Using Pressure Washer for Cleaning Paint from Concrete
Will A Pressure Washer Remove Paint From Concrete? The answer is yes. However, you can’t just use any pressure washer to clean it. Plus, there are several things that you need to do before using the pressure washer.
But, before we move to that part, let’s find more about the concrete, the media where the paint that you are going to clean.
What is Concrete?
Concrete is special material that usually is used as the material to build a house or other building. Concrete can be categorized as porous material. With so many pores on its surface, the paint that you apply on it will be easily absorbed into the pores.
This condition make the paint enter for few millimeters into the concrete surface. And this is what makes it difficult to clean, unless with specific method, like mentioned earlier. Pressure washer is indeed capable in cleaning the pain on the concrete.
But, it could be difficult and time consuming, if the area where you want to clean is big and in difficult place. You need to be patience and detailed in doing your cleaning job, if this is what you have at your place.
How to Clean Paint from Concrete
First, you need material and tool for cleaning process. They are:
- Broom or other tool to clean the surface of the concrete,
- Trisodium phosphate,
- Brush, choose the one that has long handle,
- Putty knife,
- Chemical paint stripper,
- Protective gear (mask, gloves, glasses)
- Pressure washer
The first step that you need to do is clean the surface of the concrete, where there is paint that you want to clean. Use broom or rug to clean it from dirt and debris.
Then, apply the diluted trisodium phosphate (TSP) on the concrete. Make sure you wear gloves and use the brush. Do it couple times and rinse it with clean water, then let it dry for three hours.
After it dry, there will be some of paint that starts to peel. If you find it, you can use putty knife to clean it. After you do that, next, apply multiple layers of paint stripper.
Now, leave it just like that for six to eight hours. As you can see here, you can’t finish this kind of job in one day. Pressure washer is indeed will ease your job. But, it will need time, so when you use this tool, it won’t damage your concrete.
The next step is using the pressure washer. Don’t make your own pressure washer. Use the real pressure washer. You can buy, borrow it from your friend or rent it.
When you have the pressure washer, you can start to spray it on the paint on concrete. Make sure you set it at 3,000 psi pressure level to make sure that the paint will be peeled up entirely.
Do this several times until the paint is peeled completely from the area where you want to clean. Basically, that’s the answer of the first question on earlier part of this article.