Salt On Concrete Driveway Damage

Fresh poured concrete has a higher water content and is even more susceptible to rock salt damage.

Salt on concrete driveway damage.

Thus quality concrete walkways and drives can handle that. Protecting your concrete the number one enemy of concrete is rock salt sodium chloride. The chemical damage can also cause surface discoloration depending on the deicer you choose. While water that freezes thaws then refreezes on concrete is not ideal it is natural.

Salt damage to concrete is common but avoidable. When it snows and the ice starts to melt the water that soaks in the concrete could refreeze if the temperature starts to drop. Rock salt infused concrete can hold up to 10 extra water in it which is that much more potentially destructive pressure for your concrete driveway to bear. The water then expands when the temperature drops which can cause tiny cracks or worse.

The top surface of concrete sidewalks driveways and patios may spall or scale off after you broadcast salt on it to melt snow and ice. One of the most common ways concrete is damaged by salt is through exposure to de icing salts. A polymer modified flowable resurfacing material for making old concrete surfaces look new again. But first you need to understand how and why salt damages concrete.

You need at least a 30 day span between winter and the day your concrete driveway is poured. So you want to know if you can put salt on your concrete driveway huh. It s the addition of salt and other chemical deicers that put too much stress on the pores of the concrete. The answer is yes salt does indirectly damage your concrete driveways patios and sidewalks.

Salt damage to concrete don t blame the salt. According to the michigan concrete association ice melters can cause damage to concrete particularly new concrete. Bumps and potholes don t just appear due to regular wear and tear salt damages concrete over time by causing corrosion to occur under the surface leading to discolored cracked and crumbling concrete. Max goodmanson from goodmanson construction here with a few concrete tips on snow and ice management.

Creative concrete solutions knows how to fix your concrete when this situation occurs. Having cleared snow and ice since 1971 we ve learned a few do s and don ts about cleaning up your driveways and such after the snow hits. It can repair holes up to 1 2 deep when mixed to a thicker paste form then entire driveway can be resurfaced by using it in it s the more liquefied form. Salt is often blamed for damaging concrete.

While effective at melting snow and ice at temperatures as low as 20 f 6 67 c during colder weather it allows melt off to refreeze. Have you ever wondered what the best deicer for concrete is. It s a great alternative to expensive concrete replacement. This leads to a long series of alternating freezing and thawing which will erode your concrete driveway s surface.