Acid Washing New Pattern Imprinted Concrete

Washing the Release Agent from the surface of the completed PIC is a vital part of the process and exposes the raw colour and pleasing aesthetics of the paving and brings the PIC “to life”. Acid Washing is one very critical part of the wash-off process. Many people do it. Some do not. It is a simple job that is easy to undertake and costs very little to complete, yet the benefits are very tangible.

 

Acid Washing reduces the chance of:

• Sealer delamination.
• ‘Tyre tear’ aka ‘plucking’ where the car gets parked.
• “Tramlines” appear up the drive where the antiquing has worn away.

Acid Washing also allows greater control of:

• Degree of antiquing effect across the PIC.
• Amount of antiquing from one pour to another.

 

When acid washing is undertaken as the “norm” on ALL installations completed (even patios and pathways), the feedback Dr Concrete receives from installers is often along the lines of:

“Changed my life”

“I don’t have sealer problems anymore”

“Wish I’d started doing it years ago when it was initially suggested to me”

Plus, if the acid washing process prevents just ONE call back and remedial per year, then any money spent on the Acid Wash process during that year is more than paid for!!

 

I see guys working hard doing:

• All the expensive work, e.g. muck away, stoning up, concrete, labour.
• All the hard physical work, e.g. digging out, laying concrete, printing concrete.
• All the highly skilled work, e.g. colouring and patterning the concrete.

Yet, they then don’t do the cheap, easy, simple work – which is the Acid Washing!

Although acid washing is simple, it MUST be undertaken correctly or the surface of the paving will be damaged and a grainy/sandy surface will be created, which is very difficult to rectify. Done correctly and in a controlled and diligent manner, no problems will occur, only benefits from this process.

 

Dr Concrete