# Garage floor color flakes turning rust color.



## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

We painted a garage floor last summer with Corotech Epxoy and added color flakes. The flake colors are White, Gray and Black. The HO owns a truck with rust on the undercarriage. A problem he is having is the White and Gray flakes are turning into a rust color. He hasn't tried chemicals to clean it yet.

What would be a good product to remove the rust stains from the clear coat and flakes?

The floor has 2 coats of clear. We had the BM rep there and he gave us 2 products to to go get and try. I was wondering if any one else has had this issue and what they used to clean the rust.

It is only where he parks. The garage floor is a 2 bay with horizontal and vertical expansion grooves. 

I haven't seen or heard of this happening before so I'm lost as how to clean it or if necessary strip the clear and flakes and start over.


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

You'll need an acid but I'm not positive the source is the truck if the flakes have two layers of intact clear over them. The coating would have to be porous for oxidation to occur unless the moisture is coming from underneath. Can water permeate through the clear coat you used? On the plus side, if the coating is allowing moisture to get in, the acid will penetrate as well. Do a small test spot because God only knows what the acid will do to the color of the flakes. 

If you have to strip everything off, don't use transoxide/metallic flakes. He will lose some of the reflective properties of the flakes but it sounds like this problem will just be a recurring nightmare.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

They are Polymer flakes. What has me stumped is it's just showing on the White and Gray and not the black.


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

Not sure what's going on without seeing it. This falls under that gray area of who is responsible. I would contact the manufacturer directly.


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## Tonyg (Dec 9, 2007)

PressurePros said:


> Not sure what's going on without seeing it. This falls under that gray area of who is responsible. I would contact the manufacturer directly.


Wondering if it is just rust attracted to the surface profile. Maybe it is actually on the black but not showing. If that is the case then like I said planning on the surface I would think would do it. It would also catch the clearcoat causing it to be dull and attract more staining next time. In other words, you may have to put another clearcoat after cleaning.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

Tonyg said:


> Wondering if it is just rust attracted to the surface profile. Maybe it is actually on the black but not showing. If that is the case then like I said planning on the surface I would think would do it. It would also catch the clearcoat causing it to be dull and attract more staining next time. In other words, you may have to put another clearcoat after cleaning.


I'm kind of expecting to have to reclear coat the one bay.

What would you guys use to try to remove the rust stains? We are hoping like you said it just looks like its attacking the lighter color flakes and some is on the black but hard to see. I didn't get down on my hands and knees, the rust was seen as soon as you look down. We will end up cleaning the whole bay regardless.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

PressurePros said:


> Not sure what's going on without seeing it. This falls under that gray area of who is responsible. I would contact the manufacturer directly.


I asked the HO how it was holding up, at first he said it was good, then said it had the rust, this guy would have lived with it. That's not how we run our business. If there is an issue we go look asap. If it's on us or the HO is some thing we can determine once we get there and look. In this case it doesn't matter we will clean it up. 

This customer is one you want to keep happy. He has refereed us and hands out our number a lot. In my mind the least we can do is make it right.


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

cdpainting said:


> I'm kind of expecting to have to reclear coat the one bay.
> 
> What would you guys use to try to remove the rust stains? We are hoping like you said it just looks like its attacking the lighter color flakes and some is on the black but hard to see. I didn't get down on my hands and knees, the rust was seen as soon as you look down. We will end up cleaning the whole bay regardless.



I would start with a mild acid. Lemon juice concentrate may even be enough to do it. Are you sure the clear coat isn't yellowing?


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

straight_lines said:


> I would start with a mild acid. Lemon juice concentrate may even be enough to do it. Are you sure the clear coat isn't yellowing?


Yes I'm sure. The rust pops out. We had the BM rep look and told us to try a couple products. I was looking to see what others tried to get stains out. We will give lemon juice a shot.


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

You said it is only where he parks. If this is a solvent based system with 2 clear top coats there is no way that is getting through to the flakes. It must be on the surface as a whole but only visible on the lighter colors. 
Pics would help.
Why not do a test with CLR? Then advise the HO you cannot be responsible for cleaning up after he parks his rusty a$$ truck on your beautiful floor


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## Oden (Feb 8, 2012)

I would also think that the rust would be only on the top of the clear and I"d think as little as a wet rag or some 409 cleaner and a rag would be my first attempt. A mop and a bucket of water and simple green maybe. always try the simplest fix first.

And if it is just dirty then of course it is not ur problem anymore.


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## bmoorecl (May 29, 2013)

I wonder could it be,in the concrete,take for insist,you clean the floor,some cases,Like I put a plastic sheet,tape in a square,let it set for two days,come back to check,to see if there is moister,under th plastic.If there is lots of moister,there might be a little problem sealing.DO you think,this HO,wash his truck underneath,pull it in th garage,rust drip in concrete for years.now it seal moister coming up.under coating.along with rust.hmmmm well could this be.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

bmoorecl said:


> I wonder could it be,in the concrete,take for insist,you clean the floor,some cases,Like I put a plastic sheet,tape in a square,let it set for two days,come back to check,to see if there is moister,under th plastic.If there is lots of moister,there might be a little problem sealing.DO you think,this HO,wash his truck underneath,pull it in th garage,rust drip in concrete for years.now it seal moister coming up.under coating.along with rust.hmmmm well could this be.


When we first started this job the garage floor was so clean you could eat off of it. It was fine all summer long, once winter hit with the snow melting off his truck that's when he noticed. He told us he didn't really try cleaning it, he wanted to find out what he could use to clean it with and how to prevent it. We went and took a look (he had more work for us to look at any ways) we brought a BM rep and mid May we will be going up there to clean it and paint some walls.

We always to a moisture test. We do 5 test spots per 1 bay garage.


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