Muriatic Acid On Concrete Floors

You may have heard that it is possible to use muriatic acid to etch your concrete surface.

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

If you re just removing mineral deposits efflorescence use a much weaker mix 10 1 or 16 1 for 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. Add small amounts of lime and muriatic acid until the leftover acid is all gone and the solution is no longer fizzing. The solution begins to bubble and it lifts and removes the stain.

Before you can apply the acid wash to the flooring you have to first lay a layer of water. Mix 3 to 4 parts water with 1 part acid or follow label instructions for a 10 concentration 15 for hard smooth concrete. 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. Then mix 3 or 4 parts water with 1 part muriatic or hydrochloric acid in a plastic bucket.

Use a garden hose and sprayer to rinse away the acid once the stain is gone. Muriatic acid is one of the stronger acids so you ll need lots of caution and safety gear rubber boots or coveralls respirator mask safety goggles and thick gloves step 4 apply the acid. Muriatic acid creates and acidic vapor that can suffocate you quickly. These solutions are for etching the concrete.

Muriatic acid acts like liquid sandpaper by roughening the surface of the concrete. Acid etching is the process of applying hydrochloric muriatic or buffered phosphoric acid to a slab then rinsing it off with water. Always wear a carbon activated mask. You roughen such a floor by etching it with muriatic acid.

Unfortunately muriatic acid is often used because it s less expensive than professional products. Use ample amounts of water to dilute the acid as it washes away. You should see a chemical reaction as soon as you apply the muriatic acid. Muriatic acid is diluted hydrochloric acid.

Use a sprayer or watering can to evenly distribute that acid and let it sit for 2 15 minutes or until it stops bubbling. Spray the floor with water until it s completely wet. Slowly add the muriatic acid.