The need to neutralise floors

With the trend towards more aggressive strongly alkaline strippers comes the problem of high levels of alkalinity left in the floor to create reduced adhesion and reduced life from the sealers being applied.

Other problems that can be blamed on alkalinity are inter-coat hazing and powdering of sealers all leading to reduced life and increased costs associated with the floor maintenance.

Ideally stone floors (terrazzo, marble, exfoliated granite as well as concrete floors) should have a pH around 8.5 – 9 maximum. Normally you will find that the cement matrix on terrazzo will normally be above 10.5 and when alkaline strippers are used this can climb to 11+.

NEUTRO is the answer

By applying NEUTRO to the floor after stripping with an alkaline stripper you remove a great deal of the risk associated with alkaline floors. Polish or sealers not bonding, hazing between coats and even powdering can be prevented if coatings are laid correctly.

Use on ceramics, terracotta and resilient sheet or tile floors. Don’t just limit the use of NEUTRO to stone floors or after stripping. Restoration and deep stain removal on hard baked vitrified or ceramic tiles with PUNCH can easily be neutralised when followed with a NEUTRO rinse to ensure that sticky alkaline residues don’t create high levels of re-soiling on the freshly cleaned surface.

Removal of Efflorescence and Light rust marks

Vitrified tiles, terracotta tiles laid on external or water affected areas can turn white when alkaline salts leach and deposit on the surface or in the grouting. Rust or brown mineral staining can also occur.

NEUTRO has a multi-purpose use

If there is only a light deposit, NEUTRO can be used to restore the original colour without affecting the glaze or original surface appearance. If heavy deposits are in evidence, use the more aggressive Research Products DESCALER as directed.

Advantages of NEUTRO

• Increases adhesion of sealers to the floor.
• Helps prevent powdering of sealers.
• Helps prevent inter-coat hazing of sealers.
• Reduces efflorescence build-up on terracotta and vitrified tiles.
• Removes light rust and water staining build-up from vitrified and terracotta tiles.

Directions

Neutralising
Stripping floor with STEAMROLLER 2 or alkaline stripper as directed on the label. Apply NEUTRO in the first rinse whilst picking up the stripper slurry or after the first rinse. It is more effective to apply after slurry pick-up so a large volume of neutraliser solution can remain on the surface. Because NEUTRO is able to quickly penetrate deep within the floor matrix, it only needs to remain on the surface for one or two minutes. Other neutralisers require up to 10 minutes to activate.

Dilutions: Neutralising

Dilutions – Efflorescence and Rusty water stains

pH Testing

It’s a very good idea to use pH papers to test that the pH is around 9 or less on your stripped floors. Use pH papers dipped into a drop or two of distilled water that is spread onto the test area and allowed to absorb the pH of the floor. This will take about 5 minutes. To increase absorption rub water deposit in a circular motion, with latex gloved fingers for two minutes, then test pH.

NEUTRO is not considered hazardous according to the criteria of WorkSafe Australia.