There are a few potential threats to your concrete that only show up at certain times of year, and a good example in a place like Utah is road salt. Road salt is only used during the winter, to help remove icy patches and make roads safer, but it’s possible that during these periods, salt can impact your concrete surfaces.
At Lift-Up Concrete Lifting LLC, we’re happy to offer a wide range of commercial and residential concrete lifting and leveling services for clients throughout Utah. Our clients’ needs for concrete repair can vary widely, including cases where road salt has contributed to damage that’s taken place. How can this happen, and how can you be sure your concrete surfaces are protected this season? Here’s a primer.
How Salt Can Damage Concrete
As you may know, concrete is a porous material that absorbs water quite easily. However, it’s often not the actual moisture that causes damage within your concrete slabs — rather, it tends to be the presence of what are known as deicers, or small non-liquid pieces that cause the actual deterioration. And in some cases, salt can serve as a deicer for your concrete slab.
This happens when chemicals in concrete react with the salt. Specifically, calcium hydroxide that’s found in concrete reacts with calcium chloride in salt, which leads to internal cracks and a breakdown of the concrete. When it comes to a potentially damaging substance like salt, being proactive is one way to help protect your concrete from harm this winter.
Quality Concrete is More Resistant
Luckily, concrete surfaces that have been created or repaired in high-quality ways will resist damage from winter road salts. One method here involves sealing the concrete, which can be done in a few ways.
This isn’t always even necessary, though. As long as you’re paying attention to any concrete damage and maintaining quality concrete repairs, you’ll avoid opportunities for salt to get in and cause problems. As long as you maintain quality concrete repairs, you should be fine to use salt on your property this winter without worrying about damage . However, if any signs of cracking or deterioration start appearing on the surface of your property, it’s a good idea to get them treated before the problem gets out of hand.
Repairing Salt-Related Damage
And if you’re in a situation where salt-related chemical reactions have already caused significant cracking or other damage to your concrete, don’t panic — our team is here to help. We’ll provide a thorough evaluation of the situation and let you know what repairs are necessary. Often times, these types of repairs can be completed without needing to replace large sections of your concrete surface — which saves you a lot of money in the long run!
For more on protecting your concrete from road salt, or to learn about any of our concrete lifting and leveling services throughout Utah, speak to the staff at Lift-Up Concrete Lifting, LLC today.
