UW rock (my cougar) gets a shower

[mcjensen]

Can you picture it? She's a cougar, and you're peeping in her bedroom window, watching her through a distorted glass shower door. The hot, soapy water running down aging skin. Washing decades of experience into the drain. All you can think to yourself is damn, she's one sexy, old, lady. I can't believe she's my best friend's mom.

 

Now trade that mental image, and replace it with the UW Rock. Hot right...

 

I've been tasked to clean the structure. I'm looking for suggestions on cleaners to add to the power-washer. I prefer a natural based degreaser, or a old home remedy type substitution. If anyone has suggestions either post them, or PM me.

 

Thanks

UW Rock Janitor

[dberdinka]

Sounds like a golden shower might help complete your little fantasy there........

[TMO]

Your one sick, twisted puppy!

 

A 50/50 mix of bleach and water sprayed on 10 min. before a pressure washing would do wonders, but probably not very environmentally friendly.

 

I have often thought that sand blasting would put a little grip back on the polished holds.

 

Hey, why don't you hit Spire Rock in Spanaway when you are done with UW Rock!

[ryanb]

I was down there last time they cleaned it (2000 or 2001 ish?) with straight pressure washing. It just got a bit more gritty but none of the holds got much less greasy...the holds can stand up to some cleaning but the concrete turned to sand.

 

Sandblasting would probably remove the patina on the stones? Maybe vinegar?

[Jens]

My memory is poor, but I think Jim Yoder pressure washed Spire Rock at least once (if not more) in the late 80's or early 90's. He'd be the one to ask before starting the UW project.

 

I've heard that some additives really polish the stone badly.

[obwan]

I'd look into the 30 second cleaner at Lowe's or Home Depot - It worked on my concrete patio and really took off the scum.

http://www.30seconds.net/

[Off_White]

You know in those sort of instructions where they tell you to test in a small inconspicuous area? That's a good idea.

 

Helluva first post

[mattp]

I've often pondered sandblasting, but my guess is that the rocks are way harder than the concrete matrix, so you'd blast away the structure long before you made any significant improvement in the roughness of the stone. Maybe one could do some selective sandblasting with steel plates to protect the matrix, but that'd be tedious to say the least.

 

If you figure out the environmentally friendly way to "restore" original texture, maybe the first pitch of Midway could use the same treatment! That thing is slicker than snot.

[Rad]

Matt's right about sandblasting. It will wear away softer material much, much faster than hard material. Obviously, concrete is WAY softer than those granite chips.

 

More labor, but scrubbing holds by hand with 409 or goof off or something should work and be less obnoxious than large volumes in the sprayer.

[davidk]

Rent a hot water pressure washer, preferrably with adjustable temperature (3500 psi, ~210 deg. F is adequate). The pressure + heat will remove everything you want, and no additives should be required. Use proper technique too: go in close and slow on the rock holds, and back off to ~4 inches (nozzle to surface distance) to really scrub the concrete, and be wary of pockets or protruding aggregate chunks that could be blasted off.

 

At work today I was using this equipment and technique to scrub some greasy steel repairs prior to painting, and it worked like a charm.

[Buckaroo]

I helped Yoder clean Spire one time around '92 or '93. We used a water blaster that had sand mixed into the water. Basically a sand blaster with water to keep the dust down.

 

It seemed to help somewhat but it was very rough on the rock. Breaking little chunks of rock loose here and there. And keep in mind Spire is mostly rock with concrete mortar. While UW Rock is mostly concrete with rocks laid in.

 

The sand blasting did help the polished rocks down low where people traversed all the time, roughing them up. But it didn't seem to last very long and it got polished again pretty quick.

 

What UW rock really needs is some more of the same gravel added. It seems to be getting thin near the base of the walls. Be sure to use the exact same kind of gravel because it's rounded (river rock) that displaces when you fall, to absord falling force. Sharp rock won't work, it doesn't displace the same way.

 

That and the beams forming the gravel border need to be repaired/redone.

 

If your going to steam clean you might find it would have to be done again periodically because it will get grimy again right away. Especially where the rain doesn't hit.

[ryanl]

SUPER CLEAN by Safechoice might be a good option. I use it in construction all the time. It works pretty well at degreasing and is environmentally friendly. You can get it at EcoHaus on 1st ave S

 

http://www.ecohaus.com/P-0012122002/Safechoice+Super+Clean+Quart

 

Another option might be Simple Green:

http://www.simplegreen.com/

 

It's pretty good, too

[Buckaroo]

Let us know what you used and how it went

[wayne]

I have thought it would be a to take an inscriber to the the polished holds and retexture them a little. they would just polish down again I guess.