How to Remove Paint from Concrete
If you were painting and accidentally gotten paint on your driveway or garage concrete floor, it may seem impossible to remove. Even if you have old or faded paint on concrete and want to apply a new finish, it is possible to remove paint from concrete. You just have to have patience, time, and the right supplies.
Supplies Needed:
- Scraping tool or sandpaper
- Bucket
- Chemical stripper
- Cleaning supplies
- Power or pressure washer
- Clean the surface carefully to remove all traces of grease, dirt, grime, or other substances. Cleaning solution or soap and water both work to clean the concrete surface.
- Apply a chemical paint stripper to the concrete. Use an oil-based paint stripper if you are not sure what type of paint you are removing. An oil-based stripper works for both water-based and oil-based paint.
- Follow the manufactures directions to allow enough time for the stripper to sit and work on the paint. Depending on the stripper that you are using it can take from only a couple of minutes up to hours.
- Use a scraper to remove the loose paint from the concrete. A pressure washer works well for outdoor concrete surfaces such as patios or driveways.
- Use sandpaper or a sandblaster for thicker layers of paint or paint that is hard to remove. Make sure to only use a sandblaster for outdoor concrete surfaces. Be careful when using a sandblaster as it could damage the concrete if not used correctly.
- Apply a second or third paint stripper application if needed. If there is a lot of paint, usually you will need to apply more than one coat of paint stripper in order for it to work.
- Remove all traces of the concrete by cleaning it with a power or pressure washer.