Muriatic Acid On Concrete Floors

It also reduces the surface alkalinity of the concrete that can cause some paints to adhere poorly.

Muriatic acid on concrete floors.

Make sure you wear your respirator and gloves and lean as far away from the bucket as you can to minimize any danger of being splashed. When you acid etch concrete wear long sleeves gloves eye protection and a face mask to protect yourself from stray acid. Slowly add the muriatic acid. 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.

You may have heard that it is possible to use muriatic acid to etch your concrete surface. Unfortunately muriatic acid is often used because it s less expensive than professional products. You roughen such a floor by etching it with muriatic acid. Acid etching is the process of applying hydrochloric muriatic or buffered phosphoric acid to a slab then rinsing it off with water.

Mix 3 to 4 parts water with 1 part acid or follow label instructions for a 10 concentration 15 for hard smooth concrete. Use a garden hose and sprayer to rinse away the acid once the stain is gone. Always wear a carbon activated mask. Spray the floor with water until it s completely wet.

You should see a chemical reaction as soon as you apply the muriatic acid. Before you can apply the acid wash to the flooring you have to first lay a layer of water. If you re just removing mineral deposits efflorescence use a much weaker mix 10 1 or 16 1 for muriatic acid. Using acid is dangerous.

Add small amounts of lime and muriatic acid until the leftover acid is all gone and the solution is no longer fizzing. However using muriatic acid is not a wise idea because it can actually cause damage to the concrete surface and to people pets and plants. Muriatic acid acts like liquid sandpaper by roughening the surface of the concrete. These solutions are for etching the concrete.

Leave it in place for 20 minutes. Then mix 3 or 4 parts water with 1 part muriatic or hydrochloric acid in a plastic bucket. Use ample amounts of water to dilute the acid as it washes away. Muriatic acid is diluted hydrochloric acid.

The solution begins to bubble and it lifts and removes the stain. Muriatic acid creates and acidic vapor that can suffocate you quickly. Muriatic acid can work wonders on filthy concrete and it can also be very useful in cleaning excess smears of dried mortar and grout or when attempting to alleviate tough rust stains.