Soy Gel Stripper

[johntrent]

I looked at a job today about 800sf of what I believe to be a bluestone. Has somewhat of a slate look but is very consistent color wise. Some type of sealer has been put on it to give it a very glossy sheen - even the grout lines - almost to the point of looking like there is a thick layer of something. In areas like under the dining room table it looks like there was a rug maybe & the sheen is not there - it has a more matte finish. Also around the island in the kitchen the sheen has been worn off in the traffic areas. New homeowner would like the sheen removed & a consistent matte finish from this stone.

In my search to find something to strip it I found this product & it was highly recommended by a couple of other people. Any one here ever used it? Any suggestions on how to best tackle this? My thought is to use the soy gel stripper - then seal with Stain Proof. Other ideas?

http://www.franmar.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=32

[Sponsored Links]

[SABoyt]

John, since you have no idea what is on the stone, you may have to do some testing to find the right stripper. Soy gel is very good at removing many types of topicals. The question is what is on the stone. Is it a topical, or it is an impregnating sealer/enhancer? If the home owner does not know, it will just be a test and see situation.

Did you by any chance scrape the surface of the stone to see if the coating will peel? This will usually tell you if the coating is topical or not. If it is a sealer and not a topical coating, you may have difficulty removing it if it is impregnated into the stone. Possibly they have used both, an impregnating enrich and seal and a topical on top of that. Any pictures?

[johntrent]

Thanks Steve - I am thinking it is topical because in the high traffic areas the glossiness is gone & it is back to a matte finish or what I am presuming the stone would look like "au natural". I'll definitely try a couple areas that are out of the way before proceeding. HO just purchased the house & has no idea what is on the stone. No pics.

Have you ever used the Soy Gel?

[SABoyt]

John, you can usually confirm that a coating is topical by using the edge of a knife blade at a 45 degree angle. Scraped across the tile it usually produces a peel, like a candle, indicating that it is topical.

What we usually find on slate is an "enhancing" sealer, not a topical. These are used to bring out the color in the slate. There are different versions of sealers that enhance, some are matte finish and some are glossy. If it is an enhancing product, it is most likely an impregnating sealer and will prove difficult to remove totally. Because slate is porous, it soaks deep into the stone and can't easily be sucked out.

We do use the soy gel on occasion and it does a great job. Especially when we need something with a longer dwell time or on a vertical surface.

[Davestone]

I used the soy gel a couple times and like it,but beware it takes a while to remove things.Sometimes as much as hours.Also you must cut the residue left with their other product,i can't remember it's name,but if you don't a new sealer won't stick the surface and you wil be sorry.Stripping can be a real pain,bring plentyof towels, and garbage bags.

[organic_smallhome]

I'm going to try using this product to removed hardened vinyl tile adhesive from a ceramic tile floor next week:

http://www.realmilkpaint.com/citrus.html

The owner of the site told me that it should work very well, and won't damage either the tile glaze or grout.

[ob1kanobee]

There is a product called Fas-Strip which was made by a company called Panda Products in California I used a lot and can't say enough about it except I can't find it anymore.

Here is an article about it:

http://www.floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?cmd=view&articleid=2495