Caustic????

jlpressure

jlpressure

JL Pressure Washing
Got some questions on Caustic beads/ Flakes for concrete cleaning

Where can I buy it? I called two places local, one wont sell it to me because they have their own product they sell, it cost to much and is diluted. The other doesn't sell it. Small town Myrtle Beach is a PITA

what strength do I want. I understand it comes in 50lb bags and should be over 95% IS THIS Correct?

When ordering what exactly am I asking for?

whats a fair price range for it?

How do i mix it for Xjetting? This is for parking garages & drive thru type work

Whats the shelf life after mixing it?

I understand its a strong chem, what are the precautions, safety etc?

Anything else I should know about getting, mixing, using this

Where can I get it?????


Thanks I could really use you all's help on this I have a few garages coming up and need something better than I have been using

Thanks
Jeff
 
caustic soda beads(pearls) 99% pure sodium hydroxide ..... be very careful with this stuff it is very dangerous , DO NOT use where someone can breathe it or walk through it bare footed , I would be extremely careful inside a parking garage due to lack of good ventalation

it should cost 30 to 40 per 50 pounds

as far as x-jetting I mix 56 ounces to 84 ounces per 6 gallon pail and x jet at 2:1 and spray it down wind ...... DO NOT BREATHE IT !
 
Russ S said:
caustic soda beads(pearls) 99% pure sodium hydroxide ..... be very careful with this stuff it is very dangerous , DO NOT use where someone can breathe it or walk through it bare footed , I would be extremely careful inside a parking garage due to lack of good ventalation

it should cost 30 to 40 per 50 pounds

as far as x-jetting I mix 56 ounces to 84 ounces per 6 gallon pail and x jet at 2:1 and spray it down wind ...... DO NOT BREATHE IT !
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Most of the garages I do are open on 3 sides and all above ground. I want to use it on just the parking spaces with heavy oil.

When you say 2:1 are you using the proportioners?

russ on dumpster & drivethru areas do you do all the concrete with caustic or just the heaviest spots of grime & oils?

I have an oppurtunity to do 3 fast food type places probably maint clean and they are building 20 more in the next few years. I dont do work like this usually and I would like the best results

Dont Breathe I understand thanks!

I Loooooove The Smell of Caustic In The Morning lol

Anyone know where I can order it on line?????

Jeff
 
2:1 - 5.5 GPM machine and xjet with no proportioners = 2:1

dumpster and drivethrus are done as if they are all oily make it a more uniform clean , however if there is asphalt next to the concrete be careful and rinse completely off the asphalt , it may also be a good idea to neutralize the caustic as well when you rinse
 
Russ S said:
2:1 - 5.5 GPM machine and xjet with no proportioners = 2:1

dumpster and drivethrus are done as if they are all oily make it a more uniform clean , however if there is asphalt next to the concrete be careful and rinse completely off the asphalt , it may also be a good idea to neutralize the caustic as well when you rinse
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Russ -

What will it do to asphalt? How do neutralize when you rinse? Just rinse, rinse, rinse?
 
Bryan C said:
Russ -

What will it do to asphalt? How do neutralize when you rinse? Just rinse, rinse, rinse?
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Russ,
I'm reseaching Caustic beads, care to share the answer?
 
If not pre-wet and rinsed caustics will eat asphalt.
Always pre-wet and rinse,rinse,rinse.

This drive-thru butts up to asphalt.I pre-wet out about 3' before apllying chems and rinse out 10' to 12' after cleaning.
 

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Bryan C said:
Russ -

What will it do to asphalt? How do neutralize when you rinse? Just rinse, rinse, rinse?
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it will ruin the seal coat if you let it dry or use too strong of a mix BUT if you pre wet it will help

As far as neutralizing , do the math on the "ph" scale , you neutralize with the opposite ...... acid !

Too much trouble for all that , what are you wanting to use it for ?
 
Russ Spence said:
it will ruin the seal coat if you let it dry or use too strong of a mix BUT if you pre wet it will help

As far as neutralizing , do the math on the "ph" scale , you neutralize with the opposite ...... acid !

Too much trouble for all that , what are you wanting to use it for ?
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Just for future commercial flat work, never used it before, one of my competitors let me have some out of his 55'er drum to try and to see if I liked it.
(its great to have competitors like that!!!)
 
Landscape Damage?

Does this stuff have any effect on plants, grass or other landscaping?
 
Russ Spence said:
what did he have it mixed already ? We keep ours in powder form until we are ready to use it (well I mix min in a 30 gallon tank on my trailer)
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Not sure the % of the caustic, it is very thick and heavy, he then delutes that in a 5'er and downstreams, he's got a 55 gal drum of it, our local chemical supply store keeps it for him, we both put in a order for the caustic beads, it was a lot cheaper that his 55 gal, he paid over 200.00 for it, he says CB is more user friendly
 
Has anyone ever cut sodium hydroxide down a lot and used it to clean dirty houses or buildings?
 
Here's a file that contains some useful info on Sodium Hydroxide... it contains some good info about how it reacts with soil, vegetation, metals, etc.

I think the basic premise that we should all have from those who have used it is take personal safety precautions and safety precautions for the area/substrate being cleaned.

The file attached mentions that:

  • Sodium hydroxide is designated as a hazardous substance under Section 311(b)(2)(A) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and further regulated by the Clean Water Act
  • Sodium hydroxide is highly reactive and is rapidly neutralized by organic chemicals in soil. For this reason, it is not expected to migrate downward through soil to groundwater.
  • Sodium hydroxide is noncombustible. However, if solid sodium hydroxide is mixed with water or acid it may generate enough heat to ignite combustible materials (HSDB, 2001).
  • Reaction with metals, such as aluminum, tin, and zinc, generates flammable hydrogen gas (Genium, 1999). Sodium hydroxide is corrosive to most metals.
 

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What do you guys mix this with? I would think that you are putting some kind of soap in there to help it foam up some and cling to the surface.
 
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