Red dirt

What do you guys use to clean new concrete on residential?

A local builder called and asked if I would strart doing his concrete cleanup before newe owners move in.He said the guy that does it now is way to undependable.He said the other guy wouold spray muratic acid on the new concrete and wash it off.Anybody familiar with this method?

I've done a lot of new homes before but the green concrete makes me nervous because some of it is real soft and will stripe if its too green.

I see some of you use oxalic to clean it with but I've never used it and I also don't want to kill the new sod.

It is very ignorant, stupid and obviously uneducated to use Muriatic Acid on concrete, especially new concrete, it eats 1/16" or 1/8" of the cream coat.

New concrete should be at least 30 days old before anyone uses any pressure on it and still then you can scar, carve and shave the cream off the top.

I can't believe that they will let those morons drive on it within 30 days of being poured. It is a shame that people doing the work know hardly anything about the product they are selling and forming.

Red clay stains will come off with chemicals but I would make sure that the concrete is more than 30 days old and make sure that nobody left permanent tire tracks, oil spots, etc... in the concrete.

If it is more than 30 days, then you can use the EacoChem or Prosoco products made for that. Other brands are not as good and you will be throwing away your money for trying to save a few dollars.

I agree on the muratic.I don't really like to use it because its to agressive for me.I just tried to clean up behind a guy that spilled something on a driveway and he used muratic to clean it up.It's not pretty dead grass,driveway all streaked up the whole works.

I've used some products that work great but at $25 per gal they aren't cost effective.

I really want to land this builder because they build ALOT of houses,but they also turn them around in 120 days which in my opinion is still green concrete.

You have to show them that you are the professional and you know what is best - and muriatic ain't it! EaCoChem's products, although they may seem to be expensive at first glance, are very economical when you consider dilutions - particularly on new crete. We've done 1000's of new construction driveways - never damaged one and used VERY little chemical if any if it was less than 30 days old (and yes, we have red clay in North Carolina).

I agree that the chems are more expensive than just blasting away and destroying someone's new driveway.

I agree that the chems will give you superior results without damaging the driveway.

I agree that to do the job right, you need the right equipment, knowledge and chems.

I agree that to be in the business, you need to charge accordingly otherwise you are just trying to sell your service based on price only, if you do that, there is nothing separating you from the Hacks and lowballers that just destroy stuff and give the industry a black eye.

Educate the customer about the higher cost for using the chems for a damage-free job and I am sure they will understand. If they don't and just base it on price, then that is not the contractor I would want to work with.

You will become his little price who__. Is that what you want or do you want to be professional and make a business and be successful?

The choice is up to you.

Christopher said:

It is very ignorant, stupid and obviously uneducated to use Muriatic Acid on concrete, especially new concrete, it eats 1/16" or 1/8" of the cream coat.

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Chris don't be so harsh, Makes me feel I didn't make a good 1st impression on you!
They are several different styles, methods,
chemicals to clean a homes, concrete and roofs etc.
On any of the above the key is safely using the correct mixture and amounts of soaps, degreasers, cleaners, Sh, and acids and applying and removing it a way you feel comfortable with, but make sure you know what is compliments your mixture, ALWAYS know your soaps, chemical and acids make sure you know what you can mix and what you can't.
The problem is not acid that we use to clean to concrete but the way the concrete is mixed, poured and worked.
Hear contractors tend to CUT COST by not curing the concrete at all, which dramatically drops the PSI strength in the concrete, the laborers tend to use more water to get more coverage.
When concrete is properly poured and cured you have no problem using a acid (diluted properly)cleaning with a surface cleaner.
I have found out if you run a surface cleaner and it marks and streaks it after a year the results will be the same.
Why this itches me so much ...builders are putting the responsibility on us not to damage their poor quality concrete.

This is a great post. I just cleaned my driveway and sidewalks yesterday, and I left the surface cleaner in once spot for about 4 seconds, and now I have a giant circle etched into it. Then when I started cleaning the sidewalks, it left long red stripes in it. My house is 8 months old, and I figured it would be ok to clean, but it really looks like crap now. What do I do? And am I able to make them redo the concrete for ot doing it properly the first time?

Scott D. said:

This is a great post. I just cleaned my driveway and sidewalks yesterday, and I left the surface cleaner in once spot for about 4 seconds, and now I have a giant circle etched into it. Then when I started cleaning the sidewalks, it left long red stripes in it. My house is 8 months old, and I figured it would be ok to clean, but it really looks like crap now. What do I do? And am I able to make them redo the concrete for ot doing it properly the first time?

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I have had the builder meet me at the homeowners home and showed them personaly how soft the concrete was and showed them the fine sand texture that was washed off after a wash and explained to them that the PSI strengh was not 4000 which If it was most 3000-3500 pressure washers would not damage it (properly tipped).
Bottom line once damage is done, nothing you can do, one day someone will be sued, I just hope the pressurewashing contractor has a better case than the builder!!

We use muriatic acid to clean the release powder that has adhered itself to stamped concrete. When we finish with the wash we have a consistent and balanced color ratio of release and hardner.

I should have worded it better, sorry about that.

What I meant to say is that too many people just getting into the business or just do not know anything about chems and how to properly apply them are doing a lot of damage and that is what really sucks.

I agree with you Al. If you can talk some sense into those guys and let them know that people are really tired of substandard work and quality and it will probably end up in the courts if they don't start to change and give people what they are paying good money for.

I have to reduce my pressure most of the time to around 2500psi if I am not sure about the concrete or if it has that low bidder look to it.

I agree that it is us that will get the blame if we damage the poor quality, low bidder work that they want cleaned.

Too many times you can see the cream come off with hardly any pressure and I show the homeowner or PM and they just get angry and I explain about the pressure, nozzles, etc... so they understand that I am trying very hard not to damage their low bidder concrete.

I just can't believe that people are not having more slump tests done and making sure that the work being done is up to standard but I guess that would take a guy being there most of the morning that knows what to look for and make sure they get there within the 2 hour window and do not wet the concrete down to make it easier to work with and the other short-cuts they use.