Using Muriatic Acid
I did a little tile repair job on a front porch on Saturday. These are red tiles 6x6 inches. I had to clean up and reinstall about 8 of these tiles. I used thinset and I mixed it with acrylic latex, not water.
Of course I slopped a little thinset onto the tile surfaces. I scraped as much as I could off with my trowels, so it is just a little thin layer of thinset left on the surface of the tiles.
I want to clean it off with muriatic acid.
How long do I need to wait before using muriatic acid? Do I mix it with water, or what? What kind of brush do I use? This stuff won't damage the tile will it?
Of course I slopped a little thinset onto the tile surfaces. I scraped as much as I could off with my trowels, so it is just a little thin layer of thinset left on the surface of the tiles.
I want to clean it off with muriatic acid.
How long do I need to wait before using muriatic acid? Do I mix it with water, or what? What kind of brush do I use? This stuff won't damage the tile will it?
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Muriatic Acid will eat concrete. Hindsight is 20-20 but you should have sponged off all the thinset after setting the tile.
I have never used Muriatic Acid to do what you are trying to do.0 -
Muriatic Acid is great for putting a real nice brown look on muzzle loading firearms.
Bathe the metal items in a muriatic bath for several days, then buff the item and ad oil.
The finish protects better than bluing.
Trinity +++0 -
Gee, thanks Trinity.
I guess.0 -
quote:Originally posted by allen griggs
Gee, thanks Trinity.
I guess.
[:D]
Another one who didn't read the question.
Like on his math test...
"What is the sum of..."
Answer: 70 -
...I've used muriatic acid to clean grout from an acid etched bathtub. I did a title job around it and had gotten the grout into the tub, plus me stepping on it, ended up embedding the grout into the tub. Tried all types of cleanser to no avail. Was suggested at hardware store to use muriatic acid. Worked like a charm! ...ALSO I've used muriatic acid on a rust stained concrete drive way, with marginal results. It does eat concrete BUT just a VERY thin layer, you wouldn't know the difference. A couple things ...wear rubber gloves, boots, and eye protection! AND DON'T add chorine bleach (liquid or power) to muriatic acid!!! ...You generate a poison gas!! (Been there!!!!) Good Luck!! 0 -
OK thanks, I will try the muriatic acid. 0 -
On another note: any of you that have this sitting around...No matter
how well you think it is sealed, a gas WILL leak from the container
that will rust any and all metal around.
I, and several other knifemakers have noticed it, and a
scientist/knifemaker/friend confirmed this.0 -
I read the post cubs-boy.
Seeing how this is a firearms forum I just thought I would add that there is a use for Muriatic Acid where guns are concerned.[;)]
Trinity +++0 -
I wouldn't do anything. Forget about it, and the mistake will blend in over time. 0 -
Damn good rust remover from rifle bores. [;)] 0 -
Will clean the fungus from your toenails too. Don 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Rosie
Damn good rust remover from rifle bores. [;)]
I'm thinking it also removes some of the lands as well. I've got an old 8mm Mauser that had a dark and dirty looking bore and I believe I turned it into a smooth bore.0 -
10:1 = water : acid
Years ago wiring a house, almost finished. The floor tile salesman was told to use his judgement on the color of grout. The customer did not like the color, so the general contractor put a coupla his guys on the job of scraping out the grout joints to change color. This soon became a tiresome job with the amount of floor. Their bright idea; [:0]dump straight muriatic acid on the floor[:0] and mop it around. This lasted 5-10 minutes til the fumes ran them out of the 2-story, 3000 sq. ft. home. The acid fumes went thru the entire house and rusted EVERYTHING metal. We're talking stainless appliances, sink, door knobs, door hinges, light fixtures, EVERYTHING.[:0]0 -
I've used it for the same thing your doing. 10 parts water to 1 part acid.Sponge or brush on and scrub.Clean after thin set is dry (24 hrs)or any time after.Gloves and goggles.Rinse with lots of water,hose works best. 0 -
lots of ventilation too, if I remember correct, that stuff smell like barf.. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by mrseatle
lots of ventilation too, if I remember correct, that stuff smell like barf..
Not only that..I would imagine it would literally burn holes
in your lungs.0 -
Muriatic acid is better known as hydrochloric acid formula HCL. The chlorine in HCL will oxidize just about anything it touches including steel in gun metal. 0 -
"Hindsight is 20-20 but you should have sponged off all the thinset after setting the tile."
Good idea, I will have to remember that next time.
Well I went to the Depot and could not find muriatic acid, although I know they used to sell it, labeled "muriatic acid."
In the past few years the Depot has quit their glass cutting operation. Some customer got hurt in a glass cutting deal, the Depot got sued, and they got rid of all their glass cutting machines. The guy at the Asheville Home Depot told me that he got his hands on the machine from his store. If any of y'all ever saw these machines, they were a big rig about 6 foot by 6 foot that set in a vertical position in the glass section. They could make a very accurate cut on big or small pieces of glass. Must have cost a couple thousand dollars.
This guy told me, word came down from headquarters for every one of these machines to go into the trash compactor. He gave me a sly smile and told me that the one from his store is now in operation down in his basement, I think the guy stole it on the way to the trash compactor.
So, I figured some numnuts got hurt with muriatic acid and they stopped selling it. It used to be in the concrete and mortar section.
So, I went to the tile section. There I found a quart bottle of hydrochloric acid for $9. It is designed to clean grout and mortar off of tile.
Now, I see that muriatic acid is composed of hydrochloric acid. However, I think this product at Home Depot is diluted muriatic acid. They say to dilute this stuff from 3:1 up to 20:1.
I started off with a 10:1 dilution. It was not nearly as strong as muriatic acid. I used muriatic acid ten years ago on rocks on a fireplace, my original post was because I was not sure if it would work on thinset on tile, if it would damage the tile.
Anyway, I let the stuff set for five minutes, then reapplied it. It was not getting the job done. I dumped a bunch more acid into the bucket, I probably got down to a 3:1 mix. This worked better, but I still had to reapply it four times, and wait a total of 25 minutes.
Then I scrubbed on it for ten minutes with a wire brush. It came out pretty nice.
Now, this was not straight mortar, it was thinset mixed with acrylic latex instead of water. Either this stuff is much harder to remove than straight mortar, or what Home Depot is selling is a very diluted muriatic acid, I suspect the second.
I am taking Alpine's advice and sponging off excess thinset, next time. Plus, I had to drive 45 minutes to get down to the rental house, all in all about a 3 hour job.0
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