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Start scrubbing the mastic with your acetone-soaked brush until the glue melts and lifts from the concrete. Wipe the mastic away with a clean cloth as you go, and clean the concrete once you're finished with a mop and water. Some models are meant more for sanding and polishing rather than grinding. If you have a tougher job with mastic, you'll want to consider choosing grinders that are meant for grinding specifically.
Before you begin the job, you should be aware that removing mastic can be dangerous. If the carpet you are pulling up is older than the 1980s, there's a good chance that the mastic has asbestos. In that case, you must take the appropriate measures to contain the hazardous material and protect your health. Understanding how mastic works can help you better prepare for its removal. For example, temperature and chemicals can help alter the mastic so that it's more easily removed. Sometimes, just a little hard labor can pull it up from the concrete. You can smooth off the mastic with saliva on your finger, the more saliva the better but make sure you don’t put your finger in your mouth as the silicone may be harmful if swallowed. Similar to the boiling water method, the ironing method applies heat to the glue. The hope is that the heat will make the glue gum up and be easier to scrape off. On the other hand, versatile models can switch from grinding to sanding and polishing, which will leave your concrete looking new.If you’ve never used a mastic gun before, go and practice somewhere else, perhaps under the sink in your kitchen or under the stairs, anywhere where it’s hidden from view. Commercial flooring contractors working with concrete will have floor sanders and floor grinders at their disposal. There are also floor grinding attachments that can be used with floor buffers or auto scrubbers. One of my friends is a double glazier of 20 years and even he was surprised how easy Fui's are to use and the qualtiy of the finish! You'll want to work in small sections to keep yourself safe from burns. Put a small pot of water on the stove or in an electric kettle and pour the boiled water on a select area. Make sure you're pouring the water very close to the floor so that you don't get burns from splashes.
LMA (Low Modulus Acetoxy) is a general-purpose mastic sealant that can be used indoors and outdoors. It works best on smooth non-porous surfaces. Low modulus means it’s very flexible. Hand-held concrete floor grinders are small and portable options. Less powerful models sand and polish, but don't do well with grinding. They usually have connections for a water source to allow for wet sanding, and they come with different speed options. Walk-behind concrete floor grinders will help you do the job standing up rather than all your knees all day. They'll also wield considerably more power than hand-held models. I bought this after seeing Charlie DIYte raving about it on his YouTube video. I already have a Fugenboy tool which is similar to this that I was pleased with that but could see the extra advantages of this Cramer tool set whilst watching the video. The guide to span the tile grout lines is particularly useful.Nicer models can even switch between grinding, sanding, and polishing so you can finish the whole job with just one tool. More powerful floor grinder models will come with a vacuum option to reduce dust and can withstand tougher jobs, but won't have speed options. They also will be meant for grinding rather than polishing and sanding. For general-purpose sanitary sealing such as baths, sinks and shower units, Dow Corning 785 is a great option. Don't forget to wear safety gear such as goggles, masks, and respirators before you begin. This method might not use chemicals, but grinding up mastic into dust can create dangerous particles to breathe. Using commercial-grade tools can risk bodily harm as well. Ensure the edge of the bath is bone dry and will remain so for at least the next 24 hours (that means no bathing or showering for 24 hours).
Regular cleaning agents won't make a dent in dried mastic. You'll need to resort to more commercial-grade solutions.
You can try laying down newspaper and ironing over the area until it has been sufficiently heated. Then, pull up the paper and start scraping away.
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