Etching Concrete

What is Gelled Acid?

For etching concrete, Gelled Acid is quite simply, acid contained in a gel as compared to liquid acid. Gelled Acid is simple and safe to use. The main benefit of etching concrete with Gelled Acids is control. In etching concrete gelled acid only goes where you apply it. You do not dilute it like liquid acid.

We have 4 products for etching and cleaning concrete including HD 24 Pre Grind (24% acid), Tek Gel™ for Profiling (20% acid), Tek Gel for Flattooing™ (16% acid) and Xfflorescence for cleaning sealed concrete surfaces.

For example: the etching result from HD 24 Pre Grind is a floor profile similar to 100-80 grit sandpaper.

Concrete Etching Application and clean up is easy!

Simply shake the product and pour right from the container into a paint tray or bucket.  Do not dilute.   Collect product on a low nap roller.  Roll and cross roll, then scrub with a stiff bristled brush into the concrete.  On larger projects a “swing scrubber” will do the job nicely and in less time.  The etched concrete will be obvious.

Once the desired cleaning and etching concrete effect is achieved the product is ready to be removed which can be achieved with water, mop and/or wet vacuum system.  Another trick is to pull the expired product into a mass using a squeegee type tool.  Because it remains a gel until you add water, you can collect 70% before neutralizing the remainder off the floor.

All our gelled acid products neutralize with water.

Click here for the Technical Data Sheet and MSDS.

Uses – Etching concrete – Removes mold, mildew and rust stains from concrete. Etching concrete with our gelled acids is very popular for creating non slip sidewalks, profiling concrete prior to applying concrete overlays, epoxy paint and coatings. Concrete polishing experts use HD 24 Pre Grind for etching concrete and cleaning concrete floors that are very tight rather than wasting diamond grinding pads and labor. Our gels can be used on floors, walls and columns for etching concrete.

Tek Gel for Flattooing is perfect for etching custom graphics into a superb etching concrete floors and walls.  Our gelled acids will not bleed under adhesive vinyl Flattoos -  perfect, crisp lines. The artwork you see in the photos throughout our site would not be possible without using Surface Gel Tek’s Gelled Acids.

Where Our Gelled Acids have Been Applied for Etching Concrete and Cleaning Concrete – Wal-Mart, Harborview Marina Baltimore, Hot Air Balloon Museum New Mexico, UCLA, Cal Poly, University of Washington, Gap Stores and many more nationwide!

All of Surface Gel Tek’s products  for Etching Concrete are Environmentally Responsible and in compliance with the LEED® Green Building Rating System.

1.      They neutralize with water

2.      They contain no VOCs

3.      Generate no silica dust or noise pollution

4.      They are flushable to sewer (MSDS Section VII)

Photo Below – Harborview Marina Concrete Etching and Cleaning With HD24

Our Etching Concrete Products

HD24 Pre Grind: –Our most aggressive grade gelled acid

HD24 Pre Grind is used for etching concrete when:

1.  A very aggressive opening is needed. HD24 will give you approximately 100-80 sand paper grit profile.
2. As a Pre Grind for polished concrete floors.
3. When you need to remove contaminants such as grease and oil, mold, mildew, etc.
4. HD24 Pre Grind is designed to be aggressive on top laitance.

Tek Gel™ for Profiling: – Medium grade gelled acid.

TGP is used for etching concrete when:

1. A 120 sand paper grit opening or profile is required.  This is the profile most manufacturers of coatings, sealers and paints require in order for them to stand behind the warranty of their products.
2. The secondary colorant is not an acid based stain.  We have many contractors use TGP and still get fantastic acid stain burn, however, unless you’re a seasoned applicator, you may be playing with fire. TGP is designed to be aggressive on top laitance.

Xfflorescence:XF is used for:

1. Removal of efflorescence off sealed surfaces with no damage to the sealer.  XF will not etch through the sealer and therefore will not etch the concrete surface.  * When a profile or etch is required, use HD 24 Pre Grind or Tek Gel for Profiling.  If a sealer is present, it must be removed prior to using the gelled acids.

Tek Gel™ for Flattooing™ – Our least aggressive gelled acid.

TGF is used for etching concrete when:

1. The etching concrete surface has been troweled so tight you know, even before you start, you will have a hard time getting acid stain to uniformly burn in. TGF will give you a soft suede uniform opening of the etching concrete surface but will leave most of the top laitance in tack, and as you know, that is how acid stains react and burn into the etching concrete. Acid stains are only 9% acid and are not strong enough to uniformly open up a tightly troweled surface.
2. Any time you know your secondary coloring will be acid stain, i.e., decorative images and modeling for amazing etching concrete.

SGT’s Gelled Acid products make surface prep easy, eliminating failures and warranty issues.

Stain Mule - The Color Thickener

The Mule will thicken both acid stains and water based colorants.  When color placement control is necessary, the “Mule” is your product, even on vertical surfaces.

Flattoos™: – Vinyl adhesive templates  Flattoo Catalog

We offer unlimited graphics for corporate logos, trademarks, decorative borders, medallions, etc.   Our Flattoo Stock catalog has over 500 to choose from and we add to it weekly.

We have no design, detail, size or even language restrictions.

You can view our Stock Flattoo™ designs by clicking this link:

Flattoo Catalog

We also offer the following alternative templates:

1. sandblast mats
2. medium thick new material – Don’t even have a name for it yet. This new material is slightly thicker than the Flattoo vinyl, thinner than the sandblast vinyl and is also a less aggressive adhesive.  Fantastic for skim coats.

We’d love to be your art department in Etching Concrete!!!

Call -  (480) 420-0878 to brainstorm your next project -

Always free quotes, advice and technical support!!