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cleaning concrete blocks

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BSer

03-29-2007 16:30:07




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I had stored 5000 new concrete blocks that were leftovers,some for 15 years. The humidity here in Florida has given them a nice coat of black mildew. how can I clean these ALL over to safely use them to build a house? I've thought of emmersion in a bleach solution;open tp better ideas.




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GeneMO

03-30-2007 14:35:28




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 Re: cleaning concrete blocks in reply to BSer, 03-29-2007 16:30:07  
I used to buy commercial "deck wash" for my wooden deck, then someone gave me a reciepe for making my own. It was basically water, clorox bleach and TSP cleaner, (Tri-Sodium Phosphate)
Hardware stores carry TSP. Read the labels, but the TSP wont hurt concrete.

Rather than worry about what to use, how about labor? Might need about a dozen of our friendly visitors from south of the Rio Grande!

Gene

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Mike (WA)

03-30-2007 12:26:53




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 Re: cleaning concrete blocks in reply to BSer, 03-29-2007 16:30:07  
There's a new product called "30 seconds" which you are supposed to be able to spray on, wait 30 seconds, and wash off all the mold with a garden hose nozzle. Just bought some for the north side of my stucco office building, but haven't tried it yet. Comes in sizes as small as quarts, for less than 5 bucks. Would be pretty cheap to try it.



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Dave Sherburne NY

03-30-2007 07:22:10




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 Re: cleaning concrete blocks in reply to BSer, 03-29-2007 16:30:07  
Before you put muriatic acid on the whole pile,
try it on one block, the acid eats the cement that holds the block together. I would use a High pressure washer.



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Billy NY

03-29-2007 21:22:25




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 Re: cleaning concrete blocks in reply to BSer, 03-29-2007 16:30:07  
If the tops/bottoms are covered with mold, I'd think you'd want at minimum those parts clean even if not molded, because they sat for so long, as it could effect the mortar bond, it's much better to have an etched clean surface for a good bond, if you could somehow clean just those surfaces, I don't see an issue with cleaning the faces after they are up, but when in an enclosed space be careful what you mix, remember block can absorb quite a bit before it's saturated, chlorine may kill it but and you still need to wash down, same with muriatic acid, the latter would be my first choice, in a dilute solution, do a mock up and adjust as necessary, it ought to do the job, research alternative mold remover products for masonry if need be, wash em down good and becareful what you use if you plan to parge coat, stucco or paint either surface, could effect the bond, use care with muriatic acid, I like that best. That is a lot of C.M.U. laying around, not sure if cleaning them one by one 100% would be any faster lot of handling. I've got a few stacks been sittin for 30 years, still clean. That acid and a scrub down and rinse ought to clean them up, do the mock up first, it will save you time when you figure out what works best, and be safe.

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rgvtx

03-29-2007 20:09:40




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 Re: cleaning concrete blocks in reply to BSer, 03-29-2007 16:30:07  
My first thought was to go ahead and use them as they are and once they are up and the mortar has had time to dry, then spray them with some bleach and water mixture. But, if you can't get to both sides that won't work. The pressure washer will clean them up, but as you know you won't kill the mildew. Bleach is the only way I know to kill it safely. Muratic Acid is great for cleaning concrete and brick, but is far from safe. Any chemical that gives off green smoke is a bit scary to me although I have used it for removing mortar from brick, cleaning some stains on a driveway and even to clean out a gas tank one time. The bleach mixture I recall using was one cup to a gallon of water. Since your doing a lot, I would use a pressure washer with a siphon tube to draw the bleach. You will use the soap tip on the wand for the bleach, then switch to a smaller tip but not too small. Try a 40 first and if the stuff is stubborn you can go all the way down to a 15 degree but just don't get too close. Brick is usually very porous but since you have some aged brick it may not be as bad as the brick we buy these days.
Just imagine if you had stored lumber all these years? What little you would have left by now that the termites hadn't eaten would have mildew on it too!
Ain't living in the south great?
RGVTX, Tip Of Texas

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RayP(MI)

03-29-2007 17:38:53




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 Re: cleaning concrete blocks in reply to BSer, 03-29-2007 16:30:07  
I would hit them with a good power washer first, get as much off as I could, then the bleach solution.



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olddog

03-30-2007 04:46:48




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 Re: cleaning concrete blocks in reply to RayP(MI), 03-29-2007 17:38:53  
Be Carefull! Sodium Hypocloride (Bleach) will eat rubber (o-rings in pump) and is one of the few things that will tarnish Stainless.
Suggest for application, use instead; a throw-away pump/spray bottle and then let blocks sit awhile; to give it a chance to work. Use power washer to pre-wash/wet and then to rinse.



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JT

03-29-2007 16:32:10




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 Re: cleaning concrete blocks in reply to BSer, 03-29-2007 16:30:07  
muriatic acid, diluted does a good job of cleaning concrete



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JOHN HARMON

03-29-2007 16:38:17




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 Re: cleaning concrete blocks in reply to JT, 03-29-2007 16:32:10  
Got three gallons you can have ,Wickenburg Az. call me.



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