Review / How To Muriatic Acid to Brighten Concrete

hollerstiltner said:
Nice write up. That stuff can be potent like you said. I have a nice clean spot in the driveway from HCl I used in a battery. I may use it on my porch this summer to brighten it up.

I think you have the mixing order for acid and water backwards. The rule is always add acid to water.
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What is your source for this advise. I would like to see it.
 
:iagree:

Unless you're doing an acid wash of the pool. Then you want to drain it first.

Basic chemistry that you can probably find online in many places.

When acid is mixed with water, large amounts of heat are released.

If you start out adding water to acid, you are slowly diluting the acid from full strength. The high acid content could boil over and splash mostly acid out of the bucket (or whatever) that you are mixing it in.

If you add acid to water, you are slowly raising the concentration of acid in the mixture and the small amount of heat will not cause the mix to vaporize or splatter.

Always add the acid to the water, never the reverse.

Jim
 
swanicyouth said:
...It apparently can be used to "etch" concrete or to clean and brighten it depending on dilution.

...The floor was already pressure washed with a "turbo" tip.

Interestingly enough, at this concentration it didn't remove stains. While the overall effect is a brighter, whiter, cleaner concrete - most of the stains are still there. I'm guessing a stronger dilution may help, I may try that in the future. What it did do is just improve the overall look of the floor, which pretty much was what I was going after. But, I was disappointed it did little to the stains, which gives the floor an overall "dirty" look.

Here is some before and after pics. Note the black stain as a reference point. It wasn't removed. Also, note the 50/50 area in the after pic where I stopped applying the product. The area behind (dirty area) is how the floor looked before


...You can see in the after pic if you compare the frontal area how the concrete was brightened quite a bit, but the stain remains.
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The next time that you use your roto tip on the floor, it will become even more clean(er?) due to this acid washing.

I was working on a garage floor the other day when Tuscarora Dave called and I sent him these pics...got a good laugh....anyhoo...get a wire wheel or cup brush on a drill. Just a few $$$ from HD, or $14 for the cup brush. Will scar the concrete, but definitely will remove the stains.

Poor quality pic but you can see the part that's done, and the oil that was slung up on the raised posterboard.
No after pic of the pressure washing, no acid...just zep orange scrub after a gas wipedown,lol.. Still had rear of a two story house (vinyl), deck, gazebo, and patio to do before dark.

 
hollerstiltner said:
The rule is always add acid to water.
slimnib said:
What is your source for this advise. I would like to see it.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

The basic procedures for mixing water and acids is taught in
most High School, or University/College, Chemistry classes.

Also:
Most institutions of higher learning also have web-sites
that have information regarding this matter.
(Ex: OSU's---Ohio State U., Oregon State U., Oklahoma State U., that is.)


A few mnemonics to assist in remembering the correct procedure:

-Always do things as you oughta...
Always add the acid to the water.

-If you think your life's too placid:
Add the water to the acid.

And in remembrance of the "Hippie Days":
-Drop acid,
Not water.
(NO!!...Don't do this!!)


BTW:
The same rule applies to mixing "bases" and water.

:)

Bob
 
As an FYI my GF's 81 to dad decided he was going to epoxy his garage floor. Started with all the protective gear and muriatic acid. Then, he did another round with the acid, but decided to forgo protective gear.

He ended up in the hospital with his whole arm red, inflamed, and burnt.

User beware.
 
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