Acid etching is the process of applying hydrochloric muriatic or buffered phosphoric acid to a slab then rinsing it off with water.
Muriatic acid cleaning concrete floors.
If the acid comes in contact with skin wash it away with large amounts of water.
Muriatic acid is a strong acid cleaner used on masonry surfaces to clean stains.
Let the detergent sit for 45 minutes then pour boiling water on the area and vigorously scrub the stained section with the broom.
Step 2 create a barrier.
It also reduces the surface alkalinity of the concrete that can cause some paints to adhere poorly.
For many years it was a standard method of concrete preparation used by nearly all industrial commercial and institutional floor coating installers depending on the floor size and system to be installed.
It is excellent for cleaning away rust stains and efflorescence but must be used with extreme caution.
If you are planning to acid wash near asphalt drywall or tarmac then it is important to create a barrier.
With proper use it removes stains when other cleaners fail.
For many years it has been the standard cleaning method to prepare concrete for coatings installations to remove stains of any type from concrete and to remove concrete slurry or efflorescence from bricks.
If you re just removing mineral deposits efflorescence use a much weaker mix 10 1 or 16 1 for muriatic acid.
These solutions are for etching the concrete.
The most common acids used to clean concrete and bricks are hydrochloric acid muriatic or phosphoric acid.
Muriatic acid is the strongest acid available to the public.
Research what cleaning products react with the kind of acid you ll be using and plan ahead.
Even if you rinse the floor with water the cleaning products you use may leave residues that will react with the acid in dangerous ways.
Pour dry dishwasher detergent or a concrete cleaning agent on the stain.
A smooth concrete floor must be roughened before paint will stick to it.
You roughen such a floor by etching it with muriatic acid.
For stubborn stains use muriatic acid in combination with your pressure washer set to at least 1200 psi.
Mix 3 to 4 parts water with 1 part acid or follow label instructions for a 10 concentration 15 for hard smooth concrete.
