Unsealed concrete

by Rob

Q. Our floors in a flower shop processing area are concrete. Someone decided to use muriatic acid to clean them. Now the floor absorbs water very fast and they are not planning to use any sealer on the floor. We have lots of leaves and flower debris being walked on at times and the floor is unsealed concrete. My question is should this interior floor be sealed after the muriatic acid wash? If not will it be damaging to the floor because we spill lots of water on it and it absorbs that so fast?

A. The concrete floor should be sealed to protect it and also make it easier to clean. After the acid wash, a baking soda and water solution should have been used to neutralize the acid for clean up. After the floor is dry (24 - 48 hrs) A film-forming sealer can be applied to the concrete using a paint roller or pump up sprayer. The concrete sealer will keep any water and organic matter from the leaves from being absorbed into the concrete. You can buy this sealer at a concrete supply store in your area. A 5 gallon bucket should cost about 75.00 dollars and will cover 800 - 1000 square feet for two coats. Apply it in two light coats instead of one thick coat. For more information click on concrete sealer.