Here in New England, we are all too familiar with long winters and the weather they bring. Although several products are used on the roadways to keep our driving conditions as safe as possible, it doesn’t always mean these are the best products for our home. For instance, rock salt and sand are excellent means of thawing away the dangerous ice on the roads. However, rock salt can cause havoc on your garage flooring.
Imagine driving down a recently treated winter road, you arrive home and pull your car into your garage. Now that your vehicle is out of the harsh outdoor elements, the snow begins to fall off and onto your cement garage floor. However, the snow isn’t going to remain intact; it will melt. Once melting occurs, the water and salts used on the roads will absorb into your flooring if it’s left untreated.
Sub-florescence
As the water seeps into your flooring, the salts do as well. Crystallization of salts is one of the most common causes of deterioration of building materials, such as cement and brick. Sub-florescence is a potentially harmful accumulation of those salts that re-crystallize as moisture evaporates during the spring. The salts gather under the cement surface creating stress within any exposed porous areas. That stress may lead to spalling.
One sure sign that salt has entered your garage is the visibility of white staining on the surface of the floor. However, with the proper steps, salts can be extracted from the cement. Once removed, your trusted coating contractor will properly clean and seal all areas to avoid future damage.
Spalling
If your cement garage flooring is flaking or pitted, chances are spalling has occurred. Spalling is also an indicator of sub-florescence. Spalling occurs when water enters through cracks or other weak areas of the cement and freezes. As we know, what freezes will thaw, at least in New England. Once this freeze/thaw cycle occurs, the expansion and stress the process places on your cement will compromise the overall integrity of the material.
The best way to avoid the harmful effects of New England winters on your garage flooring is to prepare adequately. With solutions such as garage coating, you can protect your flooring against cracks and stains. For more information, contact the team at Premiere Concrete Coatings.
Contact us today at (781) 844-4925 and make sure you don’t have any unwanted surprises next spring.