Smelly floor

[Jay_Benson]

We have an oil fired boiler that had a very slight weep on the fuel supply and it soaked into the concrete floor. Now we are at a loss on how to rectify the situation - if the doors are left closed for any length of time then the smell is not nice, not overpowering, but certainly unpleasant.

We have scrubbed the affected area repeatedly but the small returns. I am wondering if we seal the concrete whether this is the right approach - we really do not want to dig the floor out. If we were to seal the affected area of the floor what preparations should we do to ensure the seal takes to the concrete and what sort of sealant should we use? In my fantasy world I would degrease with something like methylated spirits - ensuring that there was no build up of those fumes - and then pour a liquid sealant over the area which would then cure to a hard, sealed surface and hey presto, no smell of diesel.

TIA

[Firefly]

Oh crap that's not good.

I can only relate to our recent experience with a fuel oil leak which came to life after the smell became apparent inside the property (this was in Southern Ireland) last year.

Long story short the insurance company got involved and a specialist oil reclamation company were employed to clean up the site plus a builder, plumber and electrician . . . . . . . The clean up is now only coming to completion after twelve months at a cost of around €100,000 +.

I really hope you don't have to suffer the problems we have had to experience.

[Jay_Benson]

Crap! The volume of oil we are looking at is very small and the area affected is less than 1 square metre also it is a surface spill. We know that the leak is cured now so it is just the residual smell but it seems to be weeping out of the concrete - hence the desire to seal it.

[bottle maker]

Try painting a small area with PVA and see if this sticks and goes off. If it does cover the whole area. If it does not work you have not spent a fortune. Do try a small area first though.

[Steve Clark]

I don't know about the location or suitability, but have you considered burning it off? Open the doors, big fan/wind and small blowtorch. Don't let the concrete get too hot to stop it spalling. Maybe repeat a few times as it comes back to the surface.

Edit : And a foam/dry powder fire extinguisher. Or a large wet towel.

[jamesp]

I would go with the heat/forced ventilation option.
A decent fan heater would probably be enough, rather than a blow torch; to start with at least.

Friend recently had to move out for over six months, while the builders ripped out and dug out his floors and outside path, after a neighbours oil tank dumped its contents under his garden.

[Paulo]

Tel said to stick a bit of cardboard on it and write "wet floor" on an A4 page. Job done.

[steelemonkey]

Buy a cat. Cat's pee will counteract the oil smell.

[cazyoung]

In laws had a heating oil spill in their garage cat litter was used as an absorbent and seems to have done the trick. It was used for a few months and was changed I think weekly.

[Noggin the Nog]

Baking soda and lemon juice. Lemon Juice first, I'd guess.

[Stig]

Baking soda and lemon juice. Lemon Juice first, I'd guess.

Shouldn't you mix them together in a bottle first then?

[Neilwood]

Dynamite?

Come on someone had to suggest it.

[Jay_Benson]

OK. So I think that we are going to go with a few of the suggestions above. Not the dynamite or cat pee though - SWMBO is quite strict about the use of both.

I the first instance I like the idea of heating the concrete up to get it over with and I can see that having some effect - it certainly won’t cause a problem if we end up going down another route. We can also do the PVA test at the same time to see if we can seal it in that way - part of me really likes this approach as we can water down the PVA so that it flows into any hard to reach nooks and crannies - I realise that it would mean multiple applications though. If the PVA doesn’t work then lemon juice can be applied. Failing all of those then dynamite it is - I draw the line at cat pee.

[Jay_Benson]

Ha! We found a new leak - very small, but a leak anyway. With diesel a little oil goes a long way for smell. Anyway, fingers crossed it has sorted it out. We have used kitty litter and a couple of bowls - one of vinegar and the other with diced onions to absorb the smell and are hoping that it is the end of the saga for now - we will be heating the concrete up under the boiler in a week or so.

Thanks for the suggestions - they are much appreciated.

[Finless]

Dynamite?

Come on someone had to suggest it.

https://youtu.be/fQTvsM9_Vck