Hello everyone. Hoping to get some helpful ideas on what we can do.

We have an empty basement (about 1100 sq. feet) that is completely covered with VA Tile, or so we believe. Last week, the entire basement flooded nearly a foot....this is probably the 3rd time that it has happened.

The tiles are a mess...many are sliding off, as the mastic no longer sticks...some have buckled and broken, and some are simply stuck like nothing ever happened.

We began removing them, using as garden hose to keep the floor soaked as we try to pry them up. Most of them break, but not crumble.

After we finish, we would like to paint the entire floor, as we can't see the point in re-tiling or carpeting the floor, when every few years we have another major rainwater sewer backup.

Do we have to remove the black mastic underneath in order to paint? It is not sticky, AT ALL, and it is as solid as can be. Scraping does NOTHING to remove this stuff! I've thought about renting a power washer and trying that, but haven't done so yet.

Can anyone recommend a good sealer for over the mastic? Is it possible to seal then paint over it? If so, what do I use?

By the way, we are selling the house this summer, and are trying to complete this project by investing as little as possible (the other reason we don't want to replace the tile with new tile!).

Any ideas?

A power washer won't touch this. There are commercial solvents that are used to chemically soften and remove floor mastic. You can find them by doing an internet search. Note that there are volatile compounds that require a lot of ventilation, and can pose a fire and health hazard, and citrus, low volatility solvents that are considerably safer, but still have a distinctive odor. You can order this stuff even though you are not a contractor. Buy a full length floor scraper at the home improvement or hardware store, use a solvent and ventilation; and you can remove the problem.

Painting over any mastic is not recommended. It is very hard to seal, and will bleed dark color through the paint, and is usually an adhesion problem.

Thanks for your advice!

Obviously, I posted this some time ago, so I thought I'd just update this.

We found a "safe" product called Bean-e-doo made by FranMar Chemical. This stuff is amazing when it comes to black mastic. It is soybean based, and has no odor...it is like cooking oil. Pour some onto the floor, spread it around with a broom, wait about 1 hour, and the black mastic turns into liquid. Squeegee into a pile, use oil dry to pick it up, and scrub the floor with a degreaser. We were amazed at the results.

Our floor is nearly spotless and ready for the next step! Beanedoo was like a magic potion. I highly recommmend it for stubborn black mastic!

I'm glad you followed up. We do get a lot of questions on mastic removal, and a homeowner using a non-toxic and effective product with success is very good feedback. I'll probably refer to your Bean e doo experience in the future.

Thanks

Tom

I have also used this soy based solvent with success on mastic and some epoxies. However, this product will not remove the mastic from the pores of the cement. If you plan on applying anything onto the floor, you must restore the pores to a proper profile to accept the new coating.

I have seen other mastic removers that are petroleum based at www.Twin-Chemicals.com they are stronger and less expensive, but they have a lower flash point, which doesn't really matter anyway.

I removed floor tile in my basment a year ago and below it was this stinky black mastic. I ended up covering it with carpeting. I have read all this stuff and found out that it probably contains abstesos as well. Is this something I should worry about or am I fine because it is covered with carpeting. The stuff is so dam sticky and glued down that I could not imagin anything airborning from it. Also did they use abstesos in plaster in 1952? I have grinded that stuff up to putting in light boxes

It is not safe to scrape the tile or glue.

When you use the Bean-e-do to remove the mastic it is dangerous when you dispose it. Is there a safe way.