Oxalic wet or dry

[JustMe 14]

How do you guys normally use Ox, do you try and put it on after the surface has almost dried or when it is fairly wet? Do you do it the same for wood as you do concrete.

The reason I ask is I had some tough rust stains to remove and when the surface was wet it would not touch them and I found that odd, but it was on a vertical surface.

[Paul B. 523]

We normally apply oxalix to a dry concrete surface because when you apply it to a wet surface it becomes diluted. On concrete, in most cases you need to most concentrated form to remove rust.

In case of wood brightening, you have more latitude (meaning it will work in highly diluted form) it may take a little bit longer.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

On wood...wet.

Beth :groovy3:

[reed 500]

Absolutely wet on the wood surface, try not to let a stripped deck dry, if you can't brighten right away, then at least keep the deck wet, but stripper will keep working until you nuetralize it. 2lbs, per 5 gallons is a normal neutralizing/brightening mix.

reed

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Reed nailed it! And if the stripper keeps on working, you'll get more fuzzing...you want to minimize that. Once you strip it's really important to neutralaize as quickly as possible after your strip wash.

Patience in step one as you strip

Wash when the stripper has done the job, test to see where it is by scratching at it

Once you wash, have your Neutralizer ready to go ASAP. (pre mix and have ready to roll)

Let dwell, watch brighten, then rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse....and rinse...

Some folks don't rinse, but we do since we want to avoid the powdery residue and have clean bare wood to seal up.

Beth :groovy: :groovy2: :groovy3:

[JustMe 14]

Thanks guys that is most helpful, do you need to rinse it once it has brightened concrete or just leave it on.

Ron

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Rinse.

Beth

[JustMe 14]

Thanks again! :)

[Aplus 525]

Now I use citric acid, and I do not rinse after applying it.

When I used oxalic, I always rinsed.

However, I do like to give the house and grounds a final rinse after applying whatever brightener used. Don't like the chance that maybe a little splashed on a doorwall, or a window somewhere. I'm not willing to risk etching something.

[troyt 14]

For removing rust off vinyl siding, how much oxalic acid would you mix with 5 gal of water? How about steel siding? I was told on steel siding with rust that the best thing to do is sand blast to metal, and within 30 min repaint. What go you guys and gals use as a corrosion inhibitor?

[JustMe 14]

2 lbs per 5 gals is what I have been using.

[JustMe 14]

2 lbs per 5 gals is what I use.

Double vision?

[John Orr 206]

2 lbs sounds about right. Warm or hot water will help it mix more completely. Do't mix over concrete...unless you will be spraying the whole area.