# Gasoline spill on slab



## marc9889 (Mar 11, 2015)

Gentlemen, 
I'm a concrete newby, so thanks in advance for the help and patience. I have a 4 year old, 16x16 stamped concrete patio. During the spring clean-up, my wife turned over a fuel can and spilled about a quart of gasoline :furious:, which left a white, hazy appearance. The gas was on it for at least 10 minutes before it was cleaned up. 
Apparently, the sealer was at least partially dissolved by the gasoline, as there are shoe prints in it. Is there a way to repair the damaged area without removing the sealer from the entire patio? If the whole thing has to be stripped and re-sealed, how would I do that? 

Thanks


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

Do you know what type of sealer was used?


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## marc9889 (Mar 11, 2015)

The contractor that did the job told me, but I just don't remember. Another lesson learned, I guess.


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

Stripping just a part of the patio is touchy at best, even doing the whole thing is tricky, it could be water based or solvent based, even xylene base so really hard to know what to use to do the stripping, might be a good idea to contact the contractor that did the job, and hope he has a record of same.


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## marc9889 (Mar 11, 2015)

That crossed my mind, so I made an attempt to locate the contractor. Surprise... they seem to have disappeared from the Earth entirely. That, or maybe a witness protection program. 
Is there an established means to determine what the sealant base is?


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

Not that i'm aware of, other than trial and error and maybe google.


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## marc9889 (Mar 11, 2015)

Internet research is pointing me in the direction of an acrylic based cure and seal. I have some Xylene that I plan to try over the weekend. Thanks for the help.


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

if gas ruined the sealer, i'm betting its solvent based as are most of the better sealers since wtr-based sealers generally suck :furious:


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

And I wouldn't use an acrylic sealer if I were you, penetrating would be better.


Forgot to say use Silane or siloxane if you can.


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

woody, i'm thinking the existing sealer's more decorative than utilitarian but could be wrong of course :whistling2: there is penetration w/all sealers to some degree,,, never tried tinting silanes or siloxanes,,, its possible but are there uv inhibitors in tints ? i think not :no:


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## marc9889 (Mar 11, 2015)

I went home last night and applied a generous amount of Xylol / Xylene, brushed it all over the test surface, waited 5 minutes, and pressure washed it. The sealant seems to have been completely removed.
:thumbsup:


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

stadry said:


> woody, i'm thinking the existing sealer's more decorative than utilitarian but could be wrong of course :whistling2: there is penetration w/all sealers to some degree,,, never tried tinting silanes or siloxanes,,, its possible but are there uv inhibitors in tints ? i think not :no:


 Silane/siloxane's are deep penetrating sealers forming a hydrofobic barrier against water penetration, is why I mentioned them, but then realized we don't know where he is.

Can you clarify the "tinting" part since it's already tinted.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

If there's another option, I would steer clear of any sealer that says it's "whatever siloxane". That word "siloxane" replaces the word "silicone" and simply means it's a silicone based plastic. The problem with all silicone based plastics is that nothing sticks well to them, not even another silicone based plastic. You find that's a common problem with people trying to replace the silicone caulk around a tub and finding the new silicone caulk doesn't stick to the thin film of residual silicone caulk still on the tub and tiles.

So, the problem with using a "siloxane" masonry sealer is in the future, you can't restore the protection by applying more sealer because the new sealer won't stick to the old. I'm not sure if that would be an issue with penetrating sealers as I understand that some penetrating masonary sealers are silicone based, and I agree that using a penetrating sealer would be preferable so that the concrete/bricks won't be slippery when they're wet.


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

Nestor_Kelebay said:


> If there's another option, I would steer clear of any sealer that says it's "whatever siloxane". That word "siloxane" replaces the word "silicone" and simply means it's a silicone based plastic. The problem with all silicone based plastics is that nothing sticks well to them, not even another silicone based plastic. You find that's a common problem with people trying to replace the silicone caulk around a tub and finding the new silicone caulk doesn't stick to the thin film of residual silicone caulk still on the tub and tiles.
> 
> So, the problem with using a "siloxane" masonry sealer is in the future, you can't restore the protection by applying more sealer because the new sealer won't stick to the old. I'm not sure if that would be an issue with penetrating sealers as I understand that some penetrating masonary sealers are silicone based, and I agree that using a penetrating sealer would be preferable so that the concrete/bricks won't be slippery when they're wet.



There are 4 kinds of sealers, and depending on where you live and the type of project you want to protect, lets you choose the product you prefer,the products are Acrylics, Polyurethanes, Epoxies, and Silanes , Siloxanes, and Silicates the last 3 being what would be preferred in a harsh climate, like where snow and freezing temps are the norm because they are penetrating sealers and give excellent protection for the freeze/thaw cycle. 

Acrylics are a good choice for stamped or exposed aggregate,but only form a thin top coat so a lot of maintenance is required.

Polyurethanes are also good for stamped or exposed aggregate and is almost twice as thick as Acrylics,but is only a topical coating.

Epoxies form a high build protective film on the surface.trouble is they are usually a two part product that have to be mixed on site, and they may yellow with UV exposure, but they can be tinted, and they produce a hard long wearing surface, and provide excellent water resistance, but on the down side are impermeable and can trap water in the concrete.

So in a nutshell the best preformers in the northern climes is penetrating sealers,and they usually last about 10 years, and they CAN and be recoated and has been that way since they came out, in the warmer climes use what ever looks good to you, but be prepared to refinish more often.


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

98% of our decorative conc sealing is done w/methyl-mecratale laced acrylic sealers,,, commercial & industrial apps called for other mtls,,, there are also polyaspartics & polyureas avail as sealers but perhaps we pro's are getting out of diy range.

we routinely tint sealers w/sher-wms colors - they have wtr AND solvent pigments

in a pinch, we use apron/vest store clear epoxies + sher-wms :yes:


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

stadry said:


> 98% of our decorative conc sealing is done w/methyl-mecratale laced acrylic sealers,,, commercial & industrial apps called for other mtls,,, there are also polyaspartics & polyureas avail as sealers but perhaps we pro's are getting out of diy range.
> 
> we routinely tint sealers w/sher-wms colors - they have wtr AND solvent pigments
> 
> in a pinch, we use apron/vest store clear epoxies + sher-wms :yes:


 Polyaspartic polyuria has been around since 1980 and was actually developed by Texaco, and yes it's way out of DIY range and has to be applied with special spray equipment, although a very good product when you have to be able to use the area it was applied to in a hurry.


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## marc9889 (Mar 11, 2015)

I spent the weekend applying Xylene, waiting 5-10, and pressure washing, and all the sealer is gone. It was a messy job, but I'm optimistic about the over all results of the project. The color has much less red now, which is one of the things I was going for. I'll post some follow up photos in a couple of weeks, and thanks again for the help.


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## marc9889 (Mar 11, 2015)

Update- It's been almost a month, but we are almost there. After much, much Xylene and pressure washing, we finally got all the old sealer off and removed a good bit of the red color using muriatic acid. Next, we applied Valspar etching stain (color="coffee") and let it dry for 18 hours. Afterward, we rinsed it with water and reapplied more of the same stain and let it dry for 8 hours. After that, we used baking soda and water to neutralize the acid (very interesting to watch), then rinsed it again with water. It has been drying for 4 days, and we are now ready to clean it once more and seal it. I've read blog posts that elude to Valspar sealer leaving a haze, so I'm going to test the $20 per gallon Quickcrete sealer on a sidewalk by my workshop. Will post a follow-up when I finish that job.


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

IF i had to choose 'tween valspar & euclid, i'd pick euclid,,, between euclid & sika, it'd be sika :yes: generally most pro's have favorites,,, blogger's aren't OR they're wanna-bee's  you may have to drive a bit farther than the local apron/vest store


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## marc9889 (Mar 11, 2015)

Would you say this is a good choice? 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Sikagard-1-Gal-High-Gloss-Sealer-107698/202529383?N=5yc1vZarom


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

no, i wouldn't - its water based,,, the better conc sealers are solvent ( xylene ) based,,, get out of the habit of thinking apron/vest stores are prime suppliers - they ain't :no:


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

stadry said:


> no, i wouldn't - its water based,,, the better conc sealers are solvent ( xylene ) based,,, get out of the habit of thinking apron/vest stores are prime suppliers - they ain't :no:


 

+1 to what he said!


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

' +1 ' ? that's it ? ? ? not even a ^5 ? ? ? you're a cheapskate  i thought it was worth a 10 :thumbup:


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## jomama45 (Nov 13, 2008)

Most of the time, colored, stamped, and decorative concrete in general get's a solvent-based acrylic sealer, as it's the best sealer at giving an "enhanced" look. If you like the way the concrete looks when it's wet, and want a gloss finish, don't use anything other than a solvent-based acrylic sealer. Yes, it does require a re-coat every 3-6 years depending on enviroment, quality of product, application method, foot traffic, etc., but it's still the best choice when you're trying to enhance the color IMPO.

BTW, I'd suggest adding a traction additive to the sealer, like "Sharkgrip"......


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## marc9889 (Mar 11, 2015)

I contacted Conteq Supply in nearby Huntsville, Alabama, and they have a solvent based product called Clemons SUPREME SEAL-25. At the moment, it seems to be the best option that I can buy locally. I'll try it on the slab by my workshop, and if the results what I'm looking for, I'll use it to seal the patio. All my slabs are stamped, so I decided against a traction additive. However, if I apply the first coat of sealer and change my mind, can I add it to the second coat of sealer and be ok?


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

marc9889 said:


> i contacted conteq supply in nearby huntsville, alabama, and they have a solvent based product called clemons supreme seal-25. At the moment, it seems to be the best option that i can buy locally. I'll try it on the slab by my workshop, and if the results what i'm looking for, i'll use it to seal the patio. All my slabs are stamped, so i decided against a traction additive. However, if i apply the first coat of sealer and change my mind, can i add it to the second coat of sealer and be ok?


 *yes but also ask them IF the sealer's to be diluted OR applied full strength,,, you can spray it or roll it on,,, ALWAYS work from a wet edge !*


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## marc9889 (Mar 11, 2015)

Gentlemen, thanks again for the advice. The results were very good! I had minimal issues (just a few bubbles) and the sealer was pretty easy to apply. The drying time was surprisingly fast, so I was able to get two coats on it in one day.


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

either it turned out great OR you've got a good camera + expert photoshop knowledge :laughing: good for you :thumbsup:


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

Be careful when it's wet, going to be very slippery.


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