EverFlor - Etch and Clean

EverFlor Etch and Clean is an acid-based etching and cleaning solution for bare concrete floors. It is supplied clear, in 5 litre packs, and is used as the preparation stage before a floor primer or floor paint goes down.

The acid attacks laitance — the weak, fine layer of cement and fines that rises to the surface of concrete as it is placed and finished. Laitance is loosely bound to the slab beneath it. Any coating applied over it is only as strong as that layer, which is why paint over unprepared concrete flakes and peels away in sheets. Etch and Clean breaks the laitance down so it can be scrubbed and rinsed off, and in doing so opens the surface texture of the slab.

It also neutralises excess alkalinity in new concrete. Fresh slabs stay strongly alkaline as they cure, and that alkalinity can attack the coating from underneath. The slab must be at least four weeks old before you etch it.

Use it where mechanical preparation is not possible. Grinders, planers and shot blasters give the best key on concrete, but they need access, power and dust control. Where the plant cannot be brought in, or the floor cannot take it, etching is the practical alternative. Once the floor is etched, rinsed and fully dry, follow with an EverFlor floor primer and floor coating.

Recommended areas of use

• Bare concrete floors before priming and painting
• New concrete slabs carrying surface laitance
• New concrete carrying excess alkalinity, once at least four weeks old
• Floors where mechanical preparation is not possible
• Cleaning and keying concrete ahead of an EverFlor floor coating system

Features

• Acid etch that removes laitance, so the coating bonds to sound concrete rather than a weak dusty layer
• Neutralises excess alkalinity in new concrete, so the slab is not working against the coating from below
• Opens the surface texture of the slab to give the primer a mechanical key
• Cleans the floor as it etches, lifting ingrained dirt from the surface
• Works without grinders, planers or shot blasters, so no site power or dust extraction is needed
• Clear liquid, applied and scrubbed in with a stiff broom or scrubbing machine
• Supplied in 5 litre packs for straightforward ordering against floor area
• Prepares the floor for the EverFlor primer and floor paint range

Good to know

Etch and Clean is for bare concrete. Strip or mechanically remove any existing coating before etching. New concrete must be at least four weeks old before you etch it. Rinse the floor thoroughly with clean water after etching and remove all residue and loosened material — anything left on the slab will sit under the paint. Let the concrete dry fully before priming; a floor that looks dry at the surface can still hold water. Where grinding or shot blasting is available, that remains the stronger preparation method. This is an acid product: wear gloves and eye protection, ventilate the area, and read the safety data sheet before you start.

SURFACE PREPARATION

Etch and Clean is for bare concrete. Strip or mechanically remove any existing coating before you start. New concrete must be at least four weeks old before etching. Sweep the floor and remove loose debris so the acid reaches the slab.

APPLICATION

The product is ready to use. Do not thin it. Work in manageable areas rather than covering the whole floor at once, allowing 20m² of floor per litre. Scrub the wetted area with a stiff broom or a scrubbing machine. One application is normally sufficient. If a fine powdery film still rubs off the dried slab, etch that area again.

RINSING AND DRYING

Flush the floor with generous amounts of clean water. Remove all residue and every trace of loosened laitance — anything left on the slab will sit under the paint. Let the concrete dry fully before priming. Surface dryness is not proof the slab is dry. Wash tools out with water.

CONDITIONS AND SAFETY

Apply between 5°C and 30°C and store within the same range. This is an acid product. Wear gloves and eye protection, ventilate the area, and read the safety data sheet before you begin.