# What is the best way to remove sealer from concrete/cement driveway?



## pain-ter (Jun 9, 2012)

Hi again everyone!

Ok, my client has asked me to remove all the sealant from this beautiful stamped cement/concrete driveway.

Not sure exactly what to use or how to go about it.

I did google it and it appears the most used method is to use a chemical stripper.

Can anyone here give me some more insights on how to effectively remove the old peeling sealant and what to use next?

Thanks,

Paint-er


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## painter213 (Nov 5, 2008)

Your not going to remove the sealer without damaging the concrete. A sealer penetrates in deep to seal so good luck. You might use a 3,000 - 4,000 psi pressure washer with a abrasive injection adaptor to try to abrasive blast it but your going to abrade the concrete.


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## Ultimate (Mar 20, 2011)

Someone knows how. And I am interested to see what those that do know say. First of all there will need to be plethora of information provided which you have not. Pictures will likely help as well. 

Leading to this... It sounds like you aren't sure. Unless you are willing to risk a loss along with potential damage and repair of surface for the sake of acquiring a new niche, I'd consider declining the job.


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## pain-ter (Jun 9, 2012)

painter213 said:


> Your not going to remove the sealer without damaging the concrete. A sealer penetrates in deep to seal so good luck. You might use a 3,000 - 4,000 psi pressure washer with a abrasive injection adaptor to try to abrasive blast it but your going to abrade the concrete.


Yes, I agree that using a very high-powered powerful pressure washer would most probably damage the nice finish on the concrete. Another person suggested using a sand blaster...Oh my! I dare not!



FatherandSonPainting said:


> Someone knows how. And I am interested to see what those that do know say. First of all there will need to be plethora of information provided which you have not. Pictures will likely help as well.
> 
> Leading to this... It sounds like you aren't sure. Unless you are willing to risk a loss along with potential damage and repair of surface for the sake of acquiring a new niche, I'd consider declining the job.


You are 100% correct...I have no clue how to go about this and that is why I posted the question here.

The customer who asked me to perform this feat is actually a very good friend too. So acquiring a new niche really has nothing whatsoever to do with it...

What matters the very most for me is to do a profession job with excellent quality. I like to be able to look my customers and friends in the eye and know I did a good job.

A nightmare scenario that crossed my mind on this job is that I might unknowingly kill all his exotic plants on each side of the driveway with a chemical stripper, and then 6 months later, all the sealant would start coming off again! He is a very good friend of mine, and the founder and CEO of a well known computer company, and I prefer to play it safe rather than sorry.

I did get around to calling professional concrete contractors that specialize in this type of stuff...I was a little surprised to hear what they said.

They both indicated a strong chemical needed to be used to complete the task. They even gave me a couple of names of the chemicals to be used.

They both said it was very hard work.

They both wanted to charge in excess of $1.75 per sq. ft. so, in this case, they wanted $7000-$10,000 to do the stripping and the re-coating.

One of them mentioned White Mountain as the final sealant and he was really adamant about using only that brand.

Have I finally decided to do the job? No. My friend asked to wait one more year and then if I was comfortable doing it, to do it then.

To be 100% honest with you, due to my extreme lack of experience in this area I feel very uncomfortable about doing this job and I will probably decline [he has all sorts of exotic plants alongside the driveway].

Thanks for the input everyone. 

I was hoping for more input, but I suppose I can find that in a concrete forum?

Oh how Pain......ful!

Pain-ter

PS Are you the Father or the Son or the Holy Spirit?


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## Xmark (Apr 15, 2012)

wait 2 years.problem solved


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