Had my A$$ handed to me today....

[Wandslinger]

I completely suck at removing topical coatings from ceramic or porcelain tile. The schmuck before me sealed it with a floor finish. I tried ZEP 5 to 1 with a black pad, a turbo, wand with a brush, but I could only get about 75 percent up. Still looks like crap. Some areas came off like sheets of plastic. Any suggestions?

 

[Mikey P]

Sounds like you have a few types of topical on there.


Probably best to pull a nelos and tell them you have cancer and can't finish.

 

[dealtimeman]

Go to Jansan supply.

Buy 2-3 different hot strippers.

Buy some acetone.

Buy ammonia.

Buy a badass respirate full face mask.

Try multiple strippers first to see which has best effectiveness.

Attempt to strip a small "trouble" area of floor. If it removes the finish keep using as is, if not grab the ammonia and boost it.

 

[Mikey P]

Then ask yourself, wtf was I thinking...




Fot the next 29 hours...

 

[BIG WOOD]

My dumb ass would call it a loss and just leave

 

[Wandslinger]

My dumb ass would call it a loss and just leave

Well I did just that. The lady felt bad and understood the dilemma. I refunded her a little money even though she didn't want it. I just want to have more success in the future with it.

 

[Mikey P]

Well I did just that. The lady felt bad and understood the dilemma. I refunded her a little money even though she didn't want it. I just want to have more success in the future with it.

In your unique situation I seriously can't imagine why you would want to enter such a glamorous hobby of floor finish stripping.


But here some rules of thumbs to go by.

If they can't tell you what product was used run some tests with basic Zep stripper in many areas, if Zep dont work, bail
If they wont take off their MDF base boards and ask you to just be careful, bail
Slate or Flag Stone?, bail
Brick, bail.
Not willing to pay at minimum $4.00 a foot, bail
Anything other than basic water based floor wax, bail

 

[Jim Pemberton]

If they wont take off their MDF base boars and ask you to just be careful, bail

You've given some great advice over the years...Like why something cleaned with Haitian Cotton Shampoo will never resoil to "truck it or.."

But this one is the most useful.

I've kept more people out of trouble with it, and its an important part of my hard surface cleaning class, as are your other above warnings.

Thanks!

 

[Steve Lawrence]

Sounds like you have a few types of topical on there.


Probably best to pull a nelos and tell them you have cancer and can't finish.

Best excuse I've ever heard for pulling out early on a job you hate, ha ha!!!!

 

[Old Coastie]

I completely suck at removing topical coatings from ceramic or porcelain tile. The schmuck before me sealed it with a floor finish. I tried ZEP 5 to 1 with a black pad, a turbo, wand with a brush, but I could only get about 75 percent up. Still looks like crap. Some areas came off like sheets of plastic. Any suggestions?

If it was floor finish, I’d use a butyl-based stripper and vapor steam on the grout lines.

You will have to repaint anything within the same zip code.

Explain why.

 

[clean image]

Probably a urethane bass—-KS3 will strip it

You can also get into soy strippers, a little safer, just take longer dwel...aND CAN EFFECT THE RECOATING if u go that way

We , like mike turn those job down, life too short.....

 

[Nomad74]

I'm having nightmares of my last VCT job that took me 19 hours. 15 years of coatings. I now don't do VCT. It ruined me.

 

[Bob Pruitt]

I stripped a Saltillo tile floor once.
What the hell was I thinking... over and over again in my head.
That was the last time I ever stripped and re-finished a floor.

 

[Mikey P]

just imagine all the areas where you wont be able to heal your 175...


Those will need to be done by hand.


giggle..

 

[Stephen D. Gillett]

If a homeowner is pay $6-$8 a sq ft, it would be worth the time. I can always help with procedures and product. I can usually get product to you within 2-4 days depending on where you are in the country. I understand you gave this job up at the end. But, Let me help with your next bids and letting you know what you might need in product. Some of these job can actually be very profitable; you just need to bid accordingly.

 

[Nomad74]

If a homeowner is pay $6-$8 a sq ft, it would be worth the time. I can always help with procedures and product. I can usually get product to you within 2-4 days depending on where you are in the country. I understand you gave this job up at the end. But, Let me help with your next bids and letting you know what you might need in product. Some of these job can actually be very profitable; you just need to bid accordingly.

It’s hard when every illegal out there is bidding $.25 per sqft.

 

[Stephen D. Gillett]

It’s hard when every illegal out there is bidding $.25 per sqft.

I totally hear you on that.
It's important to know how to put fear into homeowners when faced with that situation.
I have told people. " There is no way that person or company has Liability or Workers Comp Ins. If they get hurt in your house, they will sue you."
Telling folks the truth about what could happen will sometimes get me the job.
Working It from the comfort level, by reassuring them that you have liability insurance, and that it will keep them and their home safe, is a great selling point.
This helped me. Hope it helps you guys.

 

[JS41035]

I’m doing a small landing on a lake house in a few days satillo that a maid waxed a few times.
Probably less than 100sf. At least 600 bucks. And I’m only doing it because we have cleaned his restaurant since I was 6.
Remove baseboards. (Not me). Take doors off.
Protect the crud out of everything.
It’s almost never worth it . Even at that price. It will take a ton of time.

 

[Mikey P]

Have Lee do it and come on out to Scottsdale.

 

[JS41035]

No way. I’m using the money from that for 3 months of house payments.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

I completely suck at removing topical coatings from ceramic or porcelain tile. The schmuck before me sealed it with a floor finish. I tried ZEP 5 to 1 with a black pad, a turbo, wand with a brush, but I could only get about 75 percent up. Still looks like crap. Some areas came off like sheets of plastic. Any suggestions?

Every coat that is on there is prolly mop and glow!!

 

[mmarkovic]

I never love these but plowing through has gotten me quite proficient at understanding most every type of sealer used and how to remove. Indeed Dealtimeman has the process figured out until you find the magic juice that conquers all. Then stick to your formula until you encounter that antique Mop n Glow (water borne urethane) or a modern urethane requiring paint stripper. I landed one of those many years ago. Quoted $12 per sq ft and still lost my shorts on the job. Another suggestion made in this thread was to keep it hot. Totally wrong as many acrylic or styrene acrylic finishes will harden back up due to the heat so I cut the heat. Most coatings are designed to use a mop and warm water from a bucket and that never stays warm long.
Keep your stripper from drying on the surface by agitating lightly adding water till you hit bottom (bottom is no slippery feel under your finger) now it's time to turbo the emulsified mess away. I still never use a swing or side by side machine to agitate floors I'm stripping. It just slings wax everywhere onto things that don't need it. A drag hoop could help if you're determined to drag the power tool into the mess but why? Just be patient and let the stripper do the work. We're carpet cleaners that are just used to fast spray and suck results on carpets. I use a carpet groomer brush to move things around till the wax is liquified.

 

[SamIam]

Well I did just that. The lady felt bad and understood the dilemma. I refunded her a little money even though she didn't want it. I just want to have more success in the future with it.

I swear I run from these, but see guys on Facebook bragging Black pad and stripper and great results

Which brings me to new post thread soon