Resists Salt Prevents Damage

Salt Repellent

Concrete has two archenemies: water and salt. Although water is important in making concrete, it can also be destructive. It carries aggressive substances such as chloride ions from road salts into the concrete.

What kind of salt are we talking about?

Salt damage is most commonly due to exposure to de-icing salts. However, any chemical containing chlorides, including sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride etc. found in “safe de-icing chemicals,” fertilizers, ocean water, etc. present a danger to the concrete. Sodium chloride also known as rock salt, it the most common deicing salt. Rock salt releases the highest amount of chloride when it dissolves and is extremely damaging to untreated concrete. Magnesium chloride is a newer deicing salt that releases 40% less chloride into the environment than rock salt or calcium chloride but can still be just as damaging and corrosive. All are mildly acidic and attack the bonds that hold concrete together. When there is an ingress of salt, chloride ions are able to penetrate deep into the concrete.

Why use a salt repellent sealer?

The safest way to protect your concrete from deicing salt exposure is to not use any deicing salts; however, this is not always possible. If you are going to use deicing salts use them sparingly since heavy and repeated use can result in permanent damage. Also make sure to seal your concrete before exposing it to any indirect or direct deicing salt exposure. Indirect deicing salt exposure can occur when your vehicle tracks in chlorides from the roadways. Much of the damage caused by deicing salts and chlorides can be prevented or reduced by means of a water repellent sealer. By using a water repellent sealer to keep water out, the amount of water and deicing salts absorbed is greatly reduced. The concrete remains dry and is consequently less susceptible to damage.

Freeze-Thaw Damage

Freeze-thaw damage is caused by the continual thawing and freezing of water and moisture in concrete. When water freezes, it expands about 9 percent. As the water in moist concrete freezes it produces pressure in the pores of the concrete. The cycle occurs readily in nature and is common where temperatures reach below freezing at night and rise in the daytime. As the temperature keeps dropping, new water freezes and subsequently thaws and the crack gets nine percent larger than before. Each time this cycle occurs, the crack gets bigger and bigger. The accumulative effect of successive freeze-thaw cycles can eventually cause expansion and cracking, scaling, and degradation of the concrete.