Muriactic acid is one of the most dangerous chemicals you can buy for home use and it can damage nearly everything it touches.
Etching concrete floor with muriatic acid.
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.
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.
Muriatic acid acts like liquid sandpaper by roughening the surface of the concrete.
Mix 3 to 4 parts water with 1 part acid or follow label instructions for a 10 concentration 15 for hard smooth concrete.
Acid etching is the process of applying hydrochloric muriatic or buffered phosphoric acid to a slab then rinsing it off with water.
The good thing is that there are safer alternatives that are just as effective available in the market today.
It also reduces the surface alkalinity of the concrete that can cause some paints to adhere poorly.
A smooth concrete floor must be roughened before paint will stick to it.
Many acid etching projects are carried out to prepare a concrete floor for the application of a synthetic epoxy or sealant.
If you don t like the idea of working with acid you can read about some safer alternatives to acid etching here.
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.
Phosphoric acid which is a mineral acid works almost as well and isn t as dangerous to work with but it is harder to find and more expensive.
It also works at emulsifying oils something that muriatic acid will not do.
These sorts of products give the concrete a professional looking sheen and also resist water grease oil and other common spills making the floor easy to maintain.
Use muriatic acid or another acid etching material such as klean strip green muriatic acid a safer muriatic acid or hydro etch 1000 which is a modified phosphoric acid which is not as harmful as traditional muriatic acids.
Eco friendly products are available as well which are biodegradable and easier to dispose of in most communities.
