Concrete Garage Floor Maintenance in Cold Climates

Wednesday’s record snowfall here in southeastern Wisconsin is just adding to the weather challenges we have faced this winter. The January Tornado, sub zero temperature runs, and the copious amounts of snow and ice have been trying for everyone in this region. Like most people we just want to survive the winter and make it to spring. When we get to spring it has become ritual to inspect the yard, trees, home exterior, garage and driveway to see what effects Mother Nature’s fury has dealt. One area most people are disappointed in is the state in which their concrete work is in.

Our municipalities have been very successful in maintaining safe roadways. The way they did this was to attack the snow and ice with different chemical de-icing products. The most aggressive products are used when the temperature gets below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. These products are very corrosive to concrete and have already started to cause damage to area bridges and over passes. Residential concrete flatwork is susceptible to this same corrosive chemical damage.

When you pull your vehicle into your garage and the snow melt drops off of your car it can do extreme damage to your concrete garage floor. The tiny pores in the concrete act as a tunnel to allow the water-chemical mix to infiltrate the surface. The use of liquid magnesium and calcium chloride to de-ice the streets when the temperatures dove below twenty degrees increases the number of freeze thaw cycles the surface must contend. This, combined with the corrosive properties of the chemicals, create a damaging combination for concrete surfaces.

All of this is now complicated by the fact that due to a de-icing shortage the municipalities have gone to mixing sand with the solid forms of calcium chloride to help extend their supply. The combination will only cause even greater damage to concrete due to the abrasiveness of the sand. It is important for homeowners to be proactive and clean their garage floors and driveways whenever weather permits. This will help to decrease the delaminating effects of these chemicals. The maintenance with their concrete is no different than having to rake their roofs to alleviate ice damming issues. Most people can comprehend the importance of painting or staining wood to protect it from the elements. They even realize they should paint steel so it does not corrode. However, it seems hard for home owners to understand that concrete, as a building material, also needs to be protected. It needs to be sealed to stop the infiltration of chemicals such as deicing salts. If the floor is sealed per manufacturer’s recommendation and cleaned periodically it will keep its luster for years to come.