[BRSL]

Hi guys

Got in a pickle last week with a hard floor, typical vinal ultro but the smooth one, sealed in what I thought was a typical emmulsion although looking V black and badely maintained, until I tried to strip it with a amonia based striper, didnt toach it, tried solvents and every thing I had in the van but nothing turned it a little white but wouldent scratch the suface, so we had to chip it all off with scrappers  It came off but was verry brittle and hard and had been down a few years any ideas what it is and what is used to remove it 

Many thanks
James

[Paul Forster]

I think the finish may  be waterbased  (water used to clean the brushes and thin the coating). A while ago I made the mistake of treating a mahogany window sill at home with waterbased varnish, condensation drips turned it milky white like this. Sanded off with a belt sander in the end

[BRSL]

Paul

uf it was water based, should stripper of got it off 

The only thing I could think it was a wax or polymere of some kind, has any one elese come across a floor like it before

[CMS]

Yes, loads of them.

I think that it looks like years and years of emulsion polish, mopped on over dirt. And the floor looks like its one of those really old canvas backed linoleum floors.

You say that you used an ammonia based stripper.........................

Ammonia based strippers should be used for removing 'Metalised Emulsion Polish' (that has nothing to do with them having metal in them  ) and non ammonia based strippers should be used for  'Non metalised'.

Was it a cheap stripper you were using?

I can't see any reason why a good quality stripper like Johnsons Speedstrip shouldn't get it off.

You say it was an Altro floor.................are you sure? They are not normally sealed at all.........................and you should never use solvents on a vinyl floor of any type.

Try Speedstrip. I'd stake my life on it that it will come off.

With regards to the colour, some of those VERY old vinyl floors had a darker coloured marbling effect in them. Almost like a 'grain'.

As daft as it sounds are you sure that at least some of it isn't pattern?

From the photo's I can obviously see the old black seal but that black 'marbling' underneath looks right to me. They had some awful colour schemes, those old floors.

[BRSL]

CMS

It was Johnsons but not speed strip, with buffer and black pad, tried it neat and nothing, I thought the same as you and polish over dirt and polish and your right the grain and pattern is what you see, but the black is what the problem was, just wouldent soften, we used a steamer on it and it would peel of in some sections but mostley V hard and brittle

James

[martin19842]

hi there

is it altro, cuase it shoulnt have been sealed.

ive seen one case in a doctor surgery wher it has been sealed and lloked simlar to your example.

just been polish after polish after polish mop applied for years.

regards

martin

[keith b]

James,

According to your photo`s, in my opinion it looks like bitumen backed onto vinyl, apparently the only way to clean is to use a hot air paint stripping gun and a scrapper, but its hard work! (get yourself some knee pads and be careful just to soften the tar otherwise you could start a fire).

Once you have scrapped most of it off, go over it with white spirit and plenty of rags to clean whats left.

Also you could try using a product called "D-Tar" which is a speciality tar/bitumen remover.

Good luck

[martin19842]

hi there,

is the floor, rolled up and skirted onto the wall, i think it is from the photo,,

it really looks like a very badly maintained safety floor,

what is the building or room that it is in??

regards

martin

[CMS]

OK................guesses all round.

I reckon it's in a bar!

[BRSL]

CMS me thinks your a bit good at your job 

spot on it is the bar front in a rowing club, we done the job as the photo shows but not sure about the bittumen bit, it was like that but went clear and white with a shed load of stripper but wouldent soften, like i said the solvents we use disolves chewing gum and would find bittumen light work but nothing just sat on top, the chap said the cleaners used to put it on until it went black and stopped now got new cleaners who recon it's slowly coming off with soapy water, I dont think so it must be the sand from the beach wearing it away

what else do you find on floors

polish "metalised, non metalised, ecrlylic
wax, polymeres
varnish, solvent based sealers

still confused James

[martin19842]

hi there.

i think its just years of poor maintenance, and it will take some time to bring it back.  what does time equal MONEY.

regards

marrtin

[cleaning co]

if iwas u id stick to cleaning carpets !! sod all that greif lol

[martin19842]

ive emailed you

[BRSL]

Hi Martin

I never got it 

James