How to remove paint from outdoor concrete?

[caitlin2]

  Hi, 

I am looking to clean up my outdoor space for summer and have a small concrete patio covered in peeling paint. I was considering hiring a water pressure washer to remove this paint from the outdoor concrete floor (5.5m x 4.8m approx) but am worried I would mess it up even more. Any tips on how to go about getting the paint off myself. I am also unsure if it is lead paint as our house was probably built in the 70s but has had renovations done so hard to estimate when this paint was put on. The concrete top layer also flakes off in places when I use a chisel in the existing holes/patches, indicating some kind of skim coating. Not sure where to start please help with any suggestions

[JacobZ]

Hi @caitlin2,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

Unfortunately, without knowing the origins of the paint and considering the age of the house, it is best to be cautious. I would definitely have it tested before you do any work on it, just to be on the safe side.

While a pressure cleaner might remove some of the paint from the top layer, it is very unlikely that it will remove everything, so I wouldn't count on this. If you wanted to remove the paint entirely, typically you would need to grind the concrete back, or in your case, chip off the layer of what I believe to be self-levelling compound, which has been applied over the top. You might be able to use a combination of the chisel you've already been using and a Carinya 1.2m x 150mm Floor Scraper to remove the rest of this compound.

If you can't remove it all by scraping, I would look at getting a concrete grinding company in to take it back to a bare concrete surface.

Once you are back to bare concrete, you could seal the concrete with a concrete sealer or repaint it with concrete paint or even lay some outdoor tiles over it to give you a nice, finished surface for Summer.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

[caitlin2]

Hi Jacob, 

thanks for your insight!

good news is I bought some lead test swabs and they haven’t picked up any traces of lead in the paint so I think I’m good to proceed. 
I will have to get the scraper you suggested and will see how that goes as it isn’t a huge area so should be right to do it by hand I think. 
will the concrete sealer make the surface slippery? 

thanks

[JacobZ]

Hi @caitlin2,

Sounds like a plan. If you have any trouble removing it, don't hesitate to reach out so we can assist further.

It really depends on the kind of concrete sealer you use and the finish of the concrete. 

Concrete sealers can sometimes make a surface slippery, but this depends largely on the type of sealer and the texture of the concrete. 

Film-forming sealers, as opposed to penetrating sealers, create a protective coating on top of the concrete that can make it look glossy or give it a wet appearance. Because these sealers form a smooth layer, they can become slippery when wet, especially in outdoor areas such as driveways, patios, and pool surrounds.

In saying this, the base layer of concrete you can see poking through has a textured finish, so the risk of slipperiness is pretty minimal.

If you're concerned, just make sure you use a penetrating sealer like this Crommelin 1L Natural Finish Penetrating Sealer and Water Repellent.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob