Getting rid of paint off concrete

Seeking suggestions/advice for good method to try to get rid of this (pictured area of) dried faded marking paint on the concrete sidewalk. The paint is the stuff pictured, described as "solvent-base) on the can. I don't have anything like sandblasting tool, so that kind of suggestion would have to be out. Whatever I do I would not want to make an ugly spot on the concrete, by doing much scraping/scraping. Any comments appreciated.

 

I would try a strong solvent like MEK or lacquer thinner. Best might be a spray gun but you could also try scrubbing with a brush. Don't forget rags or paper towels to soak up the paint & solvent before it evaporates or you'll just turn the paint markings into paint blobs.

 

Pressure washer.

Paint gets into the pores of the concrete so solvents & rags dont get down in there.

 

Pilot Dane, thanks if I was to use your suggestion I'd get the strong solvent (lacquer thinner or MEK). I don't really have a "spray gun" but do you mean perhaps a spray bottle (which I do have) that I would spray it on with? Or maybe just saturate a rag pretty good with the solvent then dab it on the dried paint, brush it with a stiff brush of some kind, and then soak up the paint and solvent with dry paper towels or rags. As far as using a brush I suppose just a regular stiff scrub brush but not anything like a wire brush, right?

 

I could do that, I have a good strong pressure washer. Not sure though if it would get remove this paint on the concrete as thoroughly as I'd like, I'd kinda like to be sure I got pretty much all traces of it gone.

 

I'd use a solvent first to get rid of as much as I could. A wire brush often leaves black marks that could be hard to get rid of. It's best to scrub the painted area with solvent and use rags to blot it off. It's not terrible to smear it around but that makes a bigger area needing more solvent. I'd finish with a pressure washer.

 

Is that decking going to be safe for solvents if there's any splashing or overspray?

 

Have you tried gel paint stripper? Paint it on, wait 30 min, and wash it off? It's usually not great on oil paints, but might loosen it enough to brush or power wash off. I'd tape some plastic on the deck. MEK, lacquer thinner or stripper will damage the finish.

 

very good point SuperSquirrel. Yeah I'll be careful about that. probably won't spray the solvent to avoid any issue in that regard. thanks

 

Nope didn't even think of using a paint stripper but should try that route first I think. thanks!

 

The reason I suggested using a spray gun is the high pressure stream of solvent can better get into the tiny pores of the concrete. You can try a hand sprayer and see how it works. I would build a dam around the area with old rags to soak up the solvent and keep it off your synthetic decking.

 

I ended up using a combination of methods/materials, utilizing several repeat applications of paint stripper (Jasco | Premium Paint & Epoxy Remover), a stiff toothrush to help loosen the paint within the applied stripper, dry rags to blot up the stripper/paint, lacquer thinner applied several times between and worked in with the toothbrush in between each stripper application then rubbed/blotted again with rag, then finally pressure washed close-up using the yellow (stripping) spray nozzle tip on my pressure washer. The paint mostly came off but some stubborn remnant still is visible.
Because I'm had so much fun doing this, I will probably try one last time with the stripper, thinner, and pressure washer, then live with what remains. Fortunately this area of paint I want to remove is not large/extensive but just maybe 10-12 square inches or so total.

 

We have a different definition of fun here in the south

 

Havin' a good ol' time here

 

Grab yourself one of these guys.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Avanti-P...D01G/202831061

Make sure you get the one with the finer wires. I used one to clean off old paint and silicone from my concrete steps. It will make the area look cleaner and "discolored" compared to the rest of the concrete, but the dirt will return eventually.

 

will do, thanks Mr.Awesome.

 

Using a wire brush on concrete has the potential to leave behind a bigger mess than you started with.

This really is not difficult, a pressure washer will get it up in no time and not damage the surface.

Plus this gives you a good excuse to buy a tool!

 

I'm also leery of using a wire brush over concrete that isn't going to be painted as it will leave black marks on the concrete and any worn wire left behind will rust.

 

Ok then probably will nix the idea of using a wire brush. Already used the paint stripper etc, and pressure washer as well as described. This marking paint on this concrete was stubborn coming all the way off without a trace, despite all the effort, but I got close enough to where it's acceptably not that noticeable anymore. Thanks for all the helpful replies.