You must remove the old paint from your concrete before staining or sealing.
Whether you spilled a can of paint on your concrete floor or just need to remove old paint before sealing or staining, chemical products can assist you. Though you can try using a pressure washer to remove paint from exterior surfaces, chemical agents are an effective alternative. Work in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves and protective eye wear when working with chemicals. Several soy-based products are also available, though you should still exercise caution and take protective measures.
Behr Concrete & Masonry Paint Stripper No. 992
Behr's Concrete Stripper can be used on interior and exterior surfaces such as basement and garage floors, patios, walkways, driveways, and concrete walls. Use the stripper to remove sealants, latex, stains, and more, including most other paints. You should be able to cover approximately 60 to 75 square feet per gallon of paint stripper. One gallon of stripper retails for $27.48 as of December 2010. Behr Concrete & Masonry Paint Stripper is biodegradable, but you should contact your refuse collection service for information on proper disposal. Although most paints will take between 1 and 6 hours to remove, be sure to perform a patch test on the area you are stripping to determine the correct stripping time.
Lightening Strip Paint and Mastic Remover
Lightening Strip Paint and Mastic Remover strips multiple layers of paint from concrete with only one application by causing the bottom layer of paint to expand and weaken its adhesion to the concrete. It can be used with water and oil-based paints, acrylic paints, primers and more and, because it gels to the surface as it is applied, it can be used for vertical surfaces as well. Lightening Strip will also remove waterproofing paint, but will not remove silicon-based sealers. The stripper is applied with a non-aerosol spray rather than a brush and the paint residue from Lightening Strip can be cleaned with only water. You will be able to cover approximately 150 square feet per gallon of Lightening Strip for 1 to 2 layers of paint and approximately 75 square feet per gallon with 2 to 4 layers of paint. One gallon of stripper is sold for $38 as of December 2010.
SoyClean Paint Stripper
SoyClean Paint Stripper contains no methylene chloride. SoyClean soy-based paint stripper, an environmentally friendly product, rinses away with water and contains 100 percent natural ingredients. The nontoxic and biodegradable solution works well, without harsh chemicals. SoyClean paint stripper is sold in 22 ounce bottles for between $10.95 and $12.95 per bottle as of December 2010. You can also purchase six bottles at a time, equal to just over 1 gallon of product, for $65.70 if you require larger amounts.
Soy-Gel Professional Paint Stripper
Soy-Gel Paint Stripper, made from soybeans, can remove layers of paint with only one application. You can even use it to remove lead paint,while trapping the lead inside the gel and preventing it from contaminating the air. You can either paint Soy-Gel onto the concrete, or use a sprayer. Use Soy-Gel on lead, latex, or enamel paint, as well as many other finishes. Each gallon of Soy-Gel can cover approximately 200 square feet of floor space. As of December 2010, Soy-Gel retails for $64.95 per gallon.
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