At this point, it is recommended that you put on rubber gloves, rubber boots, goggles, and a respirator. Caution: It is extremely important to add the acid to the water. Mixing it the other way around can cause a chemical reaction that could splash you with acid.
The recommended ratio is four parts water to one part acid. A stronger solution of ratio is advised if the concrete is considerably hard or highly polished. If you are unsure, it is best to mix up a small batch of acid solution and pour half a cup or so onto an area of the concrete. You should see a reaction immediately. Fizzing or bubbling is a sign that your solution is strong enough. If nothing happens, try a ratio and, if it is still not reacting, then a ratio should do the trick.
Make sure that the solution is well mixed by gently stirring the solution with a wooden stick. Once you have mixed up your acid solution, it is time to begin acid etching concrete. Decant the acid solution into the watering can. The sprinkler nozzle will reduce any splash as you spread the solution around evenly. Use the broom to scrub the concrete with the acid solution.
The bubbling should stop after 15 to 30 minutes. During the etching process, do not allow the concrete to dry. Sprinkle water to any areas that start to dry. When the bubbling has calmed down noticeably, it means that the acid is no longer reacting.
The concrete should now have taken on the appearance of medium-grit sandpaper. If it is still relatively smooth, the concrete should be rinsed and a fresh acid solution needs to be applied. Note: Do not let the concrete dry before applying the acid solution. A damp floor acts as a buffer to prevent an uneven etch.
Some concrete etching acids will come with a neutralizer, but in the case that one is not supplied, you can mix your own quite easily. Make up a solution to neutralize the acid by mixing one cup of baking soda with one gallon of water.
Use the watering can to evenly distribute the solution onto the concrete floor and neutralize the acid. It is best to leave the neutralizer to sit for at least 10 minutes before rinsing. Rinse the floor with a hose while scrubbing and sweeping away the water. The rinsing of the concrete is very important because once the concrete dries, the neutralizing solution can leave a white power residue called calcium carbonate, and this can compromise the bonding of the coating.
Be prepared to repeat the rinsing process several times to rinse away all residue. Dispose of the solution and rinse with water according to your local and national regulations.
This may involve putting more baking soda into the collected water to ensure the neutralization of the acid before disposal. After the final rinse, you can pH test your wet floor by dabbing a pH test strip against the wet concrete, or by dipping it into the water from the final rinse. A neutral pH of 0. A pH below 0.
Before coating the concrete floor, it is best to wait for it to dry completely — this can take a few days depending on the climate. You should wait 60 days before going ahead with an acid wash. Freshly poured concrete will take about 30 days to cure and a further 30 days for excess moisture to evaporate. The exact amount of time will of course depend on the weather and climate. After completing the concrete etching process, allow the concrete to dry for two to three days before coating.
Residual moisture on the concrete could prevent the coating from bonding to the surface. In cooler weather, this may take a little longer. By opening the pores with a strong acid or by sanding away the top layer, you provide a rough surface for the coating to bite onto.
The longevity of a coating partly depends on how well it adheres to the surface of the concrete. The best adhesion requires a clean floor, free of laitance and contaminants.
Laitance is a weak, milky accumulation of fine particles of cement dust, lime and sand fines on the surface of fresh concrete, usually caused by an excess of water bleeding to the surface.
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. Today, safer, eco-friendlier and more consistent concrete prep methods are the norm. Most coating manufacturers no longer recommend acid etching for a multitude of reasons. Acid etching removes laitance, but cannot remove curing compounds or many of the contaminants found in industrial settings, such as oily deposits and water-insoluble materials, any of which can interfere with the adhesion of a coating.
Improper surface preparation can result in poor bond and lack of coating adhesion. Additionally, because every slab is different, the results can be unpredictable and unreliable, even when the process is done by experienced professionals. The surface can end up uneven, over-etched, or under-etched.
The thicker the coating system, the higher the required CSP number. Part 3. Apply sealant or epoxy. Many acid etching projects are carried out to prepare a concrete floor for the application of a synthetic epoxy or sealant. 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.
In addition, using an anti-skid additive in your sealant can give your garage or driveway surface the traction your vehicle needs to securely grip it in rain or snow. Use a pigment or stain. Adding a stain or pigment to the concrete after etching is a great way to make it more visually attractive. For some interior spaces, stained concrete can give a clean, elegant, modern look to the room. Even some outdoor spaces, like patios, can use stained concrete to great effect.
Paint the concrete. Concrete can also be painted fairly easily with brushes, rollers, or sprayers. Though it's a little less common to paint a concrete floor than it is to paint a concrete wall or ceiling, some decorators can create breathtaking interior spaces with the help of painted concrete floors. For painted concrete floors, generally, low-sheen, matte paints are used — otherwise, the floor can appear oddly shiny or "wet". Add metal flakes for a sparkly surface.
Many sidewalks, driveways, and other exterior concrete surfaces can be given an appealing sparkling quality by adding metal chips flakes before sealing or during the etching process. Even some interior spaces especially public or commercial ones can benefit from this type of treatment — for instance, sparkling concrete floors are sometimes used in shopping malls and airport corridors to give a lively look. Part 4. Wear protective clothing.
All acids but especially the strong ones used for concrete etching should be handled with care. If splashed onto the body, caustic acid can cause painful chemical burns.
Worse still, acid can cause permanent blindness and disfigurement if splashed into the face and eyes. Because of this, it's important to always wear protective gear when working with acid, even if you're very experienced.
Below are the sorts of protective clothing you should wear to protect yourself: Chemical safety glasses or goggles with face shield Gloves Long sleeves Close-toed shoes. Don't breathe the fumes of the acid. Strong acids like muriatic acid can give off harmful vapors.
If breathed, these fumes can cause chemical burns in the mouth and throat. Though rare, it's technically possible to seriously hurt or even kill yourself by breathing acid vapors. For these reasons, you'll want to ensure that your work area is well-ventilated at all times. For instance, you'll probably want to open any adjacent windows and use a fan to keep air continually circulating into and out of your work area. If the acid's fumes are strong, use a breathing mask with acid vapor cartridges to prevent injury.
Always pour acid into water, not the reverse. This is a hugely important basic rule of acid safety. Whenever you pour and mix acid and water, you always pour the acid into the water. You never pour the water into the acid. If you pour either liquid too quickly, you can cause the liquid in the container to splash back into you. If this liquid is mostly water, you'll probably be fine.
However, if it's mostly acid, you can be in serious trouble. Always observe this simple rule when working with acid. It may be helpful to keep a second bucket or plastic container with you while you work. If you accidentally pour acid into the first container first, you can pour water into the second container and then transfer the acid to it to easily correct for your error. The object of etching the concrete with muriatic acid and water is to have the liquid come into contact with the substrate.
If the substrate is sealed with a paint, the liquid cannot reach the intended target. Not Helpful 0 Helpful If you have properly applied the concrete sealer, the only thing that will be affected is the sealer. However, if you strip the surface of the concrete of the sealer, you would be able to etch the concrete. Not Helpful 4 Helpful After using an etcher on the outside, how long is it effective before using a paint coating? The acid etched surface will remain porous and ready for coatings or sealers indefinitely until you're ready to finish.
Not Helpful 3 Helpful Can I mix stain with the acid to create a design, rather than staining after I etch? The acid will render the stain useless on a basic molecular structure. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 5. Test the absorbency of a concrete floor by dropping a couple of small beads of water on the floor. If the floor was dry beforehand but the beads do not get absorbed quickly, the floor needs etching. Not Helpful 4 Helpful 8. After etching a foundation wall to accept veneer stone, how long do the pores "stay open" to accept the mortar to attach the stone?
In other words, how soon does the veneer have to be attached after the wall has been etched. Once it's etched it remains good for a long time provided you don't clog the pores up somehow eg by spraying it with water seal or painting it or perhaps just by getting it dirty. Not Helpful 1 Helpful 3. Do I wait days or weeks before I start the etching process when I have just laid the self leveling compound today in my garage?
Allow newly poured concrete to cure for a minimum of 28 days before etching. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 2. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.
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