Etching A Concrete Floor With Muratic Acid

Acids concentrations can very.

Etching a concrete floor with muratic acid.

Acids that can be used to etch the concrete are muriatic sulfamic phosphoric or citric. Muriatic acid acts like liquid sandpaper by roughening the surface of the concrete. If you need a stronger solution mix 1 part acid to 10 parts water. Muriactic acid is one of the most dangerous chemicals you can buy for home use and it can damage nearly everything it touches.

Acid washing also known as acid etching prepares a concrete surface to accept a sealer. A smooth concrete floor must be roughened before paint will stick to it. Always add the acid to the water never the other way around or you can cause a heat reaction which can make the solution burp up out of the container. It also reduces the surface alkalinity of the concrete that can cause some paints to adhere poorly.

Acid etching is the process of applying hydrochloric muriatic or buffered phosphoric acid to a slab then rinsing it off with water. The most commonly used are muriatic hydrochloric and phosphoric acids. You roughen such a floor by etching it with muriatic acid. You can also use acid in weaker concentrations to remove white mineral deposits efflorescence and heavy grime.

Some homeowners shy away from acid etching of their concrete floors for fear of the harmful effects of using and handling muriatic acid the main component of acid etch flooring. Use only plastic or acid resistant containers for mixing and applying acid. Muriatic hydrochloric acid is. Muriatic acid also known as hydrochloric acid is the typical acid of choice when etching concrete.

The good thing is that there are safer alternatives that are just as effective available in the market today. 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. Acid washing is dangerous for people plants and metal objects especially indoors where fumes can concentrate. If the substrate is sealed with a paint the liquid cannot reach the intended target.

The easiest dilution to remember is 1 cup of acid to 1 gallon of water. Muriatic acid must be diluted with water before use. It is inexpensive and a dangerous chemical that can damage almost anything it comes in contact with.