The Importance of Professional Salt Pit Removal for Your Concrete Surfaces

Armor Coating Co. is proud to be the leading provider of fast and cost-efficient Salt Pit removal in Duluth, MN, and its surrounding areas. Our licensed technicians help hundreds of business owners and residents protect their real estate investments by preserving their concrete surfaces against the long-term effects of saline water and salinity. We serve a growing list of happy customers who leave us five-star reviews on independent websites and blogs, and we would love for yours to be our latest.

Many customers call our hotline clueless about why their concrete driveways, stoops, and sidewalks are crumbling, cracked, or discolored. In this explainer, our experts will outline why salt and potassium chloride combined with cold water is unsafe for concrete surfaces with no protectants. We will also include a few maintenance tips to help you keep your home or business exteriors looking brand-new in any season.

What Is Salt Pit Removal?

The Science of Snow Removal Through Salting

In many cities across the United States, property owners are responsible for removing the ice and snow accumulating on their sidewalks during winter. When snowfall levels exceed an agreed-upon level, city governments will take over and have professionals from a public works department make sidewalks passable for cyclists and pedestrians. Many building managers and residents rely on homeowners associations to hire maintenance crews to sort out the labor-intensive task.

Public and private contractors use sodium chloride, potassium chloride, or a combination of the two to eliminate snow and ice from exterior structures. Business owners with parking lots for their fleet vehicles, drive-through areas, and open-air industrial facilities usually have designated crews to salt their concrete surfaces on a schedule every winter. According to researchers from Britannica, the United States uses over 20 million tons of salt for ice and snow clearing annually.

When external temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, hydrogen and oxygen molecules rearrange into solid crystalline structures, forming ice and snow. Professionals apply road salt to disrupt this bonding process as its sodium chloride ions destroy connections between hydrogen and oxygen molecules, turning ice back into water even in freezing weather. When temperatures go below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, sodium chloride loses effectiveness, so professionals use calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, and potassium chloride.

The Pros and Cons of Salting

Salting makes sidewalks, driveways, and other concrete structures passable for pedestrians, wheelchair users, and cyclists. It makes public roads traversable during high-traffic hours, preventing thousands of accidents and injuries. However, salting is not without its drawbacks.

According to research from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, nearly 37% of drainages in states where residents and business owners use salt and chlorides to clear sidewalks have salt pileups. In many Northeastern cities, rivers, streams, and other freshwater sources are becoming saltier as road salt drifts into them from snowmelt and rain. Salt pits also form on exterior concrete structures as seasons change, shortening their lifespans and making them look rundown.

How Does Salt Damage Concrete Sidewalks, Fences, and Roads?

Concrete is the leading construction material in the United States. According to market research from Statista, the concrete industry sold more than 109 million metric tons of Portland cement in 2021. As the real estate market continues to boom, many analysts see that statistic growing further.

Concrete is a naturally porous material with billions of tiny holes that can trap water, dust, mold particles, and soluble chemicals like sodium chloride. Salting and using deicers to clear ice and snow does not damage concrete. However, if you allow salt solutions to puddle on top of your concrete for hours until they evaporate, you can expect cracks and discoloration to appear after a few months.

Neglecting Salt Pit Removal Causes Weather-Related Damage

Concrete structures in coastal climates have shorter lifespans and share the same dilemma as ones in snowy places. Cities near the sea generally have more salt and water in the air, causing potassium and sodium chloride to penetrate concrete fences, pillars, and floors. In areas where contractors use deicers to clear ice, salt penetrates concrete floors through snowmelt and rain.

How Do Salt and Concrete Interact?

Most concrete mixes have high calcium hydroxide content, which can interact with the sodium and calcium chloride in most road salt products. This combination produces calcium oxychloride, which expands inside porous concrete, causing crumbling, chemical destabilization, and cracking.

Also, sodium chloride reduces the freezing temperature of H2O and amplifies the temperatures required to initiate the freeze-thaw cycle. Salt will saturate unprotected concrete with nearly 10% more water during the melting process, which expands in its sublayers as temperatures dip lower, generating hydraulic pressure.

Why Professional Salt Pit Removal in Duluth Is Essential

As water evaporates when seasons change, salt, potassium, calcium chloride, and other deicing minerals can stay inside concrete structures and pile up, causing what technicians call pitting. Pitting is cosmetic damage and structural deterioration of the top layers of a concrete slab. It is prevalent in many pool areas and beachfront porches.

If you do not remediate concrete pitting immediately, erosion might cause flaking, permanent stains, and water penetration issues. At Armor Coating Co., our technicians believe prevention is better than cure. We use state-of-the-art sanitation tools and industrial-strength salt removers to eliminate deicers on concrete surfaces.

Contact Us Today

We help homeowners, real estate investors, and building managers maintain the beauty and value of their properties at a cost-efficient price. Call Armor Coating Co. at (715) 934-9037 and get a free consultation for salt pit removal from a team of professionals.

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