EverFlor - Etch and Clean

EverFlor Etch and Clean is an acid-based etching and cleaning solution for bare concrete floors. It is a clear, ready to use liquid supplied in 5 litre packs. It is used as the preparation stage before an EverFlor floor primer and floor coating.

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

It also neutralises excess alkalinity in new concrete. Fresh slabs stay strongly alkaline as they cure, and that alkalinity works on the coating from underneath. Use it where mechanical preparation is not possible. Grinders, planers and shot blasters give the strongest key, but they need access, site power and dust control. Where the plant cannot be brought in, etching is the practical alternative. Once the floor is etched, rinsed and fully dry, follow with an EverFlor floor primer and floor paint.

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
• Interior and exterior concrete

Features

• 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 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
• Supplied ready to use — pour on and brush in, no dilution or mixing
• Clear liquid, applied and scrubbed in with a stiff broom or scrubbing machine
• 5 litre packs covering 20m², so ordering works straight off the 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 afterwards 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. Work between 5°C and 30°C. 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

Use Etch and Clean on bare concrete. Strip or mechanically remove any existing coating before you start. New concrete must be at least four weeks old. Sweep the floor and take off loose material and debris so the acid reaches the slab rather than sitting on dirt.

APPLICATION

The product is ready to use — do not dilute it. Pour it onto the floor and brush it in with a stiff broom or a scrubbing machine. Cover a maximum of 20m² per 5 litres and work in bays you can scrub and rinse before the acid dries. Scrub the whole bay so the etch is even. One application is normally enough; re-etch any area where a powdery film still lifts off.

RINSING AND DRYING

Flush the floor with generous amounts of clean water and remove every trace of the product. Brush and vacuum up the loosened laitance and residue — anything left behind will sit under the paint. Allow the concrete to dry right through before priming. Apply an EverFlor floor primer, then the floor coating. Clean tools and equipment with water.

CONDITIONS AND SAFETY

Apply between 5°C and 30°C, interior or exterior. Store between 5°C and 30°C; shelf life is 12 months. This is an acid product. Wear gloves and eye protection, ventilate the area, and read the safety data sheet before you begin.