Will Acid Etching hurt Epoxy?

[Rustyd02359]

Well my floor is done but the walls need something to bring it all together. Just don't look right as is. So most of the paints, epoxies, etc say acid etc concrete before painting. So my question is, will this hurt my new Rustoleum Pro epoxied floor?

 

[jhchoppers]

If its just the walls you are doing, then I would skip the etch part. The etch is needed on the floors so the epoxy has some to hold onto when heavy loads are applied.

Since your not driving on the walls, skip the etch and just epoxy them.

 

[bmwpower]

If its just the walls you are doing, then I would skip the etch part. The etch is needed on the floors so the epoxy has some to hold onto when heavy loads are applied.

Since your not driving on the walls, skip the etch and just epoxy them.

I was told by a pro painter friend of mine that you should acid etch the walls. My walls are cinder block and he said it was needed to help "neutralize" the surface, not really for epoxy adhesion. He also told me to use block filler on the wall before epoxying the walls.

So, I

- Acid etched the walls, then the floor
- Painted the walls with block filler
- Epoxied the walls

Check with Rustoleum. It shouldn't hurt it, especially if it's diluted. Rustoleum should have done tests on chemical resistance, acid being one of them.

 

[Rustyd02359]

Yes, I am going to call them also. But everything or brand of paint or epoxy says etch it.

I thought block filler was like putty? You paint it on???

 

[Hammerdown]

The acid wash is used to neutralize the alkalinity of the concrete and lower the PH levels, helping ensure a proper bond for any/all prpoducts. You could substitute vinegar instead of muriatic acid, but you will need 10 times more than the acid. Use 10 gallons of vinegar for about 600 s/f. Cinder blocks are VERY porous, and will absorb a lot of material. By using a "block filler" or primer, you will reduce the amount of expensive products it will take to complete the job. You also should not need the protection of epoxy on a wall, as it is less likely to receice the chemical spills and traffic that a floor would encounter. Check your products MSDS (material data safety sheets) for chemical resistance and exposure times against acid, they should list it. The diluted acid wash should not hurt you fully cured floor, but check the data to be sure.