Reek on garage floor?

[Mr Whippy]

Moved in 4 weeks ago.

Had a petrol smell every time I opened door. Assumed old petrol strimmer and petrol can just reeking a bit.

Skip came today so emptying garage out.

A random old black recycling box on floor was stinky, aha! Full of smelly sand and other random crap, ok, used to clear up a spill?

Box outside, now smells in garage more.

Under where box was is this…



Is this just petrol that’s drip-dripped over time?


I got down to sniff it and felt like I was gonna pass out. Utterly vile strong petrol/thinners type stink.


Covered with nearby sand and will let garage air out a bit.


Or is this something a bit more grim?

Grew up on a farm with all sorts of oil and weird chemicals on concrete floors but it never reeked like this and gave you a headache even with garage door open?


Hmmm

[sherman]

I would be tempted to dig it out using a breaker or sds drill and reconcrete the hole.
Anything else risks the stain coming back.

[hidetheelephants]

What's the garage built on? Brown field might have randomly put your garage over allsorts, green field means whatever is there has been spilt/leaked.

[vaud]

Could try a massive amount of baking soda?

[Rough101]

Wallop some catsan over it, if it’s something that can be drawn out, that will give it a go.

[Mr Whippy]

Another patch near door, but less intense and more spread out.



It smells like petrol/thinners, so is that likely what it is? Just it’s never been cleaned up properly?

[Mr Whippy]

And this old traffic cone, which was out near the old coal bunker (assume that s what it is), reeks the same too.

I could smell it from feet away outside.

The car mat stinks a bit too, it was in this box with the stinky sand.

Some people really are morons leaving this crap in a house they re selling!



I assume plastics/rubbers absorb petrol and hold it in and reek for ages?


I m starting to assume he s had a leaky mower or chain saw or something in the garage and it s just put litres of it into the slab until recently when he s moved

Ffs.

[John D.]

vaud said:

Could try a massive amount of baking soda?

Was thinking the same. Worth a go before breaking it out.

[Mr Whippy]

Assuming quite simple to use a grinder to cut round it, break it up/out, re-fill with fresh concrete.

It might be the easiest next step.

I’m not actually bothered by the stain, but the smell is intolerable it’s giving me a headache now it’s exposed.

I can only assume it’s been a chronic and persistent leak on the same spots over time, and now the source is gone it should subside…?

Or can these things stay stinky for years?


I’ve not actually checked a lot of the garage floor yet so might find this all over the shop!

[vaud]

Rough101 said:

Wallop some catsan over it, if it s something that can be drawn out, that will give it a go.

Also a good call.

AI says

To remove petrol from concrete, start by absorbing as much of the spill as possible with an absorbent material like kitty litter, sawdust, or baking soda. Once the bulk of the liquid is absorbed, you can use a detergent solution (like dish soap or powdered laundry detergent) and scrub the area with a stiff brush. For stubborn stains, consider using a commercial concrete cleaner or degreaser. Rinse the area thoroughly with water after cleaning.

[Mr Whippy]

It doesn’t look wet at all, so assume stage 1 is pointless.

Gonna buy a 5kg tub of bicarb from Amazon, make a paste with water and blather it all over the area as a first step.

More damn jobs just tidying up crap left behind before I can even start to get using it!

[Mr Whippy]

I’ve just been out to the old coal bunker (assumed)


This is where cone was, also that brick (which reeks), and this bit of wood smells a bit of it too.






Is it normal for petrol to get into porous materials and linger and smell for months?

[hidetheelephants]

Mr Whippy said:

I ve just been out to the old coal bunker (assumed)

Is it normal for petrol to get into porous materials and linger and smell for months?

If there's been a persistent leak, yes the stink will be enduring. Aren't those vents? All that needs cleared away, it's probably tracking damp into the wall and the location of the damp course used to decide on the level of the ground.

[Mr Whippy]

Sorry lack of context, it’s a coal bunker I think.



Just walking out past ajar garage door I can smell it (back door of garage also open a bit to allow circulation of air)

We’ve been here 4 weeks so it’s clearly persistent!

[Cold]

[Mr Whippy]

You jest but I found one of those in the garage, so just need the tin of butane

Seriously though, I assume I can burn it off too?

[vaud]

In my experience from properties that have been slightly neglected... empty everything first so that you know what you are dealing with. Ditto that bunker.

[Tim Cognito]

Soak it in brake cleaner to lift it then put sand/cat litter down to absorb so it doesn't just go back into the concrete.

[TA14]

Saw cutting and breaking out the concrete slab is not a pleasant job and you need to be careful not to crack the blockwork. The cleaning suggestions above look good. If they don't work, I was looking at your 'photos and can see some holes in your floor but no aggregate - does it have a screed on it? It might not be too bad a job to break out a screed and re-do a patch.

[Mr Whippy]

Not sure on floor, could be a screed looking at it.

Looking again at 1st pic, it looks like a wider stain and then maybe the roof felt that broke away and came down in fragments was a bitumen type, and that’s been squished into the stain and made the very dark patches recently? Possibly making it more pungent again… I get a feeling I had a bag of sand sat over it with the felt bits under it.


Also I moved the strimmer after emptying it’s tank and saw this muddy smudge.


Sniffed it and it had the same reek.

My T-shirt rubbed the strimmer and when I got in the house I could smell it… again same reek.

Is this 2 stroke oil and petrol causing a more reeking lingering and staining mixture?


Also this at the back of the veg patch.



Sigh.

This guy obviously likes polluting his own home