Need your advice please...

[oldbones]

Ok, so I'm getting towards the end of my new garage/shop project. The building is 36x40, with a monolithic slab and pex run for radiant. Since the very beginning, I knew I wanted to finish the floor before moving in, but I haven't yet decided if it will be an epoxy finish, or maybe try concrete stain and sealer.

Either way, I have been very careful to keep the concrete contaminant free. No vehicles have touched the slab yet, and I carefully warned my main contractor to be extra careful with the floor, and not to bring anything over the slab that could cause a stain.

So, the problem is this... I guess I forgot to tell the plumber. He's been working the last couple days roughing in all the above ground plumbing before drywall. I've been out of town, so didn't get to watch him work. I came home today and was very please to see that much progress has been made since I left, but as I looked around a bit more, suddenly I wasn't so pleased any more.

I found three areas on the floor that have been stained by spills.

I just about came unglued, and called the plumber right away. Turns out, he spilled some flux (used when brazing copper pipe) and just wiped it up with a rag.


Ok, sorry for the long story, but now to the question part. He is going to clean it up, but I need to be able to tell him what to use to clean it. He was going to use gasoline, but I told him to hold off, I didn't think I wanted any petroleum products hitting that floor if I plan to epoxy it.

So, for the experts out there, what would you recommend we use to clean up these chemical spills on the floor?

Thanks. I'm getting pissed again just typing about it...

 

[SimpleManLance]

i would try denatured alcohol. or zyline. both things clean and evaproate fast. if you plan on using epoxy how are you going to prep the floor. if you grind it you should be fine with just grinding the spot.

 

[Floorguy]

I agree with Lance. Either xylene or Alcohol. I use the xylene all the time, but have never tried the alcohol (except the kind one drinks . Both should do the job and not add to your problem.

floorguy

 

[oldbones]

Thanks guys, we'll give the alcohol a try.

I'm a little worried because it sure looks like it's penetrated into the slab pretty good...

To answer your question above, no I hadn't intended to grind. Slab is new, and smooth enough for my taste. It's not perfect, but will look good once I finish it.

 

[Floorguy]

Smooth is not what you really want for a coating to adhere well. You want a medium grit sandpaper finish which will have lots of small peaks and valleys. Therefore, lots of surface area for the coating to bond to. There are many ways to achieve this profile but some sort of prep is normally required to insure a good bond.

Just my $.02

 

[oldbones]

MEK "Ok" to clean concrete?

So, would MEK be ok on the bare concrete floor? I've got a can of that laying around...