To clean concrete surfaces, fill a bucket with warm water and dish soap, dip a rag into the soapy solution, and scrub away any grime. If the concrete is caked with debris, use a stiff cleaning brush to scrub the surface until it’s clean. Grinding your existing concrete is an effective method for making concrete smooth by removing imperfections, leveling high spots, and achieving a smooth finish. Sand small areas by hand or use sanders for large surfaces.
To clean garage walls effectively, you’ll need a bucket, sponge, mild detergent, and a scrub brush. Clear the floor by removing everything from the concrete, such as cars, patio furniture, grills, plants, and toys. Use a broom or leaf blower to get rid of any leaves or loose debris. Wet the concrete with a garden hose.
Steps for cleaning concrete include using a soft brush, broom, or vacuum cleaner, stiff nylon brush, spray bottle, white vinegar, baking soda, laundry detergent, safety goggles, and pressure washer. For pool deck cleaning, use a soft brush, broom, or vacuum cleaner to remove dust. Remove traces and stains from the wall using a bucket of water, detergent, or vinegar and baking soda. Scrub the concrete with a nylon-bristled brush and rinse thoroughly with a garden hose. Wear old clothes, rubber gloves, and protective gear.
For polished concrete floors, use a dust mop or vacuum to remove loose dirt, dust, and debris. For PVCu timber effect cladding, a simple wipe down with soapy water will keep it looking like new. Clean out the gutters on a regular basis.
📹 Prepare Your Concrete Floor with Rust-Oleum Clean & Etch
Rust-Oleum® Clean & Etch is an etching solution used to clean and degrease bare concrete surfaces to improve penetration and …
Can you pressure wash smooth concrete?
In order to effectively clean concrete, it is essential to utilise pressure washers that are capable of generating high pressure levels, typically in excess of 3000 PSI. In the event that the power cleaner is to be used on other surfaces, it is recommended that an option with adjustable pressure levels be selected and the setting adjusted to approximately 3000 PSI.
How do you clean external concrete?
To clean concrete surfaces, mix equal parts water and vinegar, liquid dish detergent, and let it sit for 30 minutes before scrubbing and rinsing. Use a concentrated alkaline soap-based concrete cleaner or degreaser to loosen up oil for easy cleanup, but not on stained concrete. This solution is most effective on porous concrete. For large areas, mix warm water and ¾ cup of liquid bleach in a bucket, let it sit for a few minutes, and then use clean water to mop up the solution.
How do you clean smooth concrete?
To clean polished concrete floors, use warm water and a microfiber-style wet mop, avoid using cleaners like Pine-Sol, ammonia, vinegar, or bleach, and use Ameripolish Rejuvenating Floor Cleaner specifically designed for polished concrete. Concrete floors are in high demand due to their modern aesthetics, easy cleaning, and low maintenance. A simple floor care routine and occasional professional service are all that is needed to keep floors looking new.
Craftsman Concrete Floors provides innovative, eco-friendly concrete flooring services for residential and commercial projects in Texas, focusing on meticulous customer service, segment-leading expertise, and a sustainable finished product.
How do you clean outside textured walls?
In order to clean paneling and textured walls, it is recommended to use a vacuum equipped with a bristle brush in order to gently agitate the surface and collect dust particles. It is recommended that the cleaning process commence from the upper portion of the surface and proceed in a downward direction, with particular attention paid to the corners. Additionally, a horizontal approach should be employed to ensure the capture of dust particles along the entire length of the wall.
Is bleach or vinegar better for cleaning concrete?
Vinegar has been demonstrated to be an effective agent for the removal of mold and algae from concrete surfaces. The application of vinegar in a neat manner, followed by scrubbing with a brush, has been shown to be an efficacious method for this purpose. A brief rinsing process will result in the restoration of the concrete to its original condition. It is of the utmost importance to remove any debris from the area to be cleaned before commencing any concrete cleaning or restoration project, particularly following construction work. This will prevent damage to cleaning equipment and ensure superior results.
What do professionals use to clean concrete?
Commercial concrete cleaning involves various methods, including acidic solutions, pH-neutral solutions, alkaline solutions, and bacterial or enzymatic solutions. Acidic cleaners are effective for dirt, stains, and efflorescence, while pH-neutral solutions are suitable for superficial stains and light cleaning. Alkaline cleaners are ideal for tough oil or grease stains, while bacterial or enzymatic solutions are used to remove protein or starch-based stains.
Pressure Pros of the Carolinas offers a convenient solution for these types of stains, as they don’t require water for activation. By utilizing these cleaners, you can save time and money on your property’s maintenance.
What do professionals clean concrete with?
Commercial concrete cleaning involves various methods, including acidic solutions, pH-neutral solutions, alkaline solutions, and bacterial or enzymatic solutions. Acidic cleaners are effective for dirt, stains, and efflorescence, while pH-neutral solutions are suitable for superficial stains and light cleaning. Alkaline cleaners are ideal for tough oil or grease stains, while bacterial or enzymatic solutions are used to remove protein or starch-based stains.
Pressure Pros of the Carolinas offers a convenient solution for these types of stains, as they don’t require water for activation. By utilizing these cleaners, you can save time and money on your property’s maintenance.
How do you clean outdoor concrete without a pressure washer?
It is of the utmost importance to ensure that the surface is adequately saturated with the cleaning solution, as this allows the solution to pool on the surface and to penetrate effectively. If the surface appears to be dry or only slightly damp, it is necessary to apply another layer of solution to ensure that the cleaning process is effective.
How to clean matte textured walls?
The article provides a comprehensive guide on how to clean matte finish walls in homes. It outlines a series of steps to ensure the walls remain clean and fresh. The first step is to vacuum the walls to remove dust particles. Next, two buckets with a mild detergent and water solution are prepared and rinsed with clean water. The walls are then washed with a clean sponge and the mixture, working from bottom to top. The walls are then lightly wiped to prevent easy fading.
Extra matte finish may be kept for touch-ups if needed. The walls are then rinsed with clean water and a clean sponge, using soft cloths to soak up any excess water. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of routine cleaning to maintain the brightness and freshness of the matte finish. The article is available for those seeking advice on interior painting, exterior painting, wall paper, carpentry, power washing, deck refinishing, or epoxy floor coating.
How do you clean exterior concrete walls?
To clean concrete floors, first remove loose dirt, dust, and debris. Wet the concrete with a garden hose and apply a mixture of trisodium phosphate and water. Scrub the solution onto the surface using a stiff-bristled broom or pressure washer. Concrete is a popular material in many properties, and property owners must learn how to clean it to maintain its condition for the longest possible time. The best concrete cleaner and method will vary depending on the type of finish on the concrete. However, the overall process is quick and easy, depending on the material used.
📹 Smoothing Out Concrete Walls
A little Sack and Patch going on here to shine up the wall behind the house that wasn’t quite up to parr. It is easy to do and it …
Good stuff. I’m 68 and have been doing the same work I watch you do since 1971. You seem to do everything the way as I was taught, with minor local differences, I’m in So Cal. I will say I would advise that you wear gloves when sacking or any concrete work. I’ve seen some really bad cases of cement poisoning on many a finishers hands. Great articles Brother.
A question about the strength of the “sack and patch” – how well does it adhere to the concrete? I’ve spent quite a bit of time pressure washing with professional equipment that can damage the best set concrete if ran at too high a pressure/flow rate for too long. Additionally we have chemicals available to “whiten” or “brighten” the concrete back to a day-one appearance. What are the chances this thin covering truly becomes one with the original concrete vs gets blasted off the next time someone comes to clean it?
As I think more about it, and to give you the benefit of the doubt to which I think you are entitled, I will reinterpret your reference to N95s-the reason you have them is because you got them and used them and now that the pandemic is slowing down, you’re looking for other uses for them. You are not saying they weren’t helpful. Its a bit of a stretch, but I’m going with it, as I say, because I respect your knowledge and years of good advice.
Matching cement colors those were the days. Worked for a swimming pool company they had problems patching the decks after repairs. I have perfect color vision. So I told them that with a little trial and error I could get pretty close. Actually I eventually got so good that I spent most of my summer re-repairing old patches. The company was getting sued a lot for the unprofessional repairs. With practice anyone can do this One caution the deck colors are frequently composed of asbestos. Just don’t breath the dust. Once it is bonded in the cement there is little danger of inhaling unless being cut by a saw. I knew the danger at the time and mixed the colorant while holding my breath then I would walk away for a few minutes to let it clear, always outside. Concrete always drys lighter than when wet.
Sir, you are a constant inspiration, your attention to detail and the hard work you do to do the job properly is so remarkable. You have touched the hearts of many many people across the world with your kindly manner and presentation. Generations will follow your example, for that I thank you. Stay safe and well, and God bless.
Love your articles. Rubbed many a wall myself and for the life of me I have no idea what your doing. Good mix 50/50,. Then parge it on with a rubber float and wait., Once it’s set up but still workable. You rub it off with burlap or towel or your hand with gloves. I’ve never seen anybody do this the way your doing it. Seems like a lot of wasted movement.
Just the job for old geezers like us, maybe the foreman’ll put us out of the wind !! I’d call that, bag rubbing. For anyone that cares, once you’ve filled the bottom of the form with the first of the concrete, chuck a couple of buckets of cement grout in it, this seems to float round the concrete as it’s poured and avoids the wormholes ! This does however, require tight shuttering.
I must say that here in Croatia I’ve never heard (nor seen) a lot of techniques and processes when dealing with concrete. The first time I realized there’s much I (and most workers in Europe) don’t know was when you introduced the crew that worked on your porch. It’s weird, because almost every house (I’d say more than 99%) in my city are built with concrete and brick. It’s nice to learn some new things about the material that seems so simple to work with when you first consider it. Thank you for a great article.
I wish this had come out a couple years ago. I was the deficiencies carpenter on a large project, and the general had made a LOT of poor decisions when placing concrete. With no knowledge or training, I sacked the whole project. Everything. 4 months on my hands and knees with what i now know was a poor choice of product. Had i simply watched this article, I’d have told them I’d like to mess about with the mix a bit, and used some of the portland and sand i keep around for other purposes. I wasted a lot of time doing a sub-par job, before gaining some knack for it. In any case, this is exactly the article I needed…. a few years ago ;p
Man, I was having such a hard time with this today… looked so easy on the article. I got plenty of burlap but seems like I have a hard time keeping the material in my hand before it all just falls out lol. Not all uniform in color. Did fill in the small pin holes and such… guess I’ll have to keep working on perfecting this.
Wow that was a lot of work, and it will work fine. On much larger highway wall projects, we specify a rubbed finish when the concrete is “green” to smooth out the imperfections and clean it and apply a texture cost or stain to make a wall look great. As you said, structurally, you did nothing to improve the quality of the wall. Aesthetics improvement is what you did. A sprayed texture coating is much easier.
Thanks for showing us this. Have you ever used siloxane/silane sealers on masonry? I did that for the first time a few years ago, when we still lived in California, and I was very pleased with how it kept the moss off a brick sidewalk which got relatively little sun, as well as helping the driveway dry out faster and look better. We moved to Texas a year ago, and I got a new ‘monument’ for our house number, and when the mortar had cured, I sealed that with this stuff. It was the ONLY thing in our yard which wasn’t coated with ice during the big freeze, so last week my family and I did the entire driveway (which took all day, even with an airless sprayer). If we get another big freeze like that, maybe we won’t be iced in for two weeks again.
Here we are perusal you power up a cement wall a bit like we used to do babies when diapering. Continuing to enjoy your teamwork and topics. BTW: Congratulations on reaching the magic number of subs. Doug and I are pleased for all of you! We heard Brian say he believes your websites are about being Renaissance Men. That is as good a description as any we’ve heard., though I still think Scott’s got the Gesserit Voice. Keep up the good work.
My first boss in a professional capacity taught me that the job is not done until you are proud of it. Accordingly, it is not surprising that this little job was required by EC before the final pour. It would have stood out like the proverbial sore thumb. He’ll probably give the lucky new owner some tips on keeping the moss down as well.
Honestly I don’t mind the look of moss on concrete, gives things a look of being older than they are, and I like that look. I also like the look of a brick wall or facade that has been around so long that it has become covered in vines. To me, it’s just a nice reminder that nature is a truly unstoppable force, and that you really can’t fight it, you can only hope to direct it to work in a way that doesn’t interfere with what you’re doing.
That would never pass on the construction jobs I’ve worked on. The exposed concrete had to be RUBBED. You want a workout, use a concrete rubbing rock for 40 hours/week. It should be done as soon as the forms are wrecked and the concrete is green. You only use water and pull the cement out with the rubbing rock to make a slurry on the surface. If the concrete was poured with release agent on the forms, has correct slump & air entrainment and vibrated properly there won’t be rock pockets and any air bubbles will fill in with the rubbing. That was some of the hardest work I’ve ever done. It was 40-50 years ago. Then I became the contactor and hired it done. 🙂
Honestly concrete repair is not this guys cup of tea. I don’t recommend this method as a certified mason. The best and fastest way would be to use rapid set ( wonder fixx) I guarantee your concrete will look %100 better and the color will be consistent. It will save you a lot of time and you won’t be wasting any material because when you use the dry mix you start wasting time and material. O don’t want to throw any negativity at this gentleman’s article just thought I’d help give some tips.
Well,. My skill 77,,,,, kicked like a mule,,,,,, had the guard held back with a pencil, not safe but OK,,,, any time you pull the trigger grab her hard,. Snaped the blade,, no pain,no foul,,,,,, grabbed a hidden nail,. But definitely. Always you can’t relaxe grab your saw, expect the unexpected, after 30 years, that saw can kick back,. Hard,,, a firm hand every cut your safe,. But she can kick back hard, always remember that,,,, never not be lazy on your grip,.
Don’t mind the avatar, my son has made my account, Lol. But I have done this before, I was always told it is called parging, I am pretty sure that is the wrong spelling. After wards I use a brush to make a swirl pattern. Also I am guessing that you used a vibrator when you poured? Also I have used non shrink grout as well
So many of your articles resonate with me, it was a disappointment to hear you take a swipe at N95 respirators. I hope you aren’t anti-vax as well. You have wisdom about many things, but on this point you are misinformed or just out of your depth. OTOH, since you do end up putting one on your face near the end of the article, maybe it was just tongue-in-cheek. I hope so.