Slippery Rock Gazette

Bob Murrell 

M3 Technologies

Photos by Bob Murrell

Rust from exposure to acid and fumes occurred over an extended period of use. Be sure to rinse well after project completion to avoid rust on your costly equipment.

Freezing temperatures are upon us. Don’t forget to drain equipment before storing or transporting in cold weather!

When temps fall it’s a good time to remove liquids from vans and trailers.

Don’t forget to drain all of the water and slurry from your equipment before storing or transporting.

Well, the Holiday season is upon us once again! I do so love this time of year. In fact, the Christmas Season, the BCS Championship, and the Super Bowl (although with the taking a knee thing, maybe not so much this year) are some of my favorite things of winter, and don’t forget not having to mow the yard, for sure!  I also love the food, pine scents (albeit scented candles, as we have had an artificial tree for the last 20 plus years), my youngest daughter and me watching “The Grinch” with Jim Carrey for the gazillionth time, and of course the plethora of decorations.

Getting all of the boxes of holiday decorations down from the attic is not, however, one of my favorite things. And it goes without saying, putting it back is also a job I procrastinate heavily. Other negatives are common for most of us, like weight gain, overspending, and the beginning of the winter blues. I do not like cold temperatures and short daylight hours, no I don’t!

Oh, and let’s not forget: 2017 has been a very unique and somber year, indeed. We’ve had the most hurricanes to make landfall in the USA and the Caribbean since 2005. The wildfire infernos out west destroyed most everything in their path and thousands lost everything. The senseless tragedy in Las Vegas left us all perplexed and confused. And yet out of all of these horrible situations, Americans rose to the occasion. Some became true heroes, and many simply lent their support. 

Regardless of your political affiliations, what a ride it has been this year! Despite some obvious division in the country, the stock market reached new all-time highs. In my humble opinion, this is mostly due to lower energy prices and market confidence. Because of this market confidence, and from my vantage point, the hard surface restoration and maintenance markets have done fairly well, too. Let’s all hope this continues into 2018.

Now for some technical tips which will hopefully help with your bottom line:

A contractor recently had to hone a polished white marble floor. Because of some lippage, there were some low areas, as there usually are. Honing floor tile with low areas will leave polished “picture frames” that are very hard to remove. Therefore, the contractor used an acid (muriatic or hydrochloric - HCl) to etch these areas, which helped them to blend with the hone. Once this was accomplished, the floor was honed using 100 grit and 200 grit diamond impregnated pads.

Ultimately, the floor turned out fantastic. It looked consistent and nicely honed to a soft, satin patina. So of course, when the project was completed, all of the equipment was removed from the premises and loaded into the trailer, where it stayed over a weekend or so. 

The following week when the machine was removed for the next project, the contractor discovered that all of the chrome parts on the floor machine, i.e. the capacitor covers, motor cover, and brush cover (deck) were totally covered in speckled oxidation, or simply put, rust. You see, the acid and the acidic fumes attacked the chrome, and when it was put in the sealed trailer, the chemical attack process continued.

Now, the process of using the acid on the marble was good form, but the post-process equipment hygiene was not. The machine should have been washed down immediately and probably even wiped down with some general spray lubricant, for good measure. The acidic fumes from muriatic acid will attack chrome and many other metals, so precautions must be taken when using this and other very strong chemicals. Ventilation of the area and mandatory PPE (personal protective equipment) are obviously an important personnel safety issue as well.

As a result of this particular situation, the equipment mostly only suffered from an aesthetic problem, but it could have been worse. I remember a story of a friend who was cleaning his pool with muriatic acid when it began to rain. He sat the acid solution bucket down in the garage and unfortunately forgot about it. The next day when he went to get the solution and continue the process, boy did he have a big problem! He and his son had matching, fully chromed-out Electra Glide Ultra Classics. You know exactly what happened, right? All of the chrome was completely ruined. Now that is a big problem!  

These stories are not related to deter you from using certain chemicals like acid, but to merely inform you of their hazardous potentials. These chemicals are all necessary parts of our available tools, and should be used and handled according to safety laws and instructions, and with respect for their potential hazards. “And that’s all I got to say about that” (spoken with a Greenbow, Alabama accent).

There’s another chemical issue you should be aware of, now that winter temperatures are upon us. For some regions, they started in October. There are many chemicals that survive just fine if frozen, but others do not fare well at all. Certain sealers, densifiers, “guard” products, soaps, and polishing compounds could experience separation and crystal formation, and of course most any liquid has the potential for freezing, thawing, and then expanding and rupturing the container.   

Some alkaline cleaners will form crystals but can be warmed back up slowly in order to be re-dissolved. Products made from emulsions or polymers could become separated and permanently damaged if frozen. In my opinion, all liquid chemicals should be removed from possible freezing temperatures whenever possible. It does not make sense to take a chance, as you are throwing money away when you lose perfectly good chemicals due to freezing temperatures. Finally, remember to drain any water or slurry from floor machines and wet vacs.

If you live in Miami, the danger of freezing chemicals is virtually nonexistent. However, if you live in Chicago, it is inevitable.

As always, I recommend submitting a test area to confirm the results and the procedure prior to starting a stone restoration or maintenance project. The best way to help ensure success is by partnering with a good distributor that knows the business. They can help with technical support, product purchase decisions, logistics, and other pertinent project information.

And from everyone at M3 Technologies, Inc., Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! 

Bob Murrell has worked in the natural stone industry for over 40 years and is well known for his expertise in natural stone, tile and decorative concrete restoration and maintenance. He helped develop some of the main products and processes which revolutionized the industry, and is currently the Director of Operations for M3 Technologies.