Many acid etching projects are carried out to prepare a concrete floor for the application of a synthetic epoxy or sealant.
Acid for concrete floor.
No two acid stained floors will be the same.
They work by penetrating the surface and reacting chemically with the hydrated lime calcium hydroxide in the concrete.
Then in a bucket i mixed some soap and water and mopped the entire floor.
The acid in the stain lightly etches the surface allowing the metallic salts to penetrate more easily.
Muriatic acid available in a variety of colors penetrates concrete and reacts to the lime deposits coloring the surface and giving a unique mottled swirly finish.
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.
You can also use acid in weaker concentrations to remove white mineral deposits efflorescence and heavy grime.
I started by scraping any dried drywall mud and paint off the floor.
Acid washing also known as acid etching prepares a concrete surface to accept a sealer.
Metallic acid salts and.
You roughen such a floor by etching it with muriatic acid.
It should be handled with extreme care.
A polished and acid stained concrete floor will likely look out of place in a classic colonial style home for example but fit quite nicely into a contemporary style home.
Then i used a vacuum to remove all of the dust dirt and debris.
Acid washing is dangerous for people plants and metal objects especially indoors where fumes can concentrate.
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.
Aesthetically concrete floors are a good match for homes with a modern or industrial style and are less suitable for classic vintage home styles.
Muriatic acid acts like liquid sandpaper by roughening the surface of the concrete.
My husband and i did our whole downstairs of our strawbale house with acid stain on our concrete floors.
We too used quart spray bottles.
But everything can be done by even a beginning diyer.
Your floors look great.
Most acid stainsare a mixture of water hydrochloric acid and acid soluble metallic salts.
It also reduces the surface alkalinity of the concrete that can cause some paints to adhere poorly.
We scored the concrete first into 18 blocks which are now grouted so they look like tiles.
It s just about the same color as yours.
Muriatic acid is diluted hydrochloric acid.