Does Salt Damage Concrete Flooring?

Salt’s Impact on Concrete

As winter weather moves in, so does the potential for snow, sleet and ice. And with that comes salt! Salt will be on the roads and sidewalks and will eventually end up on your shoes and your car. So that means it will make its way down your driveway, into your garage and into your home.

But what’s the big deal?

The issue is that salt can damage concrete flooring over time. The salt infiltrates the porous surface of concrete, which can cause water to enter. Because salt lowers the freezing point of water, this reaction then begins a repeated freeze-thaw cycle. The eventual results are cracks, spalling and gradual deterioration.

Prevent Concrete Floor Damage from Salt

Avoiding contact with salt in the winter isn’t realistic, especially when your car is regularly coming in contact with salted roads, but you do have some other options for mitigating damage.

1. Keep it Clean: Removing salt from the surface as quickly as possible can help prevent long-term damage. On warmer days, you can also hose down any lingering salt.
2. Maintain It: If you have existing cracks or damage, the surface will be more prone to more damage. If you regularly inspect and repair any signs issues, you can get ahead of future problems.
3. Seal It: When you apply a sealant to concrete, it creates a protective barrier that will minimize salt’s effect on the surface.

Will Epoxy Prevent Salt Damage?

One option for sealing the surface is to add epoxy to your garage, basement or other surface. Epoxy adds a protective layer over the concrete, which makes it more durable and resistant to salt and other chemical reactions. When you walk across an epoxy surface with salt on your shoe, you’ll leave a residue that can easily be cleaned up.

Epoxy Also Helps Prevent Winter Slips

In the winter, you also may end up with patches of ice, melted snow and other moisture sources in your garage. Swayd’s epoxy flooring system can include adding aluminum oxide to the final coat to add a fine, “sand-paper-like” texture into the surface, which will prevent people from slipping on water, ice, oils or chemicals that might have accumulated on the floor.

Get Ahead of the Winter Damage

Do you want to protect a surface from the damaging effects of salt? Swayd Epoxy Floors can help determine if an epoxy floor application may be right for you. Get an estimate.