How to Maintain Your Concrete After Salt Pit Removal

As the leading provider of salt pit removal in Duluth and its surrounding areas, our licensed technicians at Armor Coating Co. receive hundreds of questions from residents and business owners about how saline water and salinity can damage their real estate investments. Salt pit and potassium chloride cleanup are two of our most-requested services, and we love helping our customers learn how to maintain their concrete decks, porches, sidewalks, and entryways.

The soluble properties of salt and the melting process of ice and snow can make concrete maintenance challenging, and we understand the post-winter dilemmas of our customers. In this article, our technicians at Armor Coating Co. will outline how to maintain your concrete surfaces after salt pit removal. We will also throw in a few tips on how to avoid salt, potassium, and calcium buildup in future winters.

How Does Cold Water and Salt Damage Concrete Surfaces?

Research from Statista reveals that concrete is the number-one construction material in the United States, with a market size growing to more than 109 million metric tons sold in 2021. Many homeowners and renters don’t know that Portland cement is a naturally porous material made from a combination of binders, gravel, and sand. It features billions of near-microscopic holes that mold spores, soluble chemicals, and moisture can penetrate, weakening its supportive capabilities.

At Armor Coating Co., we recommend coating your concrete floors with epoxy or polyurethane compounds to prevent water damage. In many areas in the United States, property owners use salt, calcium chloride, and potassium chloride to clear snow and ice from exterior structures. They have ions that loosen the molecular bonds between oxygen and hydrogen atoms in freezing temperatures, preventing them from crystallizing into ice.

How Calcium Oxychloride Can Damage Concrete

Research from the Transportation Research Board reveals that local governments and property owners use more than 10 million tons of salt to eliminate ice from driveways and public roads. Most road salt products lose effectiveness when temperatures drop below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, leading professionals to use calcium-based alternatives.

Most Portland cement mixes have calcium hydroxide, which can bond with calcium chloride deicers or the calcium compounds inside sodium chloride particles, forming calcium oxychloride or CAOXY. CAOXY compounds expand in the sublayers of concrete structures, causing integrity issues and cosmetic cracks. It also saturates bare concrete with up to 10% more water during the freeze-thaw cycle, generating additional hydraulic pressure when water becomes ice in its inner layers.

Why Salt Pit Removal in Duluth Is Essential for Maintaining Real Estate Values

Our concrete experts at Armor Coating Co. go on hundreds of salt pit removal jobs in Duluth and the surrounding areas annually. Deicers will cause cosmetic damage on concrete structures when left to dry as the seasons change. Spalling, cracking, dusting, and cracks are prevalent features of poorly maintained concrete sidewalks and fences.

Cosmetic damage on exterior concrete structures can drastically impact curb appeal and lower real estate values. Nearly 99% of the active members of the National Association of Realtors believe curb appeal is essential for maintaining home and commercial property values. Structures with rundown-looking exteriors get fewer clicks in online marketplaces and interested buyers, leading to lower offers.

Salt pit removal is an essential service for many neighborhoods in Duluth, but the post-work maintenance process is something that residents and business owners often overlook.

Protecting Concrete Surfaces After Salt Pit Removal

Protect your concrete from moisture penetration, mold formation, and other weather-related damage involves using market-tested sealers. Our concrete experts from Armor Coating Co. use a broad range of industrial-strength products to shield concrete structures from saline water and salinity in the air, including the following:

Use a Densifying Sealer

Our crew uses branded sealers with concrete densifiers to remediate damage from saline water penetration and prevent damage in future winters. Products like LiON Hard, Concrete Sealer X-1, and Prosoco LS provide a durable layer of protection against airborne and waterborne salt sources.

Densifying sealers are perfect for concrete surfaces that already feature dusting, pitting, and spalling before concrete removal. They contain lithium silicate and sodium compounds that can interact with the calcium silicate hydrate molecules beneath the top layer of your concrete surface, toughening its top and sublayers by up to 45%. Densifiers make concrete more resistant to abrasion, impact damage, and long-term effects from deicers.

We exclusively use fast-curing products with low volatile organic or VOC content, resulting in a coated surface safe for children and pets.

Use Water Repellant Sealers

A water-repellant sealer prevents moisture from penetrating the top layer of a concrete slab. Salt and deicers lower the freezing temperature of the water, causing it to penetrate concrete pores in sub-zero temperatures. Without a water-repellant sealer, moisture will freeze within the slab, causing cracks and spalling.

We use water-repellant sealers after coating a concrete surface with a densifier for all-weather protection. We apply two to three coats of a densifier before using a silane siloxane or silicone water-repellent with a pump sprayer.

Use Acrylic Sealers

Acrylic sealers are available in water and solvent-based formulations and can protect PVC, wood, aluminum, iron, and concrete surfaces from moisture penetration.

Our technicians can apply them in stamped, colored, and exposed aggregates. They usually cure in less than an hour and provide all-weather protection for two to five years.

Get Professional Advice from Salt Pit Removal Experts

For more detailed advice on maintaining your concrete surfaces after salt pit removal, call Armor Coating Co. at (715) 934-9037 and schedule your free consultation today.

How Much Do Your Concrete Floor Coatings Cost?

Each project is customized to your particular concrete flooring needs. Every job we do is different, because we offer different types of coatings and finishes.  We will work with you to develop a free estimate keeping your budget in mind. 

How Long Will The Concrete Coating Last?

We use the highest quality materials in our polyaspartic floor coatings and we’ve perfected our application process to make the concrete coating permanent.  Once completely cured and adhered, the concrete coating is meant to last as long as the substrate it’s adhered to.

What Are The Benefits Of Using Polyaspartic Floor Coatings Over Epoxy Floor Coatings?

Polyaspartic Floor Coatings dry more quickly than Epoxy Floor Coatings, and the finish is also more durable.  Our floor concrete coating finishes are also more slip-resistant and will not discolor like some Epoxy Floor Coatings.

How Long Do I Need To Stay Off My Concrete Floor Coating After It Is Installed?

Our flooring cures within a few hours, however our team of professionals recommends waiting at least 4-6 hours before walking on your brand new concrete coated flooring. After 12 hours, you can begin moving lightweight objects onto the flooring, like light patio furniture.  We recommend waiting a full 24 hours before moving anything heavy back into the area where we’ve applied the coating (your car, heavy equipment or furniture etc.).

Will My New Concrete Floor Coating Turn Yellow?

It sure won’t! Our concrete floor coverings will not yellow or discolor, because they are UV stable. This  one of the many benefits of using Polyurea or Polyaspartic floor coatings.

Will I Need To Reseal My Concrete Floor Coating?

If you follow our maintenance and cleaning guidelines, you should not have to worry about resealing the concrete floor coating. We offer a professional grade cleaner that will easily remove stains or tire marks, but will also preserve the life of your concrete coating topcoat.

How Long Does It Take You To Apply Concrete Floor Coatings?

We’ve perfected our 6-step application process, so most typical projects take between 5-10 hours depending on the square footage.  We pride ourselves in a one-day application, and will do everything possible to stay within that time frame.  Rainy weather can delay the project, but it is rare.

How Do I Care For My Concrete Floor Coating?

You can clean our concrete coatings with typical sweeping, mopping or steaming, and hoses.  We offer maintenance services should your concrete flooring ever need cleaning, however you can also use non-abrasive cleaners, like CLR, to remove grease or other stains. 

Will Oil Stain My Concrete Floor Coating?

Armor coatings are oil resistant as well as moisture resistant.

Who Invented Polyaspartic Coatings?

Bayer Material Science first developed Polyaspartic coatings in the 1990’s to protect steel bridges and infrastructure from rusting and corrosion. It has since been modified for different applications, once being durable concrete flooring coatings.

What Are Polyaspartic Concrete Coatings?

Polyaspartic Concrete coating is another name for Aliphatic Polyurea, which is a hybrid material consisting of ester and other materials. It was originally developed to coat metal bridges.  It was later used to coat concrete flooring due to its durability and moisture resistance. Polyurea is also used to coat truck bed liners.

Can Polyaspartic Floor Coatings Be Used Outside?

They sure can!  We offer wonderful solutions for driveways, patios, and even the area around the pool.  Our coatings are all UV stable, which will help prevent discoloration or flaking.

What Types Of Environments Can Polyaspartic Floor Coatings Be Used?

Polyaspartic flooring coatings can be used in a variety of environments.  The durability, slip resistant finish is fantastic for any industrial setting, storefronts, patios, or even driveways or garages.

How Are Polyaspartic Floor Coatings Applied?

We have perfected a six step process for applying Polyaspartic Floor Coatings that involves prepping the floor, basecoating, applying chips, scraping the chips, and applying the clear UV protective clear coat. 

Can I Apply Polyaspartic Floor Coatings In Cold Temperatures?

You can!  Polyaspartic floor coatings are safe to apply in temperatures as cold as -40 degrees.

How Long Do Polyaspartic Floor Coatings Take To Dry?

Our Polyaspartic Floor Coatings are engineered to rapidly cure, and can be dry in a matter of a few hours!  However, we recommend waiting at least 5-6 hours before walking on newly applied coating and 24 hours before moving heavy objects back onto the flooring.

Do I Need To Hire A Professional To Install Polyaspartic Floor Coating?

Installing Polyaspartic Floor Coating correctly is critical to the appearance and durability of your flooring.  Hiring a professional is the best way to ensure that your flooring will look amazing and last a lifetime! Our team at Armor Coatings is certified in Polyaspartic Floor Coating installation and have many years of experience.

Is It Possible To Cover Existing Epoxy Floor Coating With Polyaspartic Floor Coating?

It is!  Polyaspartic floor coatings are specially formulated for their incredible adhesion properties.  If you have existing patches of epoxy coating, our team can sand it down, vacuum, and wipe down the area with a solvent.  Once prepped, we will apply your new, superior, Polyaspartic Floor Coating