Paint specks on unsealed indian sandstone patio

[captain nemo1701]

My neighbour's son in his infinite wisdom...(NOT)...the other week, decided to spray their fence with red cuprinol-type of paint. I go out to jet wash the patio before sealing it and.....

Nice red paint specks all over the place. To use is an understatement. The fool went and did this an hour or so before I could seal things in this hot weather.

He doesn't know about this, but I had a word with his mum (neighbour) and she said that she'll pay for it to be professionally cleaned as my jet wash won't shift it. I spoke with a professional who uses higher pressure water (4 x jet wash) but he wasn't optimistic about shifting it.

My online research has turned up this stuff:
https://www.owatroldirect.co.uk/product/dsp-800-multi-purpose-stripper/

I've tried a small bit with white spirit, enamel thinners & wire wool but to no avail. Before I shell out £30, anyone got any suggestions....?

 

[Milkfloat]

Patina.

Could you sand it off?

 

[I like Skol]

I think you are going to be taking it up and replacing it if you want to get rid of the spots. That kind of thing is irreversible and any attempts to do so will fail.

IMO you need to have a chat with the neighbour and explain you understand accidents and mistakes happen but this will need sorting and you should both turn to your house insurances and see what is/isn't covered. If you have legal protection on your policy they will deal with making the claim against the neighbours [insurance].

There is no need for this to end in upset and dispute if you both stay calm and reasonable about it. It's just one of those things, but it needs putting right. Why should you have to suffer the damage or cost of rectifying it?

 

[oldfatfool]

I would give it a go with a wire brush head in the drill. Are the slabs set in concrete or can they be turned over and re seated?

 

[MontyVeda]

The specs will disappear if you paint the slabs red

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

I had a neighbour do the same to my car. Breeze blue metallic with 10,000 dark green blobs.
He didn't give a shoot. I spent hours T-Cutting it off which put it back to it's shimmering beauty.
Then I painted all the concrete shared fence posts brilliant white which sent his wife absolutely ballistic for over 6 months. But hey the deeds say I'm responsible for the fence and if painting parts of it an absolutely stark and irremovable colour preserves it best then I don't give a shoot about consequences either

 

[Levo-Lon]

It's Indian stone.
They won't fade with a treatment.
I believe you have tried some stripper?
Try some paint stripper. Nitromoors etc
Thinners.
A light scrub with a wire brush.
They will weather in time.

Try a washing up scourer ,the green rectangular type with soapy water.
It will come off but it's a pain on natural stone.
You could try a blow torch ?
Is the product water based?

Graffiti removal ,so Google that.
Hth

 

[Randomnerd]

I wouldn’t wire brush stone. You could stain the stone and make it worse. Dont use heat either, or the paint may stick even faster.
A piece of the same stone used as a sanding block is one way to sand back the spots if they’re not embedded. Or a stone sanding disc on a grinder can work, but you will end up with sanding marks in both cases if you’re not careful.
If it won’t wash off with Nitromors, you may need a mobile sand blaster contractor to blast the whole thing and seal it for you.
As said, I would get some prices from a professional, and pass on to neighbours to sort through insurance / idiot’s piggy bank.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Grind off the surface to the depth required to remove the spots. There must be a stone mason sort of fella that could do that.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I’m going with @meta lon ’s suggestion. You may have to do every slab in completion as the stone colour will change.

I have done acres of Indian sandstone patios and wire brushes or grinding is not ideal and will add another dimension to your problems. I am assuming it is riven. What colour? Silver, black or buff? Indian sandstone is actually very hard as you may know if you had to cut any of the slabs to size.

It does weather, by which I mean lichens grow fairly soon, but depend on the colour of the stone and the colour and ‘shape’ of the splashes I couldn’t say if those splatters will be disguised or not.

It’s great your neighbour has done the right thing and offered to pay. I would have been very upset. Well done for not killing her son.

EDIT: Worth ringing Sustrans in Bristol to ask what their anti graffiti wipes are called. They use them on benches etc.

 

[Chris S]

How about turning the stones upside down? The staining from the ground might disappear quicker.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

How about turning the stones upside down? The staining from the ground might disappear quicker.

Maybe I’m getting too serious and have missed the jest, but the mortar will have stained them. Possibly with 5 blobs unless a full mortar bed was used. Also: They tend to be milled so you couldn’t.

 

[Levo-Lon]

As above, if they're laid well you wont get them up.

 

[carpenter]

My online research has turned up this stuff:
https://www.owatroldirect.co.uk/product/dsp-800-multi-purpose-stripper/

I've tried a small bit with white spirit, enamel thinners & wire wool but to no avail. Before I shell out £30, anyone got any suggestions....?

Make sure that you have safety goggles/face protection and neoprene gloves - just looked up the data sheet (acetone, benzyl alcohol, various hydrocarbons and formic acid)

https://www.promain.co.uk/specsheets/Owatrol-DSP800-Safety-Data-Sheet.pdf

I would be inclined to pour Fairy liquid over the surface, hard brush it then rinse - I know that Fairy liquid was quite effective at getting wood colouring/treatment off my hands.

 

[ozboz]

I used to fix a lot of Indian sandstone when I was in Australia.internally and externally, The quality varied and the purchase price reflected the quality as a rule . The rule of thumb was over there to seal the stone before grouting / jointing it , reducing the porosity which in turn reduced the chances of staining during the jointing process,and or other trades working on or around the area .some were pre sealed in manufacturing if your floor was sealed during installation or pre sealed the Cuprinol should not be to difficult to remove, if it hasn’t, the stone could be quite pourous and the stain may have penetrated the material a mil or two. Be cautious with any chemicals , they can severely alter the appearance of your floor , could you post a photo or two , and if you can ask whoever laid them , or sold them about any application of a sealer ,