Floor Prep Question?

JMG1959

I'm replacing my Carpet and Linolium in my house, with either tile or stained concrete. My question is if I want to go with concrete stain, which is the best way to strip the concrete? Do I need a grinder or do I use some sort of stripper? Any help would be appreciated.

UpIACrete

I have had to strip sealer off of concrete due to moisture getting in between the sealer and crete and I used Soy Gel. Spread it on about an 1/8" to 1/4" and let it sit. Clean up is a bit of a hassle as the stuff doesn't mix well with water. We also had a buffer for final clean up. Be careful if you use this stuff because it is easily the slipperiest stuff I have ever walked on.

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"Pride puts perfection into the work."

JMG1959

I ordered a product called Bean-e-doo, It's Soy based. What is the name of the product you used? It sounds like I'm on the right track.

AAPaint

Personally, I would grind it. You'll end up with a smoother slab and better finish. Just taking off a layer of sealer isn't a lot of work with a grinder.

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-AAPaint

AA Quality Painting & Pressure Washing LLC
Jacksonville Painters
Jacksonville, FL.

stampcrete

You just have to make sure the floor is in good shape because the stain will not cover anything up. I had planned on staining my basement but with rust stains etc, I decided to do a sprayable overlay with stencils. Ill post pics when im done -Kirk

AAPaint

Depends on how those stains look at first. If you're doing an acid stain, they will just add character to the mottled effect. If they are oily or greasy, then they have to come off. Other than that, the right color and application will cover them, or better yet, blend them with the mottled effect.

__________________
-AAPaint

AA Quality Painting & Pressure Washing LLC
Jacksonville Painters
Jacksonville, FL.

JMG1959

Ok! I tried the Bean-e-doo and it didn't work as well as I'd hoped it would. The floor is smooth but I can still see the trowel marks on the floor. If I were to grind the floor to get the rest of the mastic off, what would be a good grinder to purchase or rent?

stampcrete

I would go with a grinder w/ diamond tips. I used a grinder with stone tips because I was just cleaning the floor good. Around here you can rent one for the day for about 150.
Kirk

mkai22

I agree w/ -AAPaint, I'd grind it. You'll get a better finish. If you're going to used stained and want a high gloss finish, try the I-Shine polishing system from Innovatech. They are the ONLY company in the US that has anything like this. Good luck!

mkai22

Oh, and if you're looking to get a grinder try a 4 headed planetary grinder. My husband has one of these. I'm pretty small 5'1 and can easily EASILY run a 4 headed planetary grinder by myself. Less torque.