What works best to get rid of Efflorescence muriatic acid or a different type of cleaner?

Answer 1

Bob is awesome

A Real Answer:::

Muriatic acid is around 30% + Hydrochloric Acid and is very harmful to any Portland Cement based material, be it concrete [poured, pumped or pneumatically applied], as well as grout mixes! This type acid attacks the lime in the mix which is the binder that holds a concrete together. Besides disintegrating a concrete it reduces the pH and sets you up for more problems in the long term. We do not recommend Muriatic At All! Several cleaners on the market profess to be a cleaner or remover. I use a buffered phosphoric product!

First, we mechanically abrade the surface, removing as much of the salts as possible. Then we apply our remover and observe an aggressive bubble condition for 10 or so minutes. Rinse and reapply until no more bubbling is seen. This may require several applications to insure complete removal, however we have not compromised the concrete and created any conditions that will exacerbate a future problem. Rinse again and test for surface pH and provide a bath if necessary to bring the surface back to a 6-7 pH range.

Once the efflorescence has been removed, apply a penetrating sealer, such as StableCrete to the surfaces to waterproof the concrete. A penetrating sealer migrates into the Gel-Pore/Capillary of a concrete and forms a solid inside the matrix. This stops contaminates and moisture from entering and also does not allow internal chemistry to migrate out of a concrete to react with an atmosphere! Efflorescence does not reappear and by having a reduced moisture content interior, freeze thaw damages are no longer a concern!