Mason:

I’m a friend and neighbor of Jim and Marguerite Bruce and, having seen their home being built in the late 70’s - knowing it could be so much more than it was - love what you did for “the old Groseclose place”! I have a question - can you recommend someone experienced in cleaning and sealing an interior brick floor? My living room, approx. 16 x 40', is brick over concrete on grade. Installed in 1981, it was sealed with polyurethane. Most of that has deteriorated and peeled up over the years, except an area that was under a rug which still looks pretty good. I now want to remove the rug and bring the entire floor back to it's glory. Thanks for your help! Nancy

Nancy,

Thanks for your question, and the compliment regarding the Bruce’s home. They are wonderful folks, and working with them and their home was truly a labor of love!

Eric McHenry, our Handyman Manager, advises:

The prep work can be tricky, and labor intensive. First, clear the room, including masking-off baseboards and trim, and remove or well-cover anything that is finished metal, for the chemicals used may react with them. A couple of products that are likely to do the stripping job include Strypeeze and/or Kwik Marine Paint & Varnish remover. Once most of the urethane is stripped-up, wash with mineral spirits or Varsol, extract, and allow to dry. Each of these steps will require stiff non-metallic brushes and lots of rags. Once the polyurethane is removed then acid etching may be required - one part of muratic acid to 6 parts of water. It then has to dry completely.

Once the prep work is properly completed and allowed to dry completely, it is time for sealer application. Remember, the concrete / masonry floor has to breathe (polyurethane being an impervious sealer, that is probably what is causing the floor to peel), so we recommend an appropriate product… Sherwin Williams sells H&C Masonry Sealer and Concrete & Driveway Sealer. There are also some products available from Luck Stone, Harper Hardware, etc. that should work for this application. Determine what type of finish you like, for some types are literally invisible, some have a matte finish and a few are glossier, although none of the breathable types would be expected to get that high-build glossy finish you likely had with the polyurethane.

Another tip that might bring out the color of the brick is that Sherwin Williams and other paint companies also carry a concrete stain. This would be applied and dried before the sealer is put on.

If you can follow the various product instructions, this can be a do-it-yourself project, although personal protection and safety is key to handling these caustic materials. The materials for a 640 SF floor should run in the neighborhood of $500 – 750 purchased in large quantities that you’ll need (bought in quarts, it would end-up being far more). Expect to spend 16-24 man-hours for the first stripping; the following coats / processes become progressively easier and quicker… one might spend 40 hours or more for the entire process, done right.

Alternately, we could recommend a good painting contractor to do this, or our Handyman service could handle it directly for you.

Good Luck!

Mason