《DIY, Gene Austin: Removing old adhesive from a concrete floor》：
Q. Our sump pump failed recently during a storm and we got water on the basement floor. Some self-stick tiles came loose and I removed the rest, because now I want to paint the floor. However, there is a sticky adhesive all over the floor and I don’t know how to get it off. Can you help?
PHOTO COURTESY OF THINKSTOCK
To remove stubborn adhesive from a concrete floor, cover it overnight with a thin layer of sand. Sweep the sand away just before scraping off the adhesive.
A. Judging from your description, there isn’t any danger of asbestos in the tiles or adhesive. That isn’t true of old vinyl-asbestos tiles, though, and people who have those tiles on basement floors (they are often nine inches square and thicker than modern tiles) should be very cautious in dealing with them. Asbestos was used in floor tiles and adhesives prior to about 1980. If you feel there is no asbestos danger because these were newer tiles, I think the best way to remove the sticky adhesive is to scrape it off.
Some people use chemical adhesive removers, similar to paint removers, but these contain powerful ingredients that can cause health problems in a closed area like a basement. Therefore, scraping might be easier and safer.
Start by sprinkling a layer of sand over the sticky areas. Leave the sand in place at least overnight so it will absorb some of the adhesive. I suggest scraping a relatively small section at a time – eight feet by eight feet is a good start. You can use a chunk of flexible foam or an old pillow as a knee pad, or buy a pair of knee pads at a home center. A six-inch or eight-inch drywall knife makes a good scraper. If you prefer to stand up while scraping, buy a flat-bladed, square-end spade at a garden center and sharpen the blade with a file.
Before scraping, sweep the sand from the section where you will work. Clean the scraper blade frequently. When you feel you have removed all of the adhesive, mop the floor with hot water; you will need to get the concrete perfectly clean before painting. Also let the floor dry thoroughly. There are many good concrete floor paints available at home centers and paint stores. Follow directions on the paint container for best results, and keep in mind that no paint will last long if the floor is subject to seepage or frequent flooding.
Q. I have an old steel basement door that has developed some rust spots. I have tried different approaches to eliminate them – rust converter, primer and so forth – but the rust always comes back in the same spots. What next?
A. One good possibility is that the rust is originating from inside the door, not uncommon with steel. Most of these steel basement doors are sold with a coat of primer, but the doors should be painted inside and outside within a couple of months of installation (Bilco, a leading manufacturer of steel basement doors, specifies 45 days). Many users paint the outside but not the inside. The inside surfaces are subject to condensation on cool days and the moisture can eventually work through the steel to the outside.
Carefully examine the interior of the door. If you do find rust, sand it down to bare metal, apply a rust-resistant primer to these areas, then paint them with two coats of enamel. Bilco recommends Sherwin-Williams A11 Series All Surface Enamel in a light color. Even if you don’t find obvious rust, clean the interior metal and paint it. Finally, sand off the rust spots on the outside, prime and apply two coats of the recommended paint. It’s a lot of work, but it might finally solve your problem.
QUICK TIP
When storing gasoline-powered lawn and garden tools for the winter, keep the carburetors from gumming up during storage. This can be done either by adding gas stabilizer such as Sta-Bil to the fuel tank, and running the engine long enough to distribute it into the carburetor, or by running the tool out of fuel. If any of these tools are stored in a home, the best and safest bet is to run them out of gas. Gasoline, of course, is extremely flammable and a serious fire hazard if stored near flames or sparks.
《DIY, Gene Austin: Removing old adhesive from a concrete floor》：
Q. Our sump pump failed recently during a storm and we got water on the basement floor. Some self-stick tiles came loose and I removed the rest, because now I want to paint the floor. However, there is a sticky adhesive all over the floor and I don’t know how to get it off. Can you help?
A. Judging from your description, there isn’t any danger of asbestos in the tiles or adhesive. That isn’t true of old vinyl-asbestos tiles, though, and people who have those tiles on basement floors (they are often nine inches square and thicker than modern tiles) should be very cautious in dealing with them. Asbestos was used in floor tiles and adhesives prior to about 1980. If you feel there is no asbestos danger because these were newer tiles, I think the best way to remove the sticky adhesive is to scrape it off.
Some people use chemical adhesive removers, similar to paint removers, but these contain powerful ingredients that can cause health problems in a closed area like a basement. Therefore, scraping might be easier and safer.
Start by sprinkling a layer of sand over the sticky areas. Leave the sand in place at least overnight so it will absorb some of the adhesive. I suggest scraping a relatively small section at a time – eight feet by eight feet is a good start. You can use a chunk of flexible foam or an old pillow as a knee pad, or buy a pair of knee pads at a home center. A six-inch or eight-inch drywall knife makes a good scraper. If you prefer to stand up while scraping, buy a flat-bladed, square-end spade at a garden center and sharpen the blade with a file.
Before scraping, sweep the sand from the section where you will work. Clean the scraper blade frequently. When you feel you have removed all of the adhesive, mop the floor with hot water; you will need to get the concrete perfectly clean before painting. Also let the floor dry thoroughly. There are many good concrete floor paints available at home centers and paint stores. Follow directions on the paint container for best results, and keep in mind that no paint will last long if the floor is subject to seepage or frequent flooding.
Q. I have an old steel basement door that has developed some rust spots. I have tried different approaches to eliminate them – rust converter, primer and so forth – but the rust always comes back in the same spots. What next?
A. One good possibility is that the rust is originating from inside the door, not uncommon with steel. Most of these steel basement doors are sold with a coat of primer, but the doors should be painted inside and outside within a couple of months of installation (Bilco, a leading manufacturer of steel basement doors, specifies 45 days). Many users paint the outside but not the inside. The inside surfaces are subject to condensation on cool days and the moisture can eventually work through the steel to the outside.
Carefully examine the interior of the door. If you do find rust, sand it down to bare metal, apply a rust-resistant primer to these areas, then paint them with two coats of enamel. Bilco recommends Sherwin-Williams A11 Series All Surface Enamel in a light color. Even if you don’t find obvious rust, clean the interior metal and paint it. Finally, sand off the rust spots on the outside, prime and apply two coats of the recommended paint. It’s a lot of work, but it might finally solve your problem.
QUICK TIP
When storing gasoline-powered lawn and garden tools for the winter, keep the carburetors from gumming up during storage. This can be done either by adding gas stabilizer such as Sta-Bil to the fuel tank, and running the engine long enough to distribute it into the carburetor, or by running the tool out of fuel. If any of these tools are stored in a home, the best and safest bet is to run them out of gas. Gasoline, of course, is extremely flammable and a serious fire hazard if stored near flames or sparks.