The Vespiary

The Hive => Newbee Forum => Topic started by: Alternity75 on July 07, 2003, 01:32:00 PM

Title: Which solvent to use?
Post by: Alternity75 on July 07, 2003, 01:32:00 PM
What would be the best solvent/acid/whatever for removing a large amount of Acrylic Latex house paint from a cement garage floor? What would be all around most effective? What would work but be gentle on the surface of the concrete?

...Sorry, I didn't know what forum to put this in...  :-[
Title: cheapest/easiest
Post by: jrfoxxx1 on July 07, 2003, 01:58:00 PM
I would think some simple paint thinner/remover from the hardware store and a cotton mop would be the way to go.  use a garden hose to help rinse. seems like the obvious solution.

Title: oo, paint, now theres a topic I can post on
Post by: Darvos on July 07, 2003, 08:12:00 PM
If it's <48h or so Denatured Alcohol (Ethanol) will work, beyond that I belive you'd be limited to mechanical means (pressure washer) or possibly muriatic acid.
Title: It's actually several months old.
Post by: Alternity75 on July 08, 2003, 06:48:00 AM
It's actually several months old. What about a NP solvent like Toulene? Or is Muriatic Acid the way to go?
Title: hmmm
Post by: nitrous351 on July 08, 2003, 11:12:00 AM
If it's several months old, I would go with the muriatic acid. What type of concrete is it? Smooth (like inside a garage?) or rough (like a driveway?). If it's smooth, the acid will etch the concrete to look like a driveway. If it's already etched, it won't really make a difference. They do sell paint remover at hardware stores. Something hardcore like aircraft stripper (DCM if I remember correctly) would probably work. peace

Title: It's the inside of a garage, so it's smooth.
Post by: Alternity75 on July 09, 2003, 09:40:00 PM
It's the inside of a garage, so it's smooth. I don't want to etch it to be rough, so the HCl is out. So is DCM the best option? Will it scratch the concrete too? What about Toulene? Appreciate the help so far, btw...
Title: many could work
Post by: nitrous351 on July 10, 2003, 11:34:00 AM
Many solvents could work. I suggest toluene, DCM, acetone, or xylene. Plain ole paint thinner might work too. If you have these solvents, just pour some over the paint and try to clean it up. If one doesn't work, try another. If you are wondering which solvent you should go buy to clean it up, I suggest one of the above. What kind of paint is it? Latex? Polyurethane?

Title: It's 100% Acrylic Latex house paint.
Post by: Alternity75 on July 10, 2003, 02:36:00 PM
It's 100% Acrylic Latex house paint.
Title: Experimental method?
Post by: ClearLight on July 10, 2003, 03:09:00 PM
Find a patch and apply all of your solvents to a different area and then see which ones work.. report results when you are done...