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Removing Spray Paint Before Staining

by Nikki
(Temple, TX)

Q. Since my husband is a concrete contractor, and has stained concrete on new construction before, we decided to remove the carpet and stain the concrete. We were prepared for the razor scraping to remove the paint and mud but what we don't know is; if we remove spray paint with a grinder/sander will it resurface during or after the staining process? Thank you for your help.

A. If you are acid staining, then any spot you hit with the grinder is going to stand out. I would suggest removing the paint with a soy based stripper. I've used it on spray paint before and it pulled the paint right out of the floor. I like to use SOY Gel. Since your husband is a concrete man, he could probably find it easily. Just trowel it on, let it sit for 30 minutes or so, and scrape it off. You can take the used gel and apply it again on the next spot. This is how I would do it. Just make sure the floor is washed well after using it.