Path Cleaning Advice Needed

Adam1701D · July 05, 2012, 07:53:33 PM

I've been a bit of a silly billy and thrown away a tin of white emulsion paint that has leaked all over our front garden path.

Unfortunately, this is shared with next door, who had it tastefully block paved last year and they are, to say the least, a bit miffed. I've hosed it down, scrubbed the blocks with an abrasive scourer and even chucked down white spirit but it hasn't totally lifted the white.

As far as I can tell, modern Emulsion paints are acrylic-based and are a sod to shift once they have polymerised. Any tips for getting the path back to its former glory and returning to the neighbours's good books please?

Malc · July 05, 2012, 08:02:15 PM

You might have to hire a pressure washer with one of those rotary brushes and plenty of detergent. White spirit isn't a solvent for emulsion, water usually is, but it needs doing immediately. Otherwise a paint scraper. I did the same thing, but with the hall carpet, so you have my sympathies.
Malc

Lawrence · July 05, 2012, 08:06:26 PM

Yep, pressure washer mate

davieb · July 05, 2012, 08:12:57 PM

and if the pressure washer doesn't work then maybe try something like this

http://cpc.farnell.com/electrolube/grg400/graffiti-remover-gel-400ml/dp/SA01315?in_merch=Products From This Range

dave

Lawrence · July 05, 2012, 08:24:01 PM

or this

Tank · July 05, 2012, 08:24:52 PM

Whoops! Yes, I agree that emulsion will come off with a pressure washer and rotary patio cleaner. A great bit of kit.

LOL @ JCB!!!

Newportnobby · July 05, 2012, 08:55:07 PM

A rotary patio - there's a novelty

Adam1701D · July 05, 2012, 08:58:01 PM

Thanks for the ideas so far. I guess I can dig out my pressure washer from the garage. Not sure how well it will shift the really ground in stuff though.

Didn't Wallace an Gromit have a rotary patio?

EtchedPixels · July 05, 2012, 09:28:31 PM

White spirit is a really bad idea for this. All you will do is poison the neighbours plants and cat and any wildlife anywhere in the vicinity of the runoff.

There are solvents for it (the fact paintstripper works on it should tell you that). It will depend on the exact paint (ask the vendor might be smart), but some of them can be shifted by nothing more obnoxious than vinegar/salt/ammonia mix (oh and water and elbow grease.). Some other bizarre things work too - some pine based cleaners are supposed to work, evostick lifts some (notably games workshop), and some hairsprays do the trick.

Alan

Trainfish · July 05, 2012, 11:04:04 PM

Maybe a 3:1 mix of a brick coloured scatter and PVA. This will also waterproof the drive so you may want to install a soakaway. As the soakaway may not cope you may want to notify the local water board who will then come and check the size of your drains. No doubt they will have a look at it and probably send out Lawrence's JCB.

The alternative is a pressure washer as previously mentioned.