How Gel Acid is Creating Business Opportunities in a Challenged Market

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A gel acid as the name implies is an acid that is contained in a gel. They are the most effective product available for cleaning concrete surfaces. Concrete is porous and absorbs dirt, rust, mold & algae or anything else that is subject to gravity.

One of the biggest problems with concrete is that it holds moisture. If the moisture doesn’t dry due to lack of direct sunlight or is in the shade, algae and mold builds and starts getting slippery. Then the surface becomes a slip and fall hazard. This is very common at commercial properties that are shaded by a portico or walkways shaded by trees.

Not only is the concrete covered with algae slippery when dry, when it gets slightly wet it becomes downright hazardous. The beauty of working with gelled acid is that it can be simply rolled on with an ordinary paint roller. A roller provides complete control. The gels do not run like a liquid. The acid works to remove the algae, mold and rust and the gels work as a carrier. It’s a simple process of cleaning the gels, just use a squeegee to pull the product into a pile and cleanup with a dust pan, shovel or wet vac. Any residue left can be washed with a hose since many gelled acids are water soluble and do not contain VOC’s (volatile organic compounds).

This simple process has opened up opportunities for contractors to solve a problem. Until it was discovered that gel technology could be applied to acids using a liquid acid was the only way to effectively clean concrete. The problem with liquids is that they have very little control. They are sprayed on a surface and settle at low spots. Concrete is never flat so liquid acids settle in the low spots with minimal effect on the high spots. This results in an uneven finish requiring extensive labor to complete properly. Overspray also causes problems or at least creates additional labor by taping adjacent areas and extensive cleanup.

As a business opportunity the market is wide open and large. Gels can be applied vertically to clean walls and building facades as well as flat surfaces like pool decks, patios, walkways and stairs. They can be used on brick or stone and even wood and painted surfaces to remove mold without damaging the underlying surface. On slippery concrete surfaces the acids will clean, etch and profile providing a non-slip walkway that can be sealed and protected for years.