floorsaver floor paints are designed to last years, so the last thing you want is a problem with adhesion. There are 4 good reasons to use floorsaver Floor Etcher.

• Concrete often has a gritty dusty surface. If you apply paint to it, the paint will stick to the grit, but the whole lot will break away from the concrete beneath. floorsaver Floor Etcher removes this.
• Concrete should be slightly porous to allow the paint to penetrate. floorsaver Floor Etcher keys the surface to make this happen.
• Single pack alkyd based paints, such as floorsaver Floor Paint, do not like high levels of alkalinity. New concrete (less than 6 months) is alkaline and floorsaver Floor Etcher neutralises the surface alkalinity.
• floorsaver Floor Etcher is a diluted hydrochloric acid based liquid, which is great for removing ingrained dirt and dust. If used on dirty, bare concrete the concrete will end up looking much 'whiter'and it will look like a surface which is now ready to be painted.

Application:

Only use on bare concrete, it is ineffective on painted or sealed surfaces.

• Tip into a plastic watering can fitted with a plastic rose and apply evenly to an area of 15-20m² maximum. The etcher will froth as it hits the concrete, this is the acid base reacting with the alkaline concrete and biting into the surface, removing impurities and keying it. Please note: The quoted coverage of this product is a guide only and it will depend on the texture, finish and porosity of the surface.
• Scrub using a stiff broom or hire a scrubbing machine for large areas.
• When the frothing stops, wash the floor etcher with water. Don't worry about disposing of an acid solution, what's lying on the floor has been neutralised by the reaction.
• When the surface is dry you can apply floorsaver Floor Paint. If you're using floorsaver Epoxy Floor Paint it doesn't matter if the concrete is still a bit damp as a result of cleaning.

What to do if the etcher does not froth or react with concrete

• This means the surface is sealed and should instead be lightly abraded to provide a key. It could also mean that the concrete is so smooth, dense and hard that the etcher cannot penetrate. This means the floor paint won't either and it's best not to go ahead.

Tip - If you don't use a watering can and rose it will be difficult to get the application even. If you pour it onto the floor, straight from the can, you may be left with 'acid scarring' where the concrete has been unevenly etched, and this may show through the paint.

We don't recommend:

• Application to sand and cement screeds, or self-levelling compounds. This product is for bare concrete only.