Muriatic Acid On Concrete Floors

You roughen such a floor by etching it with muriatic acid.

Muriatic acid on concrete floors.

Muriatic acid creates and acidic vapor that can suffocate you quickly. Leave it in place for 20 minutes. It should be handled with extreme care. 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 is diluted hydrochloric acid. Using acid is dangerous. Before you can apply the acid wash to the flooring you have to first lay a layer of water. 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.

You may have heard that it is possible to use muriatic acid to etch your concrete surface. Use a sprayer or watering can to evenly distribute that acid and let it sit for 2 15 minutes or until it stops bubbling. 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 etching is the process of applying hydrochloric muriatic or buffered phosphoric acid to a slab then rinsing it off with water.

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. You should see a chemical reaction as soon as you apply the muriatic acid. Slowly add the muriatic acid. Use ample amounts of water to dilute the acid as it washes away.

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. Then mix 3 or 4 parts water with 1 part muriatic or hydrochloric acid in a plastic bucket. When you acid etch concrete wear long sleeves gloves eye protection and a face mask to protect yourself from stray acid. Unfortunately muriatic acid is often used because it s less expensive than professional products.

It also reduces the surface alkalinity of the concrete that can cause some paints to adhere poorly. Spray the floor with water until it s completely wet. These solutions are for etching the concrete. Muriatic acid acts like liquid sandpaper by roughening the surface of the concrete.

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. Use a garden hose and sprayer to rinse away the acid once the stain is gone. Add small amounts of lime and muriatic acid until the leftover acid is all gone and the solution is no longer fizzing.