Using Muriatic Acid To Remove Concrete

Acid etching is the process of applying hydrochloric muriatic or buffered phosphoric acid to a slab then rinsing it off with water.

Using muriatic acid to remove concrete. If that s the case use muriatic acid an industrial grade of hydrochloric acid but only after washing away the other types of acids and donning all the right safety equipment. Muriatic acid can get your swimming pool s surface looking like new again. Sometimes that doesn t do the trick. Spray a 1 16 acid to water diluted solution on the drained surface of the pool let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

You know the muriatic acid is working if you can see it bubble as it reacts with the cement. Apply the acid solution. Use muriatic acid to clean concrete only when no other cleaner will do the job. With proper use it removes stains when other cleaners fail.

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. Mix 3 to 4 parts water with 1 part acid or follow label instructions for a 10 concentration 15 for hard smooth concrete. If a sealer is present the mix will not generate a reaction. Phosphoric acid and trisodium phosphate are the main compounds used to dissolve concrete leftover from masonry work.

Muriatic acid is a strong acid cleaner used on masonry surfaces to clean stains. How to determine what type of concrete sealer was used. If you must use muriatic acid to remove efflorescence follow these steps be sure to follow the safety recommendations earlier in this article. Muriatic acid is the strongest acid available to the public.

Mix the acid with water. It is excellent for cleaning away rust stains and efflorescence but must be used with extreme caution. Allow the solution to sit for a few moments. 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. 1 part acid to 10 parts water by volume is typical but dilutions as light as 1 part acid to 16 parts water work well too. In this case applying muriatic acid will indicate the presence of a concrete sealer. Muriatic acid should never be used indoors and has to be thoroughly neutralized before disposal.

If the acid comes in contact with skin wash it away with large amounts of water. Use muriatic acid to clean concrete or prepare concrete surfaces for paint or sealer.