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Two cleaning / restoration jobs

  • 24-03-2025 12:37PM
    #1
    54and56
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 8,303 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    Spring is in the air so it's time to tackle a couple of jobs which have been on the long finger over the winter months.

    #1 is making good an oil leak onto a driveway, part concrete part manhole cover. The car which leaked the oil cost a small fortune to have repaired so I'm looking for guidance on how best to DIY removing the oil stain.

    WhatsApp Image 2025-02-26 at 09.54.25_99f33cd0.jpg

    #2 is making good where a roof leaked and left a stain where the plasterboard meets the ceiling. I'm thinking I need to sand the flaked paint, possibly apply some form of sealent or stain remover to the brown damp stains and then paint to make the area as close to the colour of the existing white wall and ceiling as possible? The roof leak has been structurally fixed professionally so I'm just looking to to the cosmetic fix. I know I'll probably never get the colours to match 100% so I'm looking for a solution which will take the bad look off the stain and blend in fairly well without being too noticeable. Suggestions?

    WhatsApp Image 2025-03-24 at 10.41.10_40fb354b.jpg


Comments

  • #2
    FinleyRrr
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8 ✭FinleyRrr


    Jumping in on this older post because I’m curious how those two jobs turned out. I’m planning a couple of small clean‑ups myself and keep going back and forth on whether to DIY or bring in a pro for the trickier bits. Did you find anything that made the work easier, or anything you’d avoid doing again?



  • #3
    54and56
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 8,303 ✭✭✭54and56


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124533391#Comment_124533391

    Hi @FinleyRrr, I got some degreaser (think it was WD-40), sprayed it on the oil stain, let it sit for an hour and scrubbed then used hot water and washing up liquid to scrub again. Think I did it 2-3 times to more or less get rid of it entirely.

    On the roof problem, it was really tricky and required 2-3 different attempts by my builder to get it nailed as one solution just seemed to cause another problem given the location of the leak. He got there in the end and he's a very very experienced guy I know and trust for many years so it was proper tricky, not a lack of skill or some sort of rip off to run up the hours.



  • #4
    FinleyRrr
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8 ✭FinleyRrr


    I usually start by giving everything a quick rinse so I can see what actually needs work. A soft brush and warm soapy water often bring surfaces back without much effort.



  • #5
    FinleyRrr
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8 ✭FinleyRrr


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124539851#Comment_124539851

    Also, for bigger jobs that got grimy over winter, I’ve leaned on commercial cleaning phoenix az before, especially for deep scrubbing and post‑construction bits I didn’t want to tackle myself. It saved me a ton of time, and their green products didn’t leave that harsh chemical smell behind. For smaller pieces, I still do my own sanding and polishing, but mixing both approaches worked well.



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