Xylene safe with sprayer?
#1
05-26-13, 06:58 PM
Xylene safe with sprayer?
I'm going to be usin xylene and wondering if I can use this sprayer below to mist it with? Will the solvent ruin the sprayer hose or nossel?
Amazon.com: Stanley Lawn and Garden Deluxe Steel 2-Gallon Sprayer 74020: Patio, Lawn & Garden
Amazon.com: Stanley Lawn and Garden Deluxe Steel 2-Gallon Sprayer 74020: Patio, Lawn & Garden
#5
05-28-13, 05:25 AM
I thought they came back and fixed the problem? Did something happen to it again? Before xylening it, are you sure it's a solvent based sealer and not water based?
Don't know about the sprayer you asked about, but a Chapin 1949 Industrial sprayer will work with xylene. Just empty it out when you're done.
In my experience, just misting with xylene will only marginally work. you need to soak it pretty well, otherwise the xylene can evaporate before it has time to melt the sealer all the way down to concrete.
Good luck.
Don't know about the sprayer you asked about, but a Chapin 1949 Industrial sprayer will work with xylene. Just empty it out when you're done.
In my experience, just misting with xylene will only marginally work. you need to soak it pretty well, otherwise the xylene can evaporate before it has time to melt the sealer all the way down to concrete.
Good luck.
#6
05-28-13, 07:23 AM
He came back and fixed the walk way. I then had him put in 18x22 stamped patio 3 weeks ago. This weekend we had some torrential downpours. The concrete looks very cloudy and splotchy dark and light gray. After the rain I noticed again sealer flaking off in little dots all over. Even if I move a patio chair that has plastic feet it scrapes the sealer off. This time though its just the sealer coming off not the antiquing release. Using xylene makes all theese spots go away. However regarding your comment about really wetting the concrete with xylene it seems in some spots it strips off the the sealer if applied to heavy.
#7
05-28-13, 08:38 AM
xylene doesn't remove sealer by itself. It just re-wets it and allows it to be removed with rags or whatever. If it's just applied and then allowed to dry, the sealer goes right back to the way it was...only clear.
#8
05-28-13, 09:01 AM
Oh ok. So maybe when I tried it it just brought out the cloudyness more in that spot because it rejuvenated it and it looked. So mist it on or wet it? I'm just curious why the cure and seal was flaking off again after all that rain.
#9
05-28-13, 10:52 AM
I live in Indiana, which just recently adopted new VOC laws. VOC's are volatile organic compounds found in many products including solvent based concrete sealer. High voc is bad for the environment. I believe Massachusetts adopted low voc laws several years ago. These laws changed the way solvent acrylic concrete sealers are made. They now contain fast drying solvents like acetone instead of slower drying xylene.
Since your contractor should have a lot more experience with low voc sealers than I do , you should ask him your questions. Or you could find out the sealer manufacturer and ask them.
Typically moisture becoming trapped under non-breathable sealer is the cause of whitening and delamination. What type of base did your contractor pour on top of? sand, compacted stone, pea gravel, etc.? If he poured directly on the ground, then there's the problem. The groundwater would then be in direct contact with the underside of the concrete and the slab would wick the water up like a sponge.
Since your contractor should have a lot more experience with low voc sealers than I do , you should ask him your questions. Or you could find out the sealer manufacturer and ask them.
Typically moisture becoming trapped under non-breathable sealer is the cause of whitening and delamination. What type of base did your contractor pour on top of? sand, compacted stone, pea gravel, etc.? If he poured directly on the ground, then there's the problem. The groundwater would then be in direct contact with the underside of the concrete and the slab would wick the water up like a sponge.
#10
05-28-13, 11:15 AM
I had asked him when he did the walkway last year and he said what you said the change in VOC laws has caused numerous call backs with sealer. They poured on a few inches of stone but they didn't compact it. I had asked him if he was going to compact it and they said the size of the stone doesn't compact well. If it was crushed stone or gravel it would compact well but the stone they used (bigger than gravel really doesn't compact supposedly. I thought they should have used at least 4 inches of stone but looked like they used less. Suposedly he used Butterfield sealer, but who knows I never believe these contractors.
#11
05-30-13, 01:47 AM
Member
You have far more patience than most of us, dealing with a contractor over many months now, who cannot produce a satisfactory, finished product.
I'd like to nominate you for saint-hood, as the world could use a lot more people like you. Unfortunately, I'm not currently in good standing with the saint-hood people, so I guess we're out of luck.
I'd like to nominate you for saint-hood, as the world could use a lot more people like you. Unfortunately, I'm not currently in good standing with the saint-hood people, so I guess we're out of luck.
#12
05-30-13, 07:19 AM
I think your right I do have a lot of patience. The good thing is that when I call him he comes back. I called him last night and he's coming by today. It must be a moisture issue between the clouding and the sealer coming off. I'm wondering if after they power washed the new concrete off if they applied the cure and seal while the slab was still wet from power washing. I'm sure hell prob reseal. If my wife wasn't adamant about stamped concrete I would have done it myself.
#13
06-14-13, 05:51 PM
He came back and had to reseal the patio. He had said he cut the sealer with too much xylene. He reseated it about 36 hours ago and looks great. I do notice that it scratches very easy like with my fingernail. Not sure why. Rained a ton last night.
