Winterizing Garage Floors: Part 2

How to Rescue Garage Floors Stained by Road Salt

2018-01-10

Last week's article covered the effect that winter has on concrete garage floors. The same salt and deicers that we trust to keep the roads safe, get deposited on garage floors over the course of the winter, seeping into the porous bare concrete and wreaking havoc below the surface.

Those chemicals create a solution that can reemerge as ugly salt stains and damaged concrete come spring. Now, you could wait for your clients' harsh spring awakening...

Or you can begin booking appointments now to evaluate, clean, repair and coat their concrete garage floors to prevent any further damage - or encourage clients to book their spring clean-and-coatings now for early-bird special pricing. (For more ideas on preventing a seasonal dip in business, read 5 more tips here.)

So, how do you clean winter-damaged concrete?

Before you reach for the pressure washer, think again. Although tempting, high water pressure does not always remove salt stains, since it can drive the salty brine deeper into the concrete - only to reappear again. Here are cleaning instructions, in 5 simple steps:

1. Clear and clean the entire garage floor to expose any damage or salt stains.

2. To remove salt stains, prepare a solution: 1 cup vinegar and a squirt of dish soap to every gallon of warm water. (Water alone won't do the trick).

3. Apply the mix to the stains and scrub with a stiff brush or broom.

4. Remove the residue with a mop or - better yet - wet vac; this prevents the road salt brine from being redeposited into the concrete pores when you...

5. Rinse thoroughly with water.

The risk of redepositing salt is why rinsing with warm water alone does not remove the chemicals effectively. Tough salt stains may require repeating the process.

Most salt stains will come up with a little elbow grease; but if you need a tougher cleaning solution to remove particularly stubborn stains, or other oil and dirt, consider using a commercial-grade cleaner, that can be used on concrete. (Apply and remove residue in the same way as described above, to prevent re-dispersing the salt back into the pores of the concrete).

Once the salt is removed, it is time to repair any pitting or spalling that may have been caused by the salt or deicing fluids. You can learn more about how to repair minor damage - including our product recommendations - here.

Challenged by a particularly salty garage floor? Looking for product guidance? Look no further. Schedule a (free) no-obligation chat with one of our flooring experts here.