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Most of the men painting stuff in their shed will eventually get sloppy and drop some paint either on the floor or on the furniture. If it’s noticed quickly enough, there shouldn’t usually be a problem; however, if they are distracted for a bit too long, they may end up with nasty stains that will seem impossible to remove. This is how concrete floors end up looking bad, but luckily, it’s not as hard to remove as it may seem. Here are some ways you could use to solve that problem.
The Heavy Artillery: The Power Pressure Washer
When the situation allows you to do so, high-pressured water can do wonders to remove paint stains. In the previously stated situation, though, using this technique in a shed would have been pretty risky (not to say stupid). This equipment is specially recommended for outside cleaning. As a last advice, watch out not to use a too-narrow stream: it is so powerful you could actually damage your concrete! You might want to increase the power progressively and not go all-out at the beginning.
The Usual Solution: Chemical Paint Stripping
The most common way to attack concrete paint stains is by buying a paint remover. It usually costs less than the other options because you do not need to buy or rent machines to use it. Using any remover might not necessarily work, though: you need to find a paint remover that is known to work well on concrete.
The main disadvantage of using chemical products is their toxicity and high smell. If you are doing an interior job, make sure that you properly ventilate the area. The very minimum is to have all your windows and doors open! You’ll also want to use gloves and cover your skin properly to avoid contact with the substance. Not all products will put you in danger, but extra protection is never a problem! Alternatively, you could look for an eco-friendly solution, since there are some caustics-free paint removers. It is not guaranteed to be as effective as a normal paint remover, but you can have a try.
Other Alternatives: Shot Blasting and Grinding
These two methods will require that you rent a machine, or borrow one from your neighbor if you are a very lucky person!
Shot blasting machines shoot little beads of metal on the concrete surface. The beads will probably go all over the place so you will very probably need a magnet to get them after. It works pretty well but can create small holes on your floor if you go too slowly. Floor grinders are as effective as their counterpart, but it should be a bit easier to avoid damaging the concrete. In both cases, a lot of dust could be generated.
In conclusion, there is no miracle solution to solve your problem: each alternative has disadvantages that you could want to avoid. You’ll choose the proposition value that sounds the most suitable for you!
