"Bill Lewis" m wrote in message ...
Hi all,
I am about to do the epoxy finish on my garage floor, and I have a
question about the acid used during the etching process. Basically, my
dilemma is this: About 15-20 feet from the bottom of my driveway, there is
a 8-12ft diameter perpetual puddle that is consistenly fed by rain and all
of my neighbors' sprinkler runoff. This puddle is used by the local
wildlife (birds, etc) all the time. This puddle is also where my runoff
will go when I rinse the acid from the floor after etching. Now, I'm not
interested in killing/harming/whatever all of the animals that use this
puddle, so my question is this: is the acid nuetralized or anything after
the use on the garage floor, or would it still be toxic? My thought would
be to use a push broom/squeegee to get this puddle moving and the area
rinsed after acid exposure if I have to.


Any input would be appreciated (particularly if you are a chemist! ;p)

Thanks!

Bill Lewis

Hi Bill, I used muratic acid, which is also what's used in swimming
pools. Diluted, it wouldn't be a problem. When I did mine, I just
cleaned the concrete well and mopped on the muratic acid after it was
dry. I only put on enough to wet it and let it dry. I never rinsed it.
The paint has held up about as good as the job I did painting it. I'm
just wondering if you need to put on enough to produce enough to have
to squeegee it. Sorry to attempt to answer your question with another
question. Jana