One of the less labor intensive methods of roughening concrete is through the application of acidic material to your floor.
Difference between muriatic acide and etching acid for concrete floor.
Many acid etching projects are carried out to prepare a concrete floor for the application of a synthetic epoxy or sealant.
After diluting the acid is spread across the entire floor with a sprayer and allowed to sit for 2 15 minutes.
Muriactic acid is one of the most dangerous chemicals you can buy for home use and it can damage nearly everything it touches.
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.
How does acid etching concrete work.
Acid etching a garage floor is a great solution for those who are installing the floor themselves and do not have access to industrial grinders.
Muriatic acid acts like liquid sandpaper by roughening the surface of the concrete.
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.
A guide to the acid etching of concrete by w a.
It also reduces the surface alkalinity of the concrete that can cause some paints to adhere poorly.
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.
A smooth concrete floor must be roughened before paint will stick to it.
Used improperly these chemicals can result in severe injury.
Protection of metal while acid etching concrete floor september 24 2014 this entry appended to this thread by editor in lieu of spawning a duplicative thread.
I have a small backyard workshop constructed of foam sandwich panel sip essentially 100mm of foam filled between two sheets of painted steel 0 6mm thick.
Acid etching is the process of applying hydrochloric muriatic or buffered phosphoric acid to a slab then rinsing it off with water.
You roughen such a floor by etching it with muriatic acid.
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.
Acid etching requires the use of strong chemicals.
However for larger commercial jobs older concrete or worn floors we always recommend grinding before epoxy installation.