How to clean a concrete floor from oil. How to wash the floors after repair from white plaque: how to wash different floor covering options and suitable products for this How to wash the floor after whitewashing

Concrete floors with their high-quality pouring are very reliable and durable. They serve as an excellent base for almost any floor covering or can themselves serve as an exploited surface. But they also have a significant drawback - education. a large number dust, which often becomes a serious problem. Is it possible to carry out the dedusting of the concrete floor with your own hands?

Not only possible, but also necessary! To do this, there are a number of techniques that can be used both individually and in combination.

Before moving on to considering dust removal technologies, it would be useful to understand the cause of dust formation on a concrete floor. It lies in the very structural structure of the hardened concrete.

This is a pronounced conglomerate mixture, which includes completely heterogeneous materials that differ not only in size, but also in chemical composition. Silicate crystal lattice, formed during the maturation of cement stone, intersects with large fragments of insoluble sand or gravel filler.

A look at a section of concrete under a microscope allows you to see its pronounced porosity - from the most microscopic to large pores, filled with a gel cement substance, air or water. Many of them and reactive unbound substances, which, on the one hand, are unnecessary ballast, and on the other hand, cause erosion processes, especially in the upper, most fragile layers of the screed.

Plus, the process of concrete maturation is always associated with the release of cement laitance to the surface, which, when solidified, forms an extremely fragile layer, which is often the main source of dust generation.

Thus, in order to prevent dust formation, one can either strengthen or remove the upper unstable layer, or bind it with additional crystalline formations or a polymer structure. Hence the three main approaches to solving the problem of dust removal - surface hardening by topping, grinding or treatment with special impregnations. Very often these technologies are applied in a complex, which gives the most effective result.

Why is dedusting required?

First of all, if you do not stop the erosion surface processes, they will eventually affect the deeper layers of concrete, which will lead to partial or even complete destruction of the screed.

Cement dust poses a serious threat to human health - it can provoke the development of diseases of the respiratory system, eyes, skin, and cause allergic reactions.
Dust, getting into parts and assemblies of machinery and equipment, can cause their rapid wear and even quickly disable them.
A dusty floor is very difficult to clean, it always has an untidy appearance.
Even if it is planned to lay a decorative coating on the screed, the formation of dust will surely make itself felt with a crunch or squeaks over time. Therefore, experts advise to carry out dust removal on any floors, without any exceptions.

Having understood the essence of the problem, we can proceed to the consideration of dust removal technologies.

Hardening concrete floor with topping

To immediately understand the meaning of this tricky word, you can draw a direct analogy with the well-known "iron" freshly poured concrete screed, when it is sprinkled with dry cement, which is rubbed into the surface layer. Alas, the resulting layer does not differ in durability, it quickly collapses.

"Iron" in the old fashioned way

These shortcomings are deprived of special formulations - toppings. They consist of cement, special binding additives and filler in a very fine fraction, which determines both the strength and the appearance of the surface.

Quartz sand can be used as a filler. Such hardening is quite suitable for rooms with a slight or medium load. Often, this topping is given different shades - this allows you to give the concrete semi decorative.
For floors where an increased load is planned, it is better to use corundum topping. It will strengthen the screed by about 1.8 times, and the abrasion resistance is doubled.
Metallized is considered the most durable topping, but it is used only in industrial construction, where floors experience extreme mechanical or vibration loads.

How topping is done

Application topping is a rather time-consuming and responsible process that requires, among other things, the use special equipment. The screed must be properly reinforced, reinforced as much as possible with a vibrating screed. The thickness of the concrete layer must be at least 70 mm, and its grade must be at least M300.

The technology consists in uniform dispersion of dry topping on the surface of the filled screed and its thorough rubbing. A special trowel is used for this - so-called. « helicopter» .

Trowel - "helicopter"

You can distribute the composition over the surface manually, but it would be better to use a special dosing trolley.

The first application and grouting are carried out 3 ÷ 7 hours after the screed is poured, so that it has time to initially set (the footprint from a person’s shoes should not be deeper than 4 ÷ 5 mm). Contribute approximately ⅔ of the calculated amount topping. As soon as the composition begins to be saturated with moisture, it is immediately overwritten with a “helicopter”. It is important to saturate the composition with cement milk as much as possible and not overdry the surface. It is strictly forbidden to carry out additional moistening of the surface with water.

After the first grouting, without making any break, the remaining third of the topping is immediately added, and, after complete soaking, carefully rubbed.
When the floor surface is set so that the footprint of the shoe is no more than 1 mm, the finishing grout is carried out. It remains to treat the screed with a special water-retaining compound, and the work can be considered completed.

Such a floor, after full maturation, will have a solid surface on which dust will never form.

Approximate consumption topping for rooms with an average load - from 3 to 5 kg per 1 m².

Dusting floors by sanding and polishing

The essence of this technology is the removal of an unstable, eroded top layer, with the expectation of exposing the lower, truly durable layers of concrete. This solves several problems at once:

The remaining minor defects of the screed are eliminated, it acquires the desired smoothness and evenness.
Increases surface adhesion to any mortars and mixtures.
If processed old surface, this will remove areas of dirt or residues of old coatings.
The water resistance of the screed increases, dust formation is practically reduced to zero.
The floors are aesthetically pleasing.

Grinding is recommended to precede any further actions - pouring polymer floors, decorative coatings, painting work, etc. Often grinding and polishing floors are both final stage- after them the surface will be ready for operation.

Grinding can be done dry or wet.

Grinding on a wetted surface is usually used when installing mosaic floors with marble or granite filling. The resulting surface is characterized by almost perfect evenness, close to polished. The disadvantage of the technology is high labor intensity, low productivity due to the rapid clogging of abrasive elements with wet sludge, which is very difficult to remove in a timely manner.
Dry sanding is the most widespread. It allows you to visually control the process, does not require time for the floor to dry after processing to move on to other operations. The only negative is the abundant formation of dust during operation. This will definitely require connecting a powerful vacuum cleaner to any grinding equipment.

How to grind a concrete floor

If you have to grind the floor in a large area, you will need a special mosaic grinder.

This is a fairly heavy setup. With electric drive, the working part of which is one or more rotating disks with removable diamond or corundum segments installed on them - cutters, frankfurters, cups. The segments differ, in addition, in their grain size - for phased grinding.

Such machines are very expensive equipment, but many construction or service organizations practice renting them for a fee. If you plan to polish the floor, you can specify in advance such a possibility.

In the case when renting such equipment is impossible or simply impractical, you can also use a hand tool. There are special grinders for concrete. In addition, you can purchase a nozzle for a regular grinder, and grind a small area with it. Of course, both time and effort will be spent much more.

"Bulgarian", adapted for concrete grinding

Grinding can be carried out both on a freshly laid floor and on an old base.

1. In the first case, the first pass is made no earlier than 5-7 days after pouring. This will allow you to remove the top layer of cement laitance, to open stronger layers for better maturation.

The second, finishing pass is done only after the full maturation of the concrete - not earlier than after four weeks.

2. If the work is carried out on an old concrete base, then first of all its readiness for grinding is assessed. "Weak" areas are unacceptable - delamination, crumbling, friability. If this is the case, you will have to start with repair work using epoxy compounds. In case of extensive damage, it will be more profitable to fill in a new screed.

To avoid unpleasant "surprises", you should carefully check the surface for the presence of protruding or rebar fragments located in the upper layer - a meeting with metal can result in injury or equipment failure.

So, the grinding itself is carried out in three main stages:

The first is the removal of a fragile surface layer, the maximum exposure of the filler, and the preliminary leveling of the surface. In the case of an old screed, in addition, the removal of areas subjected to surface erosion, as well as the remnants of old paintwork or bituminous coatings. The grain size of the segments used at this stage is -30 - 40 units

The second stage (recommended) is an additional hardening impregnation with special compounds. More on this in the next section of the post.
The third stage is the final one. After complete hardening of the impregnating composition, abrasive segments with a grain size of 100 to 400 units are sequentially used. (sometimes even smaller ones). As a result, the concrete coating receives excellent strength qualities, has a smooth and even, dust-free surface. Such a floor can be considered completely ready for use.

Sometimes, in case of special need, they additionally resort to polishing. concrete base. Using diamond segments grit 1500 ÷ 3000 units, you can get an almost mirror-like floor surface, absolutely dust-free, impervious to water, not afraid of any chemicals and extremely easy to clean.

Dedusting the floor with impregnating compounds

From the point of view of independent work, this technology is the simplest. Nevertheless, it shows good results, especially in combination with other dedusting methods.

The bottom line is to introduce into the porous structure of concrete special impregnations of various types of action - mineral or polymer (organic).

1. Mineral compositions(fluates) cause chemical reactions in the upper layers of concrete that neutralize free components and create additional insoluble crystalline vitreous bonds, which, intertwined with the cement crystal lattice, give high strength and dust-free surface.

Until recently, the main substance in such impregnations was sodium silicate. However, such compositions have serious drawbacks: the duration of the completion of chemical processes (sometimes up to six months), the need for very thorough rubbing of the composition and the obligatory washing of the surface after complete absorption of the impregnation. If excess composition remains on the surface, efflorescence may form in these places.

Modern mineral impregnations are made on the basis of lithium polysilicate. They penetrate even into the smallest pores, and the processes of chemical transformations take only 10-15 days.

2. Organic impregnations fill the pores of concrete with polymer molecular chains, creating additional bonds in the thickness of the material and increasing its strength and wear resistance. They are of several types:

Acrylic - used on floors where heavy loads are not expected, or the surface will be covered with a floor covering. They can also be used for temporary (for 1-2 years) dust removal of the floor.
Polyurethane - more versatile and durable. They give the surface additional water-repellent qualities. Weakness - strong bad smell during application and polymerization.
Epoxy - quite expensive, but very reliable and durable. They are often used where impregnations with a pungent odor cannot be used (for example, when carrying out repairs in one of the rooms of an apartment or house).

The introduction of dedusting impregnations

Any of the impregnations, regardless of the component composition, in without fail accompanied detailed instructions on preparation (if dilution with water or preparation of a two-component impregnation is required) and the rules for its application. Compliance with these manufacturer's recommendations is mandatory, otherwise the desired dedusting and hardening effect may not be achieved.

Before the direct use of impregnation, the floor is once again subjected to a thorough inspection. If necessary, minor repairs are carried out with epoxy putties, distributed with brushes or doctor blades, or applied using a long-haired padding roller. It is important that the impregnation be distributed as evenly as possible, without leaving areas where rapid absorption of the composition is possible, and without the formation of puddles.

Technologies for dedusting with silicate and organic impregnations are somewhat different:

If a sodium silicate composition is used, then the initial impregnation step should be in the order of 40 ÷ 60 minutes. During this time, the impregnation on the floor should become viscous. It is slightly diluted with water and again distributed evenly over the entire surface. Some types of compounds will also require the use of a trowel or scrubber - for thorough rubbing into the surface.
20 minutes after the re-distribution, all excess impregnation is removed with a doctor blade or rags. The floor is thoroughly washed with clean water.
When using lithium impregnations, there are fewer difficulties. They are simply applied to the concrete base at the desired flow rate (it will be indicated on the in the instructions for use). After complete absorption of the composition and drying of the surface, the process can be considered complete.

When dedusting with organic impregnations, they are recommended to be applied in 2-3 stages, so as to achieve maximum saturation of the concrete base.

Video - dedusting the floor with lithium impregnation

And the last - on the possible timing of the work. Silicate impregnations can be used both on old concrete and on freshly laid, but not earlier than one day after pouring. The use of organic impregnations is possible only on a fully mature base.

Cleaning concrete floors from oil stains

Where does the oil on the concrete floor come from? What is its origin?

The thing is that the concrete floor is equipped in repair shops, garages, in closed parking lots, in production workshops, that is, where mechanisms work and vehicles move. Therefore, splashes of engine oil appear on the concrete floor, which fly out of the engine, drip from leaking oil seals, etc.

In factories where vegetable and mineral oils are made, they can spill during packaging and transportation.

But most importantly, how to clean the concrete floor of oil in order to stop the accumulation of greasy stains on the surface?

Why oil must be removed on time

Firstly, the oily floor becomes dangerous for movement. Oil (mineral or vegetable) creates a thin adhesive film on the concrete floor. On a slippery surface, any worker can fall and be injured.

Secondly, various debris and dust very quickly stick to oily puddles. After a short time, the entire surface of the concrete goes beyond any sanitary and hygienic standards.

Thirdly, the accumulation of oil in one place makes the room a fire hazard. Any spark can ignite. Burning oils give off a lot of smoke, which can cause severe asphyxiation.

How to clean a concrete floor from oil without breaking the floor foundation?

Proven Ways to Remove Oil from Concrete Floors

When starting cleaning work, it is necessary to take into account several important factors:

how long ago the oil spilled on the concrete;
degree of adhesion of oil to concrete;
the thickness of the layers of accumulated dirt;
extent of pollution.

After defining all important points it is easier to choose a method than to clean the concrete floor of oil.

The dry cleaning method is suitable for fresh oil stains. They are covered with dry sand, cement, caustic soda, and then simply swept away from the surface.
Washing off the oil with detergents or organic solvents. The washing procedure is quite long and laborious. First, the floor is poured with water and detergents or the stains are covered with a solvent, and then the oil stains are wiped off with a stiff brush and a rag. After drying, some of the spots appear again on the concrete floor. Oil tends to soak into the porous structure of concrete.
A chemical wash is exactly what you need to get the desired result. A special detergent breaks down fat molecules, penetrating into the depths of the concrete. Light chemical the reaction does not destroy the concrete floor, but completely removes even dried oil.

Benefits of a special chemical wash

It has a suitable consistency for application on a concrete floor.
Economical to use.
It is completely washed off with water along with exfoliated fat.
Works on both fresh and dried oil stains.
Does not require additional disposal.
Simple and easy to apply on concrete.
Safe for human health.

DOCKER MAZBIT TURBO - concentrated industrial cleaner for all types of heavy dirt. Designed for effective quick cleaning of any surfaces: parts, assemblies, mechanisms, plastics, general building materials (concrete, stone, tile, asphalt) from various pollution oil-fat and oil nature, fuels and lubricants, lubricants, graphite, fuel oil, oil.
Has no smell. Acid free.

Concrete - porous material, and engine oil consists of ingredients that are able to penetrate very deeply into porous surfaces. Therefore, oil stains are a complex type of pollution. When choosing a method for their removal, it is necessary, first of all, to take into account the specifics of the composition of the oil and not to forget about the features concrete surface from which contaminants are to be removed.

The composition of engine oil is a liquid binder. After hitting the concrete, it almost instantly penetrates into its pores and leaves a greasy mark on the surface. It is also known that when exposed to concrete mineral oils a chemical reaction occurs between the weak acids found in oils and the cement stone. This causes an adsorption decrease in the strength of concrete. At the most adverse conditions(high water-cement ratio, concrete structure with a large number of microdefects, etc.) the strength of concrete can decrease by 70% from the original.

The surface of the concrete base must be free of oil stains, dust and dirt before applying any coating. This condition is especially important to observe when applying a polymer coating, since dust and dirt prevent the adhesion of the polymer and concrete, which subsequently causes the destruction of the self-leveling floor.

The absence of oil contamination of concrete is regulated by the requirements of SNiP 3.04.03-85

To remove oil stains from concrete, various mechanical methods and surface etching with special acid-based chemical compounds are used. Mechanical cleaning of the surface is carried out using diamond grinding wheels, cups, milling cutters.

For this cleaning method, equipment of various capacities is used. But it should be borne in mind that microcracks can form on the surface, which in some cases is highly undesirable.

Cleaning with chemical compounds has a number of advantages, due to which it is becoming increasingly popular. But when using this method it is quite difficult to achieve uniform cleaning of the entire surface. For chemical cleaning, in addition to the compositions, hard metal brushes are also used, and upon completion of the work, the surface is thoroughly washed with water.

When choosing a cleaning method, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the properties and quality of the concrete surface, depending on the chosen method, will be different. For example, after milling, the tensile strength of concrete is significantly reduced, and after sandblasting- increases. Strength indicators will be even higher if wet sand is used to clean concrete.

When cleaning a concrete surface from oil stains, it is necessary to solve several problems at the same time:

carry out oil cleaning on time, avoiding old stains;
dissolve greasy spots on the surface of concrete with the help of special tools;
wash off the remaining oil from the concrete;
avoid damage to the concrete pavement in the process of removing oil stains.

Cleaning with chemicals

Fresh oil stains can be tried with sorbents such as sand, sawdust, or caustic soda. Pollution should be covered with a thick layer of sand or other material with absorbent properties and wait until this material absorbs the oil. Then the sand must be carefully removed, and the concrete surface washed with water and detergent.

This method is quite effective, but with its help it will not be possible to remove the oil that has managed to soak into the pores of the concrete. In addition, it makes sense to use it only in the very first minutes after the formation of the stain.

Really effective and quite economical on this moment is a way to remove oil stains from concrete surfaces using special formulations. Such compounds remove oil stains quickly and efficiently. They are used by industrial cleaning experts and cleaning companies.

Today, many leading manufacturers of industrial and household chemicals offer concrete cleaners complex action, which consist of several active ingredients, therefore they are able to cope with spots of any intensity and size.

Among them there are non-toxic and universal compositions that are convenient to work with, both in domestic and industrial conditions. They effectively cope with oil stains, and with such complex contaminants as soot and soot..

Cleaning concrete from oil with industrial chemicals has a number of advantages. Because of this, it is gaining more and more popularity.

When choosing a product, the nature of the contamination should be taken into account, since the oil can be of chemical and natural origin. Natural oil stains usually appear on the concrete floors of those enterprises that process agricultural products. And on the roads, gas stations, in industrial workshops stains come from machine oil.

Engine oil is made according to special recipes. It contains oil base from petroleum or synthetic oil, as well as additives that enhance the properties of the oil. These ingredients are able to penetrate very deeply into porous surfaces, therefore it is quite difficult to clean concrete from machine oil, and especially if these are old stains.

Before using any chemical cleaner, it is very important to carefully study its composition and how it affects concrete. If you choose the wrong product, there is a risk not only not to clean the concrete from stains, but to worsen the situation even more - change the color of the surface and then it will be really difficult to solve the problem.

When treating a concrete surface with a cleaning compound, for example, Docker Mazbit Turbo or Maxi DK-250, its active components penetrate into the pores of the material.

At the same time, a deep cleaning of the contaminated surface is obtained, from which oils and other petrochemical products, as well as soot, soot, dust and dirt are completely removed. In addition, pores are opened for subsequent processing of concrete with protective, waterproofing and other materials.

The alkaline base of the composition provides high-quality cleaning of concrete and without any destruction of it.. The spent composition is biodegradable, therefore it does not require special disposal. You can just dump it down the drain.

Oil stain removal technology using a chemical agent:

the composition is applied directly to the stains using spray tools;
waiting certain time, which is usually indicated on the label;
at the end of the specified time, the surface with the stain is washed with water and a foaming agent;
the remnants of the drug are removed with a stiff brush. If the stain cannot be completely removed at one time, re-treatment is performed.

Mechanical methods for removing oil

Mechanical methods of cleaning concrete and iron concrete structures can be used in almost all cases, regardless of the degree of destruction of concrete and materials used for repairs. The only exceptions are those cases where pollution is unacceptable. environment or dustiness of the room (floors in food processing plants, in workshops with high-precision equipment and other clean rooms).

It should be remembered that mechanical methods of cleaning concrete from oil will certainly remove part of the surface layer of the monolith.

The most popular mechanical cleaning methods are:

grinding and milling;
sandblasting;
hydroblasting.

Cleaning concrete by grinding

During the grinding process, any contamination is removed from the concrete surface, as well as small cracks and chips. After this procedure, a fresh and durable layer of concrete is exposed with very high adhesion to various polymeric materials that are used to create a topcoat.

Concrete, with its fragility, is a fairly durable material, therefore, for its grinding, a diamond-coated tool is now used, which is installed on a mosaic grinding machines With powerful engines. Hand tool grinder type is not recommended for concrete grinding, because it does not allow you to get an even and uniform result. Such equipment can only be useful for processing those places that are inaccessible to professional machines.

The choice of equipment depends primarily on the area of the treated surface. Only twin-rotor helicopters or heavy planetary grinders should be used to grind concrete floors in sales areas, factory floors, parking lots, and other large facilities.

An ideally even coating can be obtained only if the rotation of the tool is multidirectional. Of great importance is the size of the abrasive on the cutting segments of the grinding tool. For primary rough leveling, a tool with a grain size of 25-40 is used, and for final grinding - from 400.

There are two ways to grind concrete - dry and wet. Dry is a rather dusty process, but guarantees a fairly high quality of processing, since the processed plane is clearly visible, therefore, it is possible to see and eliminate untreated areas in time. Dry grinding is usually carried out using an industrial vacuum cleaner.

Wet grinding is used when it is necessary to “show” the structure of concrete., which contains mineral chips or mosaics. During this treatment, quite a lot of sludge is formed, so special suction pumps should be used during operation.

Grinding is useless if there are irregularities of more than 5 mm or deviations from the horizontal plane on the concrete surface. Milling is used to eliminate these defects. In addition, this technology will be appropriate in case of heavy contamination of concrete with fuels and lubricants. Milling allows you to increase the contact area and the roughness of the concrete base, which has a positive effect on the adhesion of concrete and polymeric materials.

Concrete milling technology involves the use of two types of machines: disc milling and mosaic grinding. After removing the layer of contaminated concrete with a thickness of 3-5 mm by a milling machine, it is desirable to make a rough grinding of the milled surface using a mosaic grinder. If it is necessary to remove a layer of the same thickness, repeat the milling and grinding operations.

Benefits of diamond grinding tool

Diamond tools at Russian construction sites began to be used in the early nineties of the last century. It was at that time that several domestic enterprises launched the production of equipment for diamond grinding.

The basis of a diamond tool is a metal body, on which diamond segments are fixed in a special way. These segments are much more durable, efficient and productive than conventional abrasives. Such high rates are due to the use of diamonds of various shapes and sizes.

Diamond grinding tool has such advantages as:

processing without extra noise , dust and vibration, which is a very valuable quality when working in an already occupied building;
reduction of time costs at least 10 times. The use of diamond tools allows you to process surfaces in record time. As you know, when carrying out construction work, there is always a very acute problem of lack of time and failure to meet planned deadlines, therefore, such an advantage of a diamond tool is highly appreciated by specialists;
high precision and high quality surface treatment of a variety of materials.

At the moment, there are several types of diamond tools. On machines of the CO type are used grinding discs, as well as cutters-triangles. The latter also have the shape of a disk, but are supplemented by a triangle adapter merged with it, which is reflected in the name. Cutters-triangles are installed on grinders without the use of additional adapters. Trapezoidal Frankfurt cutters are installed on GM mosaic grinders.

Diamond blades may have cutting edge three types:

segment;
continuous;
jagged.

The segments are separated from each other by the so-called flushing channels, designed to cool the tool during operation. When wet, water flows between the segments, and when dry, air passes. Each of the segments is made from a mixture of diamond and metal powder.

The metal grid serves to secure the diamonds. In the course of work, each diamond grain is supported by the so-called "comet tail", which acts as a reinforcement on the grid behind the diamond crystals.

When using a diamond tool, a very important role is given to achieving an optimal balance between the frictional resistance of the material being processed and the work of the diamond.

Diamonds, penetrating into the processed material, crush it and turn it into dust. Unprotected diamonds may crack or break during processing. This largely depends on the hardness and density of the material being processed. This material also erases metal grate, which contributes to the radial release of new diamond grains.

It is important that the diamonds are held in a bunch until they have exhausted their entire resource and until new grains are released. The quality of the segment must remain unchanged.

Therefore, for grinding dense and hard materials, diamond segments with a softer metal bond are used. In the course of work, it will wear out faster and, therefore, diamonds will be released faster. The segment itself, respectively, will function longer.

But a diamond tool designed to process more soft materials, must have greater resistance and rigidity to abrasion. Otherwise, the diamond segments will simply be “loaded” and their service life will be significantly reduced.

Sandblasting

The sandblasting technology allows not only to clean the concrete surface from various contaminants, but also to create a specific microrelief on it, which further enhances the adhesion of concrete and materials selected for the finishing coating. Sandblasting also helps open the pores of the concrete before applying waterproofing compounds.. Thanks to this, the waterproofing penetrates deep into the concrete structure, therefore, it performs its protective function more efficiently and throughout the entire period declared by the manufacturer.

Sandblasting solves the following tasks:

preparation of concrete surfaces for plastering, painting, applying self-leveling floor, etc.;
preparation of a concrete surface for waterproofing;
removal from concrete old paint;
cleaning of concrete from soot and soot after a fire;
cleaning of concrete from biological and mineral contaminants (graffiti, mold, efflorescence, oil stains, etc.).

In many cases, the decisive role is played by sandblasting is a cold treatment and, moreover, without the use of water. This means that the concrete surface is not subjected to temperature stress during cleaning and does not require additional drying time.

It is also important that such cleaning does not expose the metal fittings to the risk of corrosion. Moreover, the bare parts of the reinforcement after well-executed sandblasting of concrete are already prepared for the application of an anti-corrosion compound.

For sandblasting, special mobile installations are used. The abrasive with a high-pressure air stream escapes from the nozzle of the machine and hits the surface to be treated with great force. As a result, the abrasive jet knocks all contaminants off the concrete, which are immediately blown out of the working area.

Depending on the task, a harder or softer abrasive is used, and the cleaning mode is also varied. This allows you to achieve the desired effect in a fairly short period of time and at the same time not damage the surface. The quality and performance of sandblasting depends largely on the pressure of the air passing through the nozzle.

For cleaning concrete and stone, it is enough that the air pressure is 3-4 atmospheres, and for cleaning metal structures, at least 5-7 atmospheres are required.

The main advantages of sandblasting are:

high surface cleaning speed. Dirt disappears from the treated surface very quickly, due to the action of abrasive particles moving at high speed. This effect is quite difficult to achieve when using liquid cleaning solutions;
long lasting cleaning effect. As practice shows, surfaces cleaned by sandblasting become dirty much longer than those that have been cleaned using other methods.

There are several types of sandblasting. The injection method is considered the classic. With this method, the abrasive is poured into a sealed container. Then air is injected into this container through the outlet channel. When the pressure force becomes critical, the abrasive begins to fly out through a special hole.

The injection method is usually used for light cleaning metal surfaces . Unlike the previous method, air is injected not from a hose, but from a cylinder filled with air. In this case, a lower pressure is formed, so the intensity of the injection apparatus is also lower.

More modern way is thermal sandblasting. Its principle is based on the combustion of fuel. As a result of this process, a jet stream is formed.

The main advantage of this technology can be considered highly productive cleaning, which is several times superior to the classical one in quality. The disadvantages include loud noise, flammability and even explosiveness if the equipment is used improperly.

Used abrasives

The most common consumable for sandblasting is, of course, sand. This is due to its widespread availability and low cost. Sand is obtained as a result of grinding and subsequent screening of the so-called milky-white natural quartz.

This material after crushing passes through a sieve and is sorted. In this way, fractionated sand is obtained.

Depending on the size of the fractions, the following classification of sand is used:

pulverized quartz with fraction sizes less than 0.1 mm;
sand with fraction sizes of 0.1-0.4 mm;
coarse sand with fraction sizes of 0.5-1.0 mm;
quartz chips with fractions larger than 1.0 mm.

Compared with sand of natural origin, white quartz sand has such advantages as monomineralism, uniformity, increased intergranular porosity. But the use of sand containing unbound quartz is not recommended for sandblasting.

The fact is that the fine-crystalline dust that occurs during the processing of concrete in this way can cause a very dangerous and incurable disease - silicosis.

The use of quartz sand is allowed only when using special dust suppression systems or specially equipped chambers

Abrasives such as nickel slag and copper slag contain less than 1% unbound quartz and can therefore be used for open sandblasting. These materials are obtained after the processing of waste from the nickel-smelting and copper-smelting industries. They have higher rates of abrasive ability and, as a result, more low level dust formation. And also these abrasives can be reused.

Cooper slag and nickel slag particles have higher specific gravity compared to sand particles, as well as a greater mass, which further increases the effectiveness of these abrasives. Garnet or pomegranate sand is even more effective. The high level of strength and hardness of garnet particles allows it to be used repeatedly for sandblasting.

One of the most effective abrasive materials is corundum.. It is also called electrocorundum, alumina, or alumina. In terms of hardness, this material is inferior to diamond by only one point. The speed of sandblasting when using corundum increases significantly, so the performance of this method is one of the highest.

To get the desired cleaning result, it is extremely important to choose the right abrasive. If this issue is approached without due responsibility, then there is a high probability of receiving poor-quality processing, which, in turn, will interfere with subsequent work on applying protective or decorative coatings to the concrete surface and will lead to repeated cleaning.

Before sandblasting concrete from oil, abrasives with fractions of different sizes should be tested on small areas of the surface to be treated. Depending on the test results, an abrasive is selected that will provide cleaning that is most consistent with the specification.

Choice consumable sandblasting is influenced by factors such as:

pollution layer thickness. If you choose a fine abrasive material with low hardness to remove a strong and thick contaminated layer, then the desired result may not be obtained;
hardness of the concrete base to be cleaned. For more solid concrete choose a harder abrasive and, conversely, for soft - less hard;
required sandblasting speed. Hard abrasive with sharp-edged particles provides a faster cleaning speed than similar, but with particles of a rounded shape;
possibility reuse abrasive. If this is not possible, inexpensive abrasives should be used.

Hydrojet method

The method of hydrojet cleaning is based on the action of a water jet under high pressure on the surface to be treated. As you know, a jet of liquid that flows out under high pressure through a small hole acquires a very high speed and, consequently, high kinetic energy.

Water hits the surface to be cleaned with a directed jet with great force, it is able to remove shallow contaminants from it without any problems.

It should be noted that the effectiveness of this method depends not only on the speed with which the water jet hits the surface being cleaned, but also on the amount of water flowing out per unit time. Consequently, the cleaning result can be adjusted by the parameters of the flow and pressure of water passing through the nozzle.

With the help of water jet cleaning, it is possible to remove dirt and deposits of various nature and chemical composition from the concrete surface: resins, bitumen, conservation lubricants, paints and varnishes, rust, soot, scale, etc. The water pressure is selected depending on the type of pollution.

Sometimes surface-active additives are added to the water, which contribute to the rapid removal of especially complex, ingrained contaminants. The cleaned surface after such treatment is additionally washed with a stream of running water..

At the moment, there are four types of hydrojet cleaning:

low pressure water supply(international designation LP WC). The water jet is supplied under pressure up to 34 MPa. This method removes such simple contaminants as dirt, dust, peeling paint;
medium pressure water supply(HP WC). The water jet has a pressure of 34-70 MPa;
high pressure water supply(HP WJ). The pressure in this case is 70-170 MPa. This method allows you to remove all types of contaminants, and even a resistant paint layer;
high pressure water supply. The pressure indicator is more than 170 MPa. This method is comparable to abrasive cleaning and is suitable for delicate cleaning of the concrete surface from all kinds of contaminants. The peculiarity of this treatment is that it does not affect the surface roughness, so its relief remains the same as it was before the start of work.

The use of a high-pressure water jet has proven itself in the cleaning of building facades made of concrete and natural stone, as well as bridges, roadbeds, Vehicle. When cleaning concrete surfaces, a jet of water removes only the destroyed parts of concrete from it. At the same time, the jet of water completely captures the surface, regardless of the complexity of its design.

In this regard, water blasting is similar to sandblasting, but the difference is that after sandblasting, traces of sand remain on the surface, which must be removed.

The water after water blasting simply dries, so no traces remain.

Hydrojet cleaning is used for:

removal of pollution from the facades of buildings. With the help of a water jet, it is possible to clean not only even and smooth surfaces, but also various decorative elements on the facades (columns, arches, bas-reliefs, etc.);
removal of poorly adhering plaster from the walls;
cleaning concrete surfaces from cement laitance;
cleaning and cutting joints between concrete slabs;
partial or complete destruction of concrete structures, if necessary, for example, repair of reinforcement;
cleaning from concrete elements of reusable metal formwork;
removing scale, rust and old paint from metal structures. Moreover, cleaning occurs without corrosion of the metal;
cleaning surfaces with complex geometry, which has found its application in cleaning various equipment and mechanisms;
cleaning of deposits and scale of pipelines. Cleaning can be used for both external and internal surfaces of highways;
removal of old markings from the road surface;
cleaning, cutting and chasing of concrete and reinforced concrete products.

A jet of water with high kinetic energy is generated in hydrojet installations using high pressure pumps.

A standard hydrojet installation consists of:

high pressure pump capable of creating pressure up to 1000 bar at a capacity of 200 l/min;
diesel drive for a pump developing a power of 370 kW;
high pressure hoses;
various nozzles for cleaning various surfaces and technological equipment. With their help, you can clean the pipes of heat exchangers, various pipelines, the space between the pipes, etc.

It should be noted that hydrojet cleaning is an environmentally friendly technology. During its implementation, ordinary water from the pipeline is used. And since the use of such water does not require large material costs, then hydrojet cleaning is quite affordable.

The advantages of this technology also include the absence of gases, vapors, slags, as well as high performance, reliability and simplicity. Hydrojet cleaning does not cause any damage to the treated surface. It does not change the structure of concrete and its mechanical properties, but only removes dirt and really destroyed areas.

Security measures

When carrying out work on cleaning concrete surfaces using various equipment, it is necessary, first of all, to free the treated area from debris, excess building materials and tools. The possibility of getting into working area cutting tool any metal objects that can cause failure of the equipment used.

It is not allowed to work with machines and installations in the presence of increased noise, vibration or smell characteristic of burning insulation of electrical wires, as well as when lubricant leaks from the drive mechanism, fuzzy operation of switches, damage to the insulation of power cables.

It is necessary to avoid inhalation of vapors of chemical compositions on concrete, so as not to get a burn of the throat or oral cavity.

Getting started, be sure to check:

serviceability of the grounding device to which the equipment used will be connected;
integrity of grounding wires and grounding circuits;
lack of short circuits on the case;
tightening of threaded connections;
cutting tool performance.

All chemicals used must be handled with great care, as contact with the skin, especially the eyes, can cause serious injury. .

When using abrasives to clean concrete, the danger is a jet of air or water with an abrasive. A person, falling under a jet of such power, will receive severe injuries, which can even be fatal. During work, be sure to wear protective clothing made of dense fabric, closed shoes, goggles, gloves, and a respirator.

Price

Concrete cleaning prices depend on factors such as:

amount of work to be done;
concrete surface strength;
thickness of the contaminated concrete layer;
the presence of reinforcement in concrete;
working conditions.

Estimated cost of concrete cleaning services:

conclusions

The choice of the most appropriate cleaning method depends on the initial state of the concrete surface, that is, on the degree of contamination, the presence of corrosion products, residues of previous protective and decorative coatings, etc., as well as on the requirements for the surface in accordance with the proposed repair and construction activities. How suitable the selected cleaning method is, you can make sure by pre-treatment small area surfaces.

Very often, when cleaning concrete, they resort to the sequential use of several methods.. The use of any method is associated to a lesser or greater extent with damage to the concrete structure. In order to minimize these damages in the final result, when cleaning the surface, one should gradually move from coarser to finer methods of working on the concrete surface.

A practical way to clean concrete from bitumen is shown in the video:

First, is it cement or concrete? Many people use these words as synonyms. Who knows where the difference is?

Cement

Cement is a powder made from substances such as lime, clay, shale, sand, iron, aluminum and other materials. It is also a key ingredient used in concrete.

Concrete

Concrete solid material which you end up with after mixing cement, sand and water. Thus, you have to clean the concrete floor of the garage, and nothing else.

Some people think they're amazing because they can keep the garage floor clean, much cleaner than, say, a neighbor's, but even they can't protect the floor from a couple of random stains that can always be found here and there.

If your husband craves a clean concrete garage floor, below are some cleaning solutions made specifically for removing stains from concrete and, of course, tips for fixing them.

Keep your concrete garage floor clean

If you have any oil stains or spilled drink, remove those first (you may have to start this process a day or two in advance). In the instructions below you will find ways to deal with stains of oil, gasoline and other deposits from the surface of hardened concrete floors.

You need to clean the garage floor from the beginning of the day so that you can put everything back in the garage by the end of the day. Before you wash the concrete floor, remove everything that can be removed from the garage, and then sweep it.

Turn the water on full power and spray it on the concrete. If you don't have a good spray nozzle on your garden hose, press it down with your finger to get a pressurized jet of water. Start at the back of the garage and continue towards the exit.

Use a stiff, long-handled brush to clean the concrete floor after doing the above.

Difficult ground stains, for example, can be easily removed with any abrasive powder, be it Comet, Mr. Proper, Domestos, Pemolux, or something else, as long as the floor is wet.

Rinse the concrete floor with a hose. Remove excess water with a broom.

Recipes for Cleaning a Concrete Garage Floor

1 glass of detergent (Cinderella, Progress, Ideal, Minute, Pril, Pemosuper, Help, Fairy (Fairy), Aos (Aos), Drop, Sorti (Sorti), Forsage (Fast and Furious), Bref (Bref), Dr Max (Dr . Max), and others.) 6 liters of hot water.

Let the concrete floor dry completely before putting everything back into the clean garage. If you spill oil on a concrete floor, clean it up right away.

First, let's be clear: oil stains must be removed immediately, at all times and under all circumstances. Now you have a clean garage, keep that in mind.

We would recommend keeping a supply of paper towels on hand. They are thick, highly absorbent with just the right amount of firmness, and are great for picking up any spills.

In the event that you spilled a little oil, they will come in handy. Otherwise, use whatever absorbent material is available to clean up the spill.

Use filler for cat litter to collect the remaining oil.

If you simply rub the oil stain, some oil may remain on the surface. To remove this "little bit", use cat litter. Make sure to use crumbs, it's a great absorbent and will also help you remove any remaining oil stains.

If you are using filler, cover the spill area completely.

Leave the litter for some time, from several hours to several days, to allow it to absorb the liquid, the time varies depending on the amount of oil spilled. Remove dry debris with a broom.

Note: As mentioned above, this process can take up to several days. You may need to update the filler. You can also use sawdust or baking soda to absorb oil and gasoline.

You could see on the roads where the accident happened, how tow truck drivers use cat litter to remove the oil stain from the road surface. Isn't this the best review in favor of its effectiveness?

You can ask at the gas station what they use to keep industrial concrete floors clean. And they will tell you that they use fine cat litter. They sprinkle it on any gasoline and oil stains, leave it overnight, and then sweep it up in the morning.

There are a few things you could try to remove stubborn oil and gasoline stains. These methods may require repetition and take up to several days.

Detergents and water

First of all, you need to clean the concrete floor of the garage from dry dirt. Scatter washing powder over the stain, there is no need to save, completely cover the stain.

Add warm water into a bucket, dampen a stiff brush and scrub back and forth. Repeat as needed. Wipe the area and let it dry.

How to clean a concrete floor without water

Waterless cleaners can be purchased at any hardware store. Clean up the stained area, remove dry dirt and debris.

Sprinkle the waterless cleaner over the stained area (follow instructions). If the stain covers large area or very old, you will need to reapply the product every 5-7 days until the stain disappears.

Let's say you left your car in the garage for a few days. And while she was standing in the garage, a little oil dripped from the car onto the concrete floor.

Suppose the stain remains and has aged. After the first application of a waterless cleaner, you will notice a clear improvement. The stain will become much lighter.

We also recommend wearing a paper mask and goggles. A breath of wind is enough and the cleaning agent will turn into a small cloud of dust. You may read on the product label that it causes eye and throat irritation. You won't want to experience it for yourself, trust me.

Removal of old stains

It is possible to remove an old oil stain, for this, the method of local moistening is used. You can try it as an experiment, but as a rule, there are results.

To do this, you need to use a stain remover, a stiff brush and time. Pour the stain remover onto the stain. Enough to cover the stain completely.

Then scrub with a very hard brush - something like a kitchen wire brush for cast iron pan, for example. This may take 15-20 minutes, but you will see some result, although the stain will most likely not be removed the first time.

After you've finished rehydrating the stain, dust it with waterless concrete cleaner and scrub the floor with a stiff brush (use back and forth and left to right, alternately). By doing this, you can remove the old gasoline or oil stain.

It makes sense to repeat the procedure in the evening, leave the waterless product overnight again and then remove it in the morning.
Keep in mind that the technique may vary depending on the stain and its complexity, as well as the exposure of the stain to, say, sunlight and so on.

With these solutions, you can clean your concrete garage floor and make it look like new.

Oil pollution

In our industrial time, many enterprises are operating, and a large number of them are opening. Concrete mixtures are used in the construction of the transport pavement. They are very reliable and resistant to stress.

Concrete is a mixture of several components: cement, sand, water, crushed stone, various additives and additives. As a building material, it has proven itself very well, in connection with which it occupies a leading position in construction.

Oil is used in the production process in different areas. Depending on the properties and application, it can be divided into groups.

The most popular: motor, hydraulic, industrial, compressor, lubricating and other oils.

The interaction of concrete and oil is a regular process in any enterprise. Therefore, many people are interested in the process of removing pollution. How to clean a concrete floor from oil?

In order to begin to eliminate traces of pollution, it is necessary to determine its degree. If the oil stain has just appeared, then sorbents such as sand, sawdust or soda can be used. Simply cover the soil with an absorbent and wait for the reaction to take place. This method will remove the main problem, but traces of oil will remain. After that, you need to use detergents to scrub the stain.

The above method is suitable for fresh education. But in most cases, as a result of the intensity of work or the irresponsibility of the workers, the stain can stand for more than one hour or a day. This causes the oil to soak into the concrete floor and become difficult to remove. If you have a similar situation and you do not know how to clean the concrete floor from oil, then the following method will be useful for you.

Many firms face such a problem, making this issue relevant for manufacturers of industrial chemicals. For creating effective remedy many experiments and tests have been carried out. As a result, special chemical compositions have been developed that quickly and efficiently remove traces of oil pollution. These products are used by cleaning companies and industrial cleaning experts.

The method of cleaning oil with industrial chemistry has a number of advantages. Because of this, it is gaining more and more popularity. In order to start the stain removal process, you just need to apply the product to the surface. The substance begins to be absorbed into the stain and the adjacent surface, destroying the oil molecules. The whole process takes a few minutes, which saves a lot of time. After the reaction has passed, you need to remove the resulting consistency with a rag. This cleaning method is fast, efficient and of high quality.

If you have not decided how to clean the concrete floor from oil, write to us, we will help you with the choice. Thank you for your attention.