Cleaning up snowcrete

[Davidhh]

Any suggestions for cleaning Snowcrete off concrete slabs?

(The man who suggested its use and smeared it liberally no longer works for me).

[lutonlagerlout]

wtf is "snowcrete" when its at home?
never heard of it mate
enlighten us please???
cheers LLL

[Davidhh]

See
http://www.trademate.co.uk/ProductExtra/B3182/Tech/Snowcrete.pdf
and summary below.

It sets rock hard, and if abraded results in a white powder which covers the surroundings and is almost impossible to wash away.
===================================

Blue Circle Snowcrete is White in colour but does not contain any White pigments or additives. It has a similar setting time to Blue Circle Cement, combined with higher early and later strengths. Blue Circle Snowcrete also has a very low alkali content.

Typical applications for Snowcrete include: cast stone, structural in-situ and precast concrete, cladding panels, precast paving slabs and blocks, road markings, kerbs and bollards, street furniture, terrazzo, floor and wall tiles, swimming-pool finishes, renders, pointing mortars and tile grouts.

White Portland cement is predominantly a compound of calcium silicate and calcium aluminate with a small proportion of gypsum. It is produced with a finely-ground mixture of selected raw materials which contain predominantly calcium carbonate, aluminium oxide and silica. It is then burnt or sintered at a temperature in excess of 1,400ºC. The cooled clinker formed is ground under controlled conditions with the addition of typically 5% gypsum. Blue Circle Snowcrete is a White Portland cement that complies with BS EN 197-1:2000 and CEMI 52,5.

[Ted]

I have used snowcrete before!

It is a white cement; basically it does not have any iron oxide in it. IME it sets more slowly then Matercrete or ordinary OPC (OPC is normal cement). It does go rock hard though. It says on the packet that it is 52.5mpa whaereas OPC is normally 32.5mpa. But in terms of hardness it is like Quickcem after a week. Quickcem is 52.5mpa. I have been always taught to use cements with high mpas where possible, but snowcrete is funny stuff as I have been to see a slab 24hrs later and it is still jelly like!

As Dave says, Snowcrete is a Blue Circle cement (now Lafarge). I would not recommend it except for precast usage (ie in a (your) workshop) or before onsite tests have been done. Irt is a specialist cement not for amateurs.

[Ted]

In terms of cleaning it I imagine it is no different to OPC, so I would try a wire brush, some soapy water and some elbow grease.

If that fails, you could try a pressure washer.

Finally you could try acid carefully.

[lutonlagerlout]

if its that tough i would have thought that hydrochloric was the only way forward although this may etch the slabs
what made him smear it on the slabs??
cheers LLL

[Davidhh]

He was a retired builder, had done hundreds of similar projects before, and had recently done good work for a neighbour. He had a minor stroke, appeared to have recovered well, and was eager to work. I suspect that the stroke had affected his judgement, and he made several silly mistakes.

I'm very sad about it, rather than angry, in spite of the mess that he left behind. He was a good, honest, hard-working man, and he lived for his work, so it must be very hard for him to realise that he can't do now what he once used to.

[Ted]

But why was he using Snowcrete for slabbing?

It is almost £10 a bag so why not just use Mastercrete at £3.50 or so a bag?

[lutonlagerlout]

i know a chipie like that david he is 74 and maybe 5 -10 yrs ago he could still produce the goods ,but when i asked him to skirt one small bedroom it took him 2 days,he is/was a great tradesman but there comes a point where you are not physically able to do the job.
also bear in mind that just because someone is a great fella ,it doesn't mean he is any good.
i am a miserable,nightmare to work with but the punters get what they want
a nice job!!!
LLL

[Davidhh]

But why was he using Snowcrete for slabbing? It is almost £10 a bag so why not just use Mastercrete at £3.50 or so a bag?

A few pounds on a project which cost more than £3K is neither here nor there, and it would have looked wonderful - if it had been well done.

Thanks to all for suggestions for cleaning up.

[seanandruby]

we only use it to finish boney concrete, then its mixed with ordinary cement and play pit sand. its more to colour it than anything.

[TarmacLady]

I've never worked with it, so it's purely a guess, but since you've not received a single reply --

Can you put down plastic sheeting in a sort-of tent around, so that you can grind the worst of it, without it making a right mess of the surrounding areas? Maybe like a surgeon -- laying the plastic (and taping it down) right up to where you're working, so the dust gets thrown safely into the plastic.

A lot of fussing with, but a suggestion.