Many of the other mastic removers on the market for concrete use harsh petroleum-based solvents to dissolve all the gunk. They may work well on mastics, but they aren’t so great for the person applying them. If the proper precautions aren’t taken, they can pose serious health hazards, not to mention the strong odours they produce, especially when used indoors.

Safe removal of mastic with hazard free options

For contractors looking for a solvent-free remover that can be used safely on concrete indoors or out, 500MR (Bean-e-doo) – so named because it is made primarily of soybean oil – is a hazard-free and cost-effective alternative. “500MR (Bean-e-doo) has virtually no odour, is non-flammable, and will not burn the skin if it contracts the user,” says Jason Davenport of Franmar Chemical, Bloomington, Ill., the manufacturer of the product. “In the process of making the cleaner, it goes through a few different processes, and one of those is it becomes a food-grade cooking oil. So using it for removing mastic carries no more hazards than using cooking oil.” Since it's an oil, the product also has a very low evaporation rate so it remains on the surface longer.

Simply pour 500MR (Bean-e-doo) right from the container onto the floor. After the remover goes to work dissolving the mastic, you can easily scrape away the residue for disposal.

“What is nice about this is if a contractor is up against a very difficult mastic to remove, 500MR (Bean-e-doo) stays in place and keeps working for upwards of 48 hours if needed. On the other hand Petroleum-based mastic removers evaporate quickly, leaving the contractor having to reapply more products, thus spending more money.”

How to apply black mastic removal solution to your Sydney or Australia property

Franmar claims that 500MR (Bean-e-doo) will remove mastics of all types, including asbestos, black mastic, and mastic on vinyl carpets and ceramic tiles. The remover can also save time and money by eliminating the hassle and mess of grinding. One gallon (3.8 litres) of the liquid will generally cover 9 to 18 square meter at a cost as low as $5.11 per square meter. How to apply 500MR (Bean-e-doo) is easily applied by pouring it, undiluted, directly onto the floor. Then you simply use a broom to move it over the surface.

All type of mastics can be removed, including stubborn asbestos black mastic.

In most cases, the cleaner takes from an hour to overnight to work, depending on the type and thickness. After the mastic has softened, it can be removed with a long-handled scraper or squeegee. Any residue in cracks or crevices can be soaked up with a commercial absorbent. Because 500MR (Bean-e-doo) is completely biodegradable, the residue is safe for disposal in landfills.

The product will not etch the concrete, but it can darken it slightly, especially if the concrete is very porous. However, when used on impermeable concrete, the surface should not be darkened at all, according to Davenport.

After all the formulation has been removed, finish by mopping the floor with a cleaner or a commercial detergent.

Available all through Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Australia the black mastic removal formula works wonders for your surfaces, restoring them to a good-as-new condition.