that can burn your skin if your not careful.

All these strippers have one thing in common, they need time to work and you have to keep them wet to stay active. Once they dry out they stop working.

Depending on the sealer type and thickness, multiple applications will probably be needed to remove all the sealer. This will take time, maybe hours, so plan accordingly.

Most strippers are in gel form, this helps them hold to the surface better and not dry out too fast, keeping them active longer.

The environmentally safe strippers usually take longer to work, but are safer to use. Protect and cover anything you don't want to strip and always read and follow the manufactures specifications for best results.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU REMOVE THE SEALER:

Rent a walk behind floor scrubber. A rotary one works good, use soft to medium brushes that are resistant to chemical strippers.

This will help speed up the time it takes to remove the sludge.

Cover the area being stripped with a damp cotton sheet. keep it very flat and push it into all grooves being stripped.

It's important to get as much contact with the surface being stripped as possible. Cover the sheet with a piece of plastic and seal all the ends as best you can.

Let it sit for hours if possible. This will help keep the stripper wet and turn the sealer into a sludge you can remove. Some sludge will soak into the sheet keeping the mess to a minimum.

For information on other concrete sealer related topics click on the links below.

CONCRETE MOISTURE PROBLEMS

CONCRETE SEALER AND CONDENSATION PROBLEMS

CONCRETE SURFACE TEMPERATURE CAN CAUSE SEALER PROBLEMS

DEICING SALTS AND CONCRETE SEALER PROBLEMS

WHAT CAUSES SEALER BLISTERS AND BUBBLES?

SEALER SURFACE PREPARATION BEFORE SEALING

IS THERE A TINTED SEALER I CAN USE?

WHAT KIND OF SEALER APPLICATOR SHOULD I USE?

EPOXY AND URETHANE SEALERS

CONCRETE PENETRATING SEALERS

CONCRETE CURE AND SEAL