# after stripping, neutralizer necessary?



## randrohe (Sep 7, 2010)

Hello All,
Hope your Holiday weekend was enjoyable.
I have a small cedar log home I finished stripping w/ zinnser jomax stain stripper and a pressure washer before the weekend.
The customers water supply is very limited and we had to work out of 55 gal. drums of water.. We ran out of water (and daylight) before I had time to finish or final rinse. Actually, it wasn't rinsed nearly as well as I would have liked. It has sat now a couple of days and when I hit the sections that I know still had stripper on them with a power washer, there doesn't seem to be any stripper coming out...
Do I need to apply a neutralizer? The Zinnser brand didn't mention a neutralizer at all, it just said to rinse well with water...
I will be applying SW Woodscapes solid latex as the topcoat..
Do I need to check the ph? what should it be? would a test kit from a swimming pool be sufficient?
I don't work with strippers often,( unless I have a fist full of ones,LOL)
I appreciate any and all input..

Thanks,

Rand Rohe
Brothers' Painting


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## TheRogueBristle (Mar 19, 2010)

An extra step obviously, but a neutralizer is never going to hurt, imo. Never used Zinsser stripper so I don't really know, but if it wer me I'd play it safe rather than sorry.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

Depends on the chemical in the stripper, some require it and some don't.


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## Retired (Jul 27, 2010)

The best way IMO to find out about products like Jomax is on the ARCAT site. It has all the Zinnser products listed. It's almost too complete and a little hard to navigate at first.

http://www.rustoleum.com/zinsserhp.asp

Jomax is an accelerator used in conjunction with common household chlorine bleach. Most of these are 5-7% sodium hypochlorite. Pool bleach can be used but chlorine eats wood and the bleaching is permanent. 

More on chlorine on any search engine.

Once dry, the Jomax/chlorine bleach combo is neutralized. If a neutralizer is called for, plain distilled white vinegar is fine.

Don't mistake using ammonia like an acid like acetic (vinegar) However if ya do you won't probably last long enough to go bust on a callback or the emergency room will dissolve your profit margin in one swell foop.


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## eews (Apr 18, 2007)

usually a neutralizer is used when the paint remover has a caustic in it, and thus changes the ph of the wood. the neutralizer helps to restore the proper ph balance
improper ph can cause adhesion problems and possible finish failure.


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## Retired (Jul 27, 2010)

The "caustic" removers are those that contain sodium hydroxide. These are the so-called green strippers. Sodium hydroxide is lye and has been used as a paint stripper for who knows how long?

Neutralization can be effected with vinegar to get the Ph near 7. Don't neutralize and ya got big problems you really don't want. 

Not the best thing to use on old or especially antique furniture held together with hide glue. Messes with oak and fir like crazy.


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## randrohe (Sep 7, 2010)

problems I don't want..no thanks, I'll pass.
Thanks for all the input.
It is Sodium Hydroxide (lye) based.
I used 4 gal. of stripper on the entire house,(it's small). 
I like the distilled white vinegar vs. Paying 20$ gal for SW Revive.
How much vinegar should be applied? Do I need to wet the surface first? 
Do I wash it off when I'm at a ph level of 7? any other tips or pointers?

once again, thanks for your input

Rand Rohe
Brothers' Painting


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## randrohe (Sep 7, 2010)

I'm bumping this as I am dealing with this tomorrow. 
Thanks all


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## Retired (Jul 27, 2010)

Like most products Zinnser makes several under the name Jomax. The Jomax concentrated accelerator is mixed with standard household bleach. When the directions are followed and when dry the mix can be neutralized with vinegar and water. Standard or household vinegar is about 5-7% acetic acid. 

To go further with this it would be best to indicate exactly which Jomax product you plan to, or have used. 

Ph can be measured with litmus paper or a Ph meter. There will be a reaction between the base and the acid. Same deal as pouring vinegar over baking soda and producing C02. 

Both or any operations IMO should be done wet and not painted until all is dry.


If you are ever in Seattle with a fistfull of ones or preferably fives, the stripper to see is Miss Kitty Litter. She is a 54 DDDD and crawls around the stage.


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## randrohe (Sep 7, 2010)

Thanks retired..Can't wait to wear your title..
I used Wolmans ASR deck strip and Zinnsers stain and finish remover. Neither mention using a neutralizer after the rinsing off.
I plan on playing it safe and going / the distilled white vinegar, as per your recommendation. My friend is giving me his pool ph test kit also.
So, wet the surfaces, apply staight vinegar, allow it to stand on surface until I have a ph reading of around 7. rinse off.
Does that sound about right?
Unless the surface is already at or below 7, than I can forget the vinegar entirely, I assume?
ok, back to Miss Kitty Litter..
I live in PA, but have always wanted to see the wonderful "natural" wonders of the north west!!!!!! 
Thanks again, I have much to learn
Randy Rohe
Brothers" Painting


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## Retired (Jul 27, 2010)

If you have access to a pool kit and your Ph is close to 7, after just hosing off the stripper/cleaner the Ph tells the tale. The vinegar can be diluted with water: you don't want to kill off the plants.

Many of the log type homes in my neck of the woods get blasted with ground up corncobs. I think Lindahl recommends this procedure. 

Speaking of plants if you don't know this already, covering plants with clear plastic is SOP but you don't want to leave it. The clear plastic acts as a lens, a moisture barrier and a gas barrier. Even one day will kill off things you don't want dead..

Retired, but not dead or brain dead yet..


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