Acid Etching

[Forewarned]

I'm a new home owner just bought my first home a year ago. I'm doing some research on putting an epoxy floor in my garage. Right now it has what looks to be some thin cheap box store paint on there now that is flaked up all over. My driveway has had color added to it I presume by acid. My question is if I try to acid etch my garage floor for the new epoxy job, will that acid ruin my driveway when getting the acid off the garage floor? My guess is that you spray the acid out of the garage with the water hose. Is diamond grinding my only option?

 

[Shea]

Your biggest problem and one that pretty much dictates what you need to do, is the painted floor. Contrary to what many people believe, acid etching does not do a very good job of removing it. You usually need to grind or shot blast paint to remove it completely in order to get the profile you need for your floor anyway. So that leaves grinding as your best option and as a result, you wouldn't have to worry about your driveway and you will have the best surface you can provide for your epoxy coating.

 

[noweare]

Like Shea said you need to grind off that coating first, that's better prep than acid etching.
An acid wash is good for lowering the ph if you need to though.

 

[pauloman]

acid etching only 'fizzes' exposed concrete to provide a bit of surface profile. see www.epoxyproducts.com/acid.html

the acid used is diluted to about 10% conc. but still will kill grass etc. and illegal in some places to put into storm drains. Professionals shot blast or grind, I have advised high pressure water blasting as a good DIY approach (professional waterjetting can remove paint layer by layer, or even remove the concrete and leave the rebar behind intact, but this isn't the DIY homeowner systems!).

if areas of paint don't come off with high powered water then they are well bonded and you can paint over them . Use a 100% solids epoxy (like Industrial Floor Epoxy) where there is not solvent shrinkage in coating thickness as it cures and the coating is thick enough that you will not see any outline of the remaining adhered coating or even small cracks in the surface.