How To Remove Rust Stains From Concrete

In this project a marina in Baltimore had been searching for the solution to how to remove rust stains from concrete. In this case it was a lot more than rust stains.

The concrete had years of mold, alage, rust and other contaminents that turned the concrete black.  Over time the marina had tried many remedies but to no avail, nothing worked. Finally they brought in various contractors and tested different methods and solutions.

The solution to how to remove rust stains from concrete was finally achieved with a gelled acid developed by Surface Gel Tek of Mesa Arizona. It turns out that cleaning rust stains, mold and algae is a simple process using the gelled acid. Acids actually work to remove rust stains and algae from concrete but they settle back into the concrete immediately. To effectively clean concrete with acid requires tremendous labor and a lot of acid.

Gelled acid solve the problem. When the gelled acid is applied and left to sit for 15 minutes the rust and algae comes free from the concrete but is contained in the gel. Now the gel can be easily cleaned and removed along with the rust and algae and if you get on your hands and clothes not a problem. The strongest, HD 24, is only 24% acid.

As you can see in the photo it works. 40,000 square feet was cleaned like new. Plus the fact that the Surface Gel Tek Gelled Acid is ASTM (American Society of Testing Methods) certified and is water soluable and considered a green product.

For more information about how to clean rust stains from concrete contact Surface Gel Tek at 480-970-4580 or visit the Surface Gel Tek website.

Utah Concrete Countertops and Fireplace Mantels

The photos here of fireplace mantels and  concrete countertops by Utah based Ben Ashby don’t do them justice.  They need to be seen and touched to be fully appreciated.  The beauty of artistic concrete  releases an emotion. When people see it, they want it. That explains why Ben seldom leaves his local area of Sevier County.

The pictures you see tell part of the story and why Ben has a growing national following of students and many happy customers in Utah. This is custom work done by hand so you need to allow for a fair amount of artistic lincense. The process with Ben starts out like a consultation. Ben shows you his portfolio and starts breaking it down.  With fireplace mantels Ben will show you column options and thickness of the mantel and hearth. Then color and design follow. The beauty of concrete is the ability to design around your room and personality.

Can you handle something bold or is something simple more appropriate? Should your fireplace be rustic, antique or contemporary? Every one is different.

Your concrete countertops are a bit of a different process.  Concrete Countertops are used daily and  seen from a closer perspective. When you use your countertops typically your eyes are only 24-30 inches away. You see everything up close whereas with your fireplace mantel you likely are many feet away. An imperfection in a countertop might bother you but the same blemish in your fireplace looks natural.

Either way Ben is an artist and a professional.  He will guild you through the process from initial design to final installation. If you are one his students Ben is always available. Ben runs his business in Sevier County Utah but builds concrete countertops and fireplace mantels throughout the state.

Ben can be reached at 435-201-3045. Concrete Solutions based in San Diego is the manufacturer and distributor of the Ben Ashby line of products. Visit the Concrete Solutions website for upcoming workshops or for their extensive line of decorative concrete products.

Waterproofing Burlington Vermont Concrete Floors and Mold Remediation

Garage Outfitters based in Burlington Vermont  resurfaces concrete floors with a unique system that serves as a waterproofing and mold remediation solution. The result is decorative, extremely durable and healthy.

If you are like me you seldom if ever give a thought about the quality of air in your home or commercial property. However moisture is ever present in every property and thats what breeds mold. It starts with your concrete floors. There are a few sources of moisture in homes and commercial properties.

1. Gutters – Gutters are a leading source of moisture problems. Gutters need to move rain water away from your property. Faulty gutters enable water to travel along your foundation wall and under your concrete floors. Excessive water pressure called “hydrostatic pressure” pushes moisture vapor upwards through the capillaries and air holes in concrete. “Damp, musty basements” thats why. A perfect home for mold growth.
2. Drywall, ceiling panels, beams and insulation – Moisture absorbs into anywhere it can. You may notice black dots on your drywall. Thats not just discoloration it’s mold. Mold gets airborn and you breath it. Just because you can’t see mold in the air doesn’t mean it isn’t there. The Vermont Department of Health will tell you more.
3. Garage Floors – Garages have the same issues as basements except that basements take a beating from the elements. Rain water gets under  your slab. The freeze thaw issue in Burlington Vermont causes cracking, then more moisture and more cracking. You might think it’s just the garage and who cares.  What happens in the garage or basement affects the rest of your property and health.
4. Concrete floors, The Surface – if you park your car in the garage you are tracking de-icing salts onto your floor. Take a look at your concrete, you see cracks, chipping, spalling.  Likely salts are the cause. Salts deteriorate concrete and break the hard top layer. Now moisture from the top and bottom are causing problems. Mold is having a field day.

Waterproofing Concrete Floors is Mold Remediation and Prevention

The perception is that a garage coating is a luxury. In fact it is a necessity. Garage Outfitters of Vermont provides a solution. Whether a garage, basement, retail store or restaurant the process is the same. Owner Jake Loeffler grinds the floor with specialized concrete grinding equipment with diamond blades to remove the top coating. Then he fixes all the cracks, spalling and any deteriorating concrete. Finally he applies a polyaspartic coating with a decorative chip. You may know about epoxies, polyaspartics are similar but with a unique feature. They soak into your concrete like water into a sponge. When they dry they become part of the floor. The benefit is decorative, durability and ability to withstand  high moisture pressure.

The final result is a waterproofing system for concrete floors and mold remediation by restricting moisture.

Jake Loeffler can be reached in Burlington Vermont at    802-777-3343 .

Additional Articles

Burlington Vermont Industrial Floors

Garage Outfitters – Garage Flooring

How To Waterproof Concrete Floors

How To Fix A Concrete Floor

Vermont Earth Institute

Modern Bathroom – they have a huge selection of discount items for bath remodeling. They also have another site called Patio Gallery with an extensive line of patio and pool deck furniture.ModernBathroom.com

eFaucets – The largest online retailer of faucets for kitchens, baths and accessories on the internet. Part of the elmprovement.com llc. They feature a large selection from 40 of the top name brands available.Free Shipping at eFaucets.com

TheLightShop.com
Massive selection of light fixtures for residentiual and commercial properties. 

Danmer Custom Shutters – custom made shutters for interior or exterior space in home or commercial properties.  Plus the added benefit of  lowering energy costs up to 35%.

 

Design Toscano – Indoor and Outdoor Home and Garden Decor including statuaries, furniture and accessories. Historical & Antique Replicas for the Home & Garden at Design Toscano 

 Safety Glasses USA – Extensive selection of saftey glasses  including militart & balistic, construction, laser, sports and tons more.   

 High-Impact Military Safety Glasses & Goggles  

 Black Forest Decor – Online Retailer of Unique Rustic Furniture and Accessories
Shop for cabin decor, rustic lighting, and lodge bedding at Black Forest Decor, your online source for cabin furnishings.  

 Forever Redwood  –  Outdoor Redwood Furniture. Planters, Tables, Lounge Chairs, Pergolas, Benches
See a beautiful line of quality outdoor tables and benches at Forever Redwood. Our custom boards use 52% more wood than the standard.

Thanks to Greg Smith of PermaCrete for sponsoring this page.

Right around July 4th Crude Oil reached $140.00 per barrel. On the financial news I just saw one senator say it’s the speculators (spare me) and the other said it’s a supply and demand issue, that we need to drill more to exceed demand to drive down the price.

T Boone Pickens, the legendary oil man makes the most sense and says stop using so much oil. His solution is alternative energy like wind, and solar which can reduce our dependance on foreign oil which has risen from 20% to 70% of U.S. consumption during the last 40 years.

Alternative energy and conservation is the solution. The solution is not to increase the supply of oil like Senator so and so said, try the other way around and decrease demand.

Photograph courtesy of Reward Wall Systems

ICF buildings are one real solution. I spent a considerable amount of time during the past week discussing ICF Buildings (Insulating Concrete Forms) with Greg Smith of Permacrete and how they significantly reduce the cost and need for energy in residential homes and commercial properties.

Greg and the entire team at Permacrete are experts on this topic since their decorative concrete is the finish coat on many exterior and interior ICF walls.

Photograph Courtesy of Permacrete – contact Greg Smith for more info about this project at 1-800-607-3762 ext 250 or e-mail at gsmith@permacrete.com

ICF is constructed with what looks a little like white foam cinderblocks. Then concrete is pumped inside the blocks creating a sturdy structure with exterior and interior foam insulation. The “performance” R Value results are in the range of 32 compared with wood frame 2 x 4’s of 10.5 and 2 x 6’s of 16. (”performance” meaning finished project).

Additionally heat loss is significantly less with energy savings of 50% – 80%. Reward Wall Systems , an ICF manufacturer, mentioned one of their case studies is of a 7,000 square foot home in Minneapolis with annual energy costs of $750.00. Thats probably 10% the cost of oil heat for the same home.

Another considerable feature of ICF structures is the opportunity for reduced insurance costs. Flooding and fires pose much less risk.

Design and function are increased with Permacrete vertical decorative concrete coatings, an ICC-ES code compliant product. ( ICC-ES is a non profit, public benefit corporation that evaluates building products). Permacrete has made significant investment in Research & Development producing highly durable Green products for resurfacing vertical and horizontal surfaces.

Graco RTX 1500 Hopper Gun Spray system for Permacrete

Their concrete mixes come in white or about 170 premixed colors. The mix is sprayed on ICF block (and many other substrates) . One of the most popular sprayers for applying Permacrete mix is a Graco RTX 1500 texture sprayer. After the first coat is sprayed on a fiber mesh is troweled in place. A second coat is then applied followed by the texture finish coat and sealed with an acrylic stain sealer.

Controlled spray system with Permacrete

ICF with Permacrete decorative concrete finish coats have been applied on homes , retail centers, office buildings, schools and lots more. Finishing where I started, this system will substantially help reduce energy demand and contribute to the health of our environment.

If you want to know more about Permacrete coatings contact Greg Smith of Permacrete at 800-607-3762 ext 250 or e-mail Greg at gsmith@permacrete.com .

I also want to thank Brandie Allen-Rezac of Reward Wall Systems for educating me about ICF buildings. You contact Brandie at 1-800-468-6344.

Let me know what you think about this topic and if you would like to know more about other energy saving products for your residential or commercial property.