Preventing caustic damage to asphalt

C

Chris Spencer

New member
Hey guys,

A good friend of mine manages a few local fast food joints. He has asked me in the past about cleaning the dumpster pads and sidewalks. I'v always been reluctant due to my lack of experience doing flatwork. I've recently given more thought to taking this on, but I'm not gonna do it if I can't do it right. I guess my main concern is caustic damage to the asphalt. The sidewalks are nasty,and I'm sure would need caustics. What do you guys do to prevent damage? If I had to guess...pre-wet, keep it wet,and then rinse like hell?
 
Greetings:

I have never seen caustic damage asphalt. About the worst thing that happens of it will turn the area applied a little reddish brown, but no damage. Remember that if you wash with caustic it will easily remove fats oils ang greases, however, don't let them go down the drain. Even if the product says "bio degradable" the substances that they remove are considered a problem, and most of the time the fats oils and greases will become emulsified in the water, making them a bear to separate, thus making them NO GOOD FOR THE STORM DRAIN. maybe with some filtration and permission from the local sewer authority you can put them into the restaurants grease traps, but do ask first.
 
I know, and like I said it has never damaged the asphalt for us, and we have cleaned thousands of restaurants.

I looked at the stain on that links, and it very well may be caustic run off but will free rinse pretty easy.
 
swrest said:
I know, and like I said it has never damaged the asphalt for us, and we have cleaned thousands of restaurants.

I looked at the stain on that links, and it very well may be caustic run off but will free rinse pretty easy.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't caustic destroy the seal coating of asphalt? I think it will since its water based.
 
I always thought that sealer coating was hydrocarbon based, however, maybe there are different asphalt sealers out there that I have never seen.

And know that I think of it we have been asked to remove sealer over spray from sidewalks and the caustic never touched it. Wound up using a butyl based custom blend.
 
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