Category Archives: Concrete Sidewalk

Sidewalk Spalling: Just How Bad Does It Get?

Posted by on July 2, 2011 No comments
Heavy Concrete Spalling on a local sidewalk in the area.

Several failed attempts to repair this spalling concrete sidewalk have left it looking like a disaster! Had they sealed the concrete and maintained it, all this could have been avoided.

When it comes to poor design for concrete sidewalks, town and city governments are among the greatest offenders. At Concrete Treat, we’ve seen it all — damaged sidewalks, botched repairs, and extensive problems like the mess shown in the picture on the right.

Spalling concrete is more than an eyesore:  on a sidewalk, it can also be a tripping hazard, or present a safety issue for pedestrians who are trying to navigate on the rugged concrete surface.  And once concrete spalling begins, you’ll have an ongoing maintenance and repair battle on your hands.

Causes Of Concrete Spalling

Sections of concrete sidewalk showing extensive damage from scaling, flaking, and spalling.

Concrete surfaces begin to spall when damaged by freezing, expanding water under the concrete surface.

Concrete spalling is caused during cold and thaw seasons.  Water seeps below the surface of the concrete, becoming trapped underneath.  As this water freezes, it expands, pushing upwards on the surface of the concrete.  Over time, this will cause the concrete’s surface to chip, scale, or flake off, leaving an unsightly mess behind.

Along with freezing water damage, concrete can also spall for two other significant reasons:

1.  Rebar Corrosion:  As the steel rebar in concrete begins to rust, it will also expand.  Over time, this expansion due to rust will press significantly on concrete surfaces, causing the concrete to spall.

2.  Rock Salt Forming Subflorescence:   Rock salt is a highly damaging force to concrete surfaces.  Along with enhancing the freeze/thaw cycle of water and enhancing that damage, rock salt is also left behind in the concrete as the water evaporates.  As this rock salt crystalizes, it expands, eventually breaking down concrete.

Preventing Concrete Sidewalk Spalling

Concrete Treat can be used to help prevent water from entering into your concrete, by penetrating deep into the concrete’s pores and sealing them from within.  Sealing your concrete can also help make it easier to clean, easier to remove ice from, and will protect your concrete surfaces from some de-icer salts and chemicals.  It can be applied easily with a spray applicator, roller, paintbrush, or other applicator by anyone — quickly and easily.

Learn more about Sealing Your Concrete With Concrete Treat.

More Photos From The Same Visit

unsuccessful concrete sidewalk spalling repairs.

a concrete sidewalk slab showing severe spalling damage

Concrete showing chipping, flaking, scaling, and spalling damage.

Concrete Treat Visits Superior Stone To Apply Concrete Sealer

Posted by on December 23, 2010 2 comments

The staff at Concrete Treat recently visited Superior Stone Supply (3876 Witney Avenue, Hamden, CT) to apply Concrete Treat to the newly installed paving stones around their entryway. Our visit was about an hour long, during which time we sealed the concrete paving stones to protect them from salt, ice, and from stains from the cars that would be parking on them.

Since we were applying Concrete Treat to concrete paving stones, we thought we’d share a little bit about our visit, including how we applied our product and what it looked like during installation.

Concrete Treat can easily be applied to indoor concrete, outdoor concrete, and newly placed concrete by any contractor, homeowner, or construction company.

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Our Newest Concrete Treat Contractor

Superior Stone streetside sign, with the paving stones they install and seal shown in the background. 

Superior Stone is an installer of interlocking stone pavers, retaining walls, landscaping, and outdoor supplies. They’ve served Hamden, New Haven, and the surrounding counties since 1985.

Superior Stone became a Concrete Treat distributor and applicator this past fall, and since then, they’ve been applying our concrete sealer in many of their paving stone jobs.

I’d never seen their home office before, and, frankly, I was impressed! They have a wonderful showroom, complete with a working fireplace, that was cozy and installed with wall-to-wall options for homeowners interested in installing stonework on the inside or outside of their home.

On the outside of their office, they had wonderful options on display for homeowners wanting to install a paving stone patio, walkway, or garden area.

We had one eye out for their “Mobile Showroom”, but were told that it was on the road, serving customers elsewhere in the state.

The overall ambiance of the area was warm and inviting, and Bill Mastrangelo Jr., the owner, was a friendly, professional man. It’s no wonder his company’s been in business for more than 25 years!

Applying Our Concrete Sealer

a contractor using a sprayer to apply concrete treat to already installed concrete paving stones 

Once applied, Concrete Treat will dry in just 2-4 hours. It’s colorless, unaffected by UV rays, and will not change the appearance of your concrete. It can be applied in freezing temperatures — as low as 28°F and rising.

 

To apply Concrete Treat quickly and effectively, we found a Roundup Lawn & Garden Sprayer to work very well. That kind of spray applicator will generally cost about $20, and can be found at any hardware store. We also used a Cobra Spray Applicator, which are manufactured in Harrisburg, PA.

Applying Concrete Treat to the entire display took approximately a half hour. A single coating of Concrete Treat is all that’s ever needed, and it was easy to see if the concrete was “wet” with the concrete sealer just by looking at it.

We didn’t need any special protection while applying Concrete Treat, as it’s non-toxic and safe to use. This would also have been the case if we’d used it indoors.

Additionally, we did not need to worry about walking on the areas damp with the sealer — it did not affect the treatment, nor did it damage our shoes, skin, or clothes. There was no odor from the sealer at all when we were applying it, and it had the consistency of water overall.

Applying Our Concrete Sealer On Already-Sealed Concrete

a dry spot surrounded by wet spots on the concrete paving stones. This is where our concrete sealer was applied, which will no longer let water in

One interesting thing that happened while we were applying Concrete Treat: We came across an area where we had done a test section for the people of Superior Stone some weeks before.

In the picture on the right, you can see that where we had previously coated several paving stones with Treat, the area remained dry during our second application.

This is because the original layer of Concrete Treat had already completely sealed the paving stones, keeping even the second coat of Concrete Treat sealed out of the concrete.

You will never need to apply Concrete Treat to concrete more than once. In fact, a second coating could potentially lead to spotting on the surface and should be avoided entirely.

drying concrete sealer on paving stones 

Concrete paving stones that have Concrete Treat drying and sealing the pores of the concrete. This picture was taken approximately 20 minutes after application.

 

A Fast Solution For Sealing Concrete Pavers

Before the application of Concrete Treat was completed, the areas where we had started were already beginning to dry, giving the paving stones an interesting appearance.

As it’s drying, concrete that has been sealed with Concrete Treat may look like the surface is slightly white. This is a temporary condition only — the concrete will be indistinguishable from its previous appearance within the 2-4 hour period. In fact, we had no idea where the “test run” area was that we mentioned eariler until we actually wetted the concrete.

The treated paving stone area was available for public use before it was completely dry. Within an hour of beginning to apply Concrete Treat, customers were parking their cars on the paving stones, walking on them, and using the space normally. The sealer was not affected at all by the rain that came soon afterwards.

Sealing Paving Stones With Concrete Treat

water beading up on sealed concrete paving stones 

Closeup of water beading on the surface of concrete paving stones at Superior Stone. The pavers have been sealed with Concrete Treat.

Concrete Treat is a clear product that will never yellow or change its color over time. It will protect your concrete from spalling, chipping, flaking, efflorescence, moisture, salts, de-icers, and stains from oil and other materials.

 

 

By the time the job was done, we had used six gallons of Concrete Treat on the paving stones. Since one gallon of Concrete Treat is enough to treat 300 square feet of concrete, we needed that much to complete 1,700 square foot area.

Even before the Concrete Treat we’d applied had finished drying, it had already begun to protect the concrete from moisture. We tested out one area of the concrete by spraying water from a hose on the surface — and sure enough, water immediately began to bead there.

This was an easy installation! Any homeowner or contractor can easily apply Concrete Treat with a sprayer, roller, brush, or other application method quickly and easily.

If you have any questions about Concrete Treat or would like to order by phone, please call us at (203) 376-9180 today!

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Sealing Your Concrete With Concrete Treat

Posted by on November 27, 2010 2 comments

Protect New or Previously Cured Concrete With Our Innovative Concrete Sealing & Spalling Protection Product

Concrete Treat is effective in both new concrete construction applications and in moisture-sealing in cured concrete. Once applied to concrete, it will harden in 2-4 hours, creating a glasslike vapor barrier seal. Once applied, the concrete is protected from moisture from rain, snow, and other forces– moisture that can seep below the concrete, freeze, and “pop” off the concrete’s finished surface.

In new construction, it’s proven to prevent concrete damage, such as spalling, scaling, flaking, or chipping that occurs during freezing temperatures. One 5-gallon container of Concrete Treat is able to treat up to 1,500 square feet. Click to learn more about third-party Concrete Treat product testing that has been conducted!

To order Concrete Treat today, or to contact us with questions, call or e-mail us today!

Application Guidelines for Concrete Treat

Installing the concrete blanket alternative on wet concrete in new construction

Concrete Treat is applied in a single application with an air or airless sprayer. Application is safe, fast, and easy, and Concrete Treat is neither toxic nor caustic.

The concrete sealer product is safe to apply to both wet and dry concrete, but care should be taken that it’s not applied to glass (cover all surfaces where treatment is not intended before spraying). Unlike tars, Concrete Treat will not have grade-line problems.

Unlike waterproof paints and coatings, it is not prone to peeling, flaking, and chipping off the concrete walls within a few months or a couple years.

Concrete Treat can be used effectively on masonry block, pre-cast and poured concrete walls as well as sidewalks, patios, garages, or any other concrete surface.

Concrete Treat arrives ready-to-use in a 5-gallon container. Application is convenient and easy for even the novice homeowner, and no special equipment, other than the sprayer, will be necessary. Concrete Treat can be applied to both the walls and the floors, giving total concrete protection to a basement or crawl space. It’s recommended that Concrete Treat be applied with an applicator whose orifice size is 0.035 inches ensure proper application. Apply until concrete is saturated, without stopping until the area is completely treated. After application, the equipment cleans up easily with soap and water– the seal should dry within 2-4 hours.

Once Concrete Treat has Sealed your Concrete…Spray on concrete sealer product in its bottle ready to use on concreter or in a basement

New Construction: Your sealed concrete is well-protected from the elements. Concrete Treat will act as a barrier, preventing moisture and salt from invading your porous concrete and damaging the concrete’s surface. Concrete Treat is long-lasting, and it does not yellow or become discolored by ultraviolet rays. It’s been fully tested by SGS US Testing and is proven to stop water without cracking– even in a 20-day freeze/thaw schedule.

For Homeowners: Your concrete’s surface will be ready for painting and coatings, while the sealant keeps humidity from passing through and helps prevent mold growth.

Concrete Treat can help to prepare a basement for finishing by sealing away humidity that would otherwise be trapped behind the basement walls and underneath carpeting, where it would promote rot, mold, and decay. Contact us today by phone or e-mail with your questions and orders!

What Causes Spalling?: A Case Study

Posted by on November 4, 2010 11 comments

Concrete has two layers: an attractive, smooth, outer surface, and a rough, rocky interior. Concrete spalling occurs when the attractive top layer chips away, revealing that ugly interior material.

In my research, I’ve come across a great many explanations of what causes spalling. Some claim that damage and wear are the primary causes of spalling. Others say that spalling is caused by rebar corrosion. I have also seen it claimed that concrete spalling is caused by “carbonation of the concrete where carbon dioxide reacts to chemicals within the concrete”, while even others say that poor concrete construction habits are the culprit for most spalling issues.

The Real Cause of Spalling

severe spalling damage on a concrete staircase. Paving stones are used between the concrete steps and show no damage

Concrete spalling can ruin the appearance of an otherwise decorative landscaping design. In this case, an ornate latticework fence and appealing stonework design is framed by a badly-spalling concrete staircase.

Concrete is a much more complicated material than it may appear at first. There are many different varieties of concrete, each containing different chemical compositions in different quantities.

Each type of concrete is made for a different purpose, and is used in different weather conditions. The concrete mixture is also affected by building practices, time given for curing, weather conditions, and by how much air is allowed to be mixed into the concrete mixture.

These different mixtures are used in different ways. You’re not likely to use the same type of concrete to build a bridge or dam that you use to design your patio or sidewalk.

Additionally, concrete surfaces are treated in many different ways. Polished surfaces, stamped surfaces, and normal concrete surfaces will all be susceptible to different things. And on top of that, indoor concrete experiences different problems than outdoor concrete.

In the end, spalling happens for a wide variety of reasons, and each type of concrete has its own challenges. While rebar corrosion may be a primary cause of concrete spalling in a building, it may not be the foremost reason for a sidewalk to begin to spall and deteriorate.

As a homeowner or landscaper, your primary concern is probably going to be learning how to prevent spalling of outdoor concrete — such as porches, patios, sidewalks, walkways, and steps. But what causes spalling in this kind of concrete?

How Spalling Occurs In Outdoor Concrete

a concrete railing covered in spalling damage from ice and snow.

Spalling is worst where moisture collects the most. While walkways are often cleared of snow and ice during the winter, it may not be cleared off other surfaces. This can lead to additional spalling on those areas.

When it comes to concrete sidewalks, patios, stairways, and similar outdoor concrete, spalling is most commonly caused by two factors:

1. Freeze/Thaw Cycles

Concrete is a porous, absorbent material filled with air cavities for water to collect within. During cold weather, this moisture will collect between the attractive, finished top surface of concrete and the rough material underneath.

Water expands as it freezes. As the water expands within the concrete, it pushes up against this smooth concrete surface. Over time, this will cause the surface to “pop” off, revealing the ugly concrete below.

2. Improper Use of Concrete De-Icer

De-icer and rock salt are commonly abused products that can often lead to significant damage to concrete.

De-icers and rock salts are meant to be spread lightly on icy concrete surfaces, where they loosen the concrete and make it easier to remove. It’s expected that the concrete de-icer will be removed along with the snow and ice it helps to melt.

When this doesn’t happen, the de-icer seeps into the concrete along with the moisture. There, it lowers the freezing point of water and can lead to additional freeze/thaw cycles when the temperature drops. Additionally, rock salt will remain as the water evaporates, crystallizing beneath the surface. As these rock salt crystals build up, they can push up on the concrete surface as well, contributing to spalling.

Other Causes Of Damage To Outdoor Concrete

a concrete wall showing significant damage from water and ice.

Concrete spalling has ruined the appearance of this otherwise beautiful patio area.  By sealing the concrete when it was built, the beauty of this patio could have been preserved.

In the picture to the right (click on the photo to maximize), you can see that the concrete has experienced multiple forms of damage.

Even in the summer, it’s obvious where the water has been allowed to freeze on this concrete. The concrete along the top of the wall is pitted and badly damaged, where snow and ice have collected and led to spalling damage.

As the concrete surface has become more and more damaged and porous, it has begun to absorb stains that the finished surface would have been resistant to.

On the right-hand side of the image, you can see that a metal mounting has also been placed in the concrete, where it has rusted and corroded badly, staining the concrete. The concrete steps on the left-hand side have also been stained by rust damage from an unidentified source that has since been removed.

Outdoor concrete can also be permanently stained by soil, berries from trees, moss and algae, and a wide variety of other types of damage. Removing these stains can be difficult, if not impossible, to do.

Click to learn how to clean outdoor concrete.

Protecting Outdoor Concrete From Spalling

a spalling staircase, with steps showing ice damage but little wear and tear damage

Saying that “wear and tear” is the most common cause of concrete spalling simply doesn’t make sense. If true, wouldn’t the outer edges of these steps show the most wear and tear — and therefore be the most damaged?

When concrete is placed without any protection from the elements, it will eventually become spalled, stained, and damaged.

Your best bet for protecting your concrete from stains and damage is to seal it with a sliane-based concrete sealer before the damage occurs.

Sliane-based sealers work their way deep into the pores of the concrete, where they react with the chemicals of the concrete to create a glasslike barrier within the material.

This glasslike barrier will protect your concrete from damage from water and de-icers by preventing them from being absorbed into the concrete.

As an added benefit, sealing the concrete will also eliminate some of the need for de-icer material, as snow and ice will not be able to seep into the pores and “grip” the concrete as it otherwise would.

Concrete sealers such as Concrete Treat: Concrete Sealer And Blanket will not change the appearance of the concrete. Concrete Treat can be applied easily with a roller, sprayer, or brush, to both newly cured and cured concrete. Once applied, it will dry in just 2-4 hours.

Concrete Treat is available to customers worldwide via our online store. We would also like to invite you to contact us to order by phone, to ask questions, or to inquire about distributor prices. We look forward to hearing from you!!

Concrete Sidewalk Problems: A Case Study

Posted by on September 19, 2010 29 comments

Concrete Sidewalk Problems: A Case Study

I was walking along a sidewalk in Bridgeport, Connecticut the other day, and I came across a series of very interesting problems with the concrete. This concrete sidewalk was subjected to far-from-ideal construction, and I came across nearly every major sidewalk issue that you could think of along the way. I’d like to share a few things I noticed…

Concrete Spalling from Poor Drainage

moisture gathering underneath a basement carpet as it passes through concrete 

Concrete will show damage from spalling most obviously where water pools or runs over the concrete. This drainage line created prime conditions for spalling.

 

Check out how disproportionate the spalling damage (chipping and flaking of the finished surface) to this concrete slab is to the neighboring ones. While the adjoining concrete slabs seem to have relatively smooth, more attractive surfaces, this one has shown extreme spalling damage of the finished surface.

Much of this damage was dealt to the concrete over the previous winters. During this time, the city of Bridgeport has been heavily salting the roads and sidewalks. As it’s done so, the melted snow (brine) has used this gap in the curb to flow through, over the sidewalk, and downhill to the other side.

However, some of this brine has pooled on the sidewalk and soaked into the concrete itself. Nighttime tem era tu res in the sidewalk will cause this brine to refreeze. As it refreezes, the water expands, popping off the finished surface of the concrete.

Additionally, the salt from the de-icers can build up over time. De-icers are meant to be used to loosen up snow for removal later. However, to save time, many road maintenance workers will overuse the salt, hoping to melt the ice with it entirely.

These de-icing salts will soak into the concrete’s surface, and while the water evaporates, the salt is left there. Over time, it will crystallize in the pores of the concrete, and between the finished surface and the rough-faced concrete below.

Read more about concrete sidewalk repair, or check out our page on concrete de-icer protection.

Concrete Rebar Corrosion & Spalling Damage

moisture gathering underneath a basement carpet as it passes through concrete 

When the rebar forms in concrete begin to rust or corrode, they expand. This expansion can lead to multiple forms of damage in the concrete, including spalling and cracking.

 

During my walk, I also noticed several instances of exposed rebar in the concrete. Concrete rebar is a series of metal bars that are installed within concrete slabs to help give it form and structure.

However, it’s possible — and common — for concrete rebar materials to corrode, rust, or rot when exposed to moisture. In the cases of outdoor concrete, such as are found in sidewalks, patios, and other forms, this rebar corruption is a sure thing if there is nothing protecting the concrete from moisture.

Rebar corrosion can lead to spalling in the concrete, and it can also make spalling damage much more extreme.

Rebar spalling also occurs due to expansion differences between the concrete and rebar due to temperature differences. Rebar and concrete expand and shrink at different temperatures, especially when it’s baking in the hot summer sun.

Concrete Sidewalk Repairs

moisture gathering underneath a basement carpet as it passes through concrete 

This section of newly cured concrete makes it painfully obvious how badly spalled the concrete around it has been weatherworn and damaged. Without proper protection, this concrete will also be damaged soon.

 

As you can see in this photo, some sections of the concrete have needed to be repaired as the water, de-icer, and rebar damage caused it to deteriorate further.

The new slabs of concrete make it painfully clear how badly the rest of the sidewalk is generally damaged, spalling, and in in poor condition.

Of course, in very little time, this concrete will also become damaged by weather. Like the concrete placed there before, the concrete is susceptible to water damage that is the source of all the problems mentioned above.

Improper sidewalk construction may be good for the contractor who is called back to do repairs in the near future, but it’s going to be unnecessary costs for the town of Bridgeport.

This is an ongoing battle in progress — one that the town is going to lose.

What they should be doing is sealing the concrete after placing the slabs. By using a product such as Concrete Treat: Concrete Sealer and Blanket, they would be able to provide a concrete sealer that penetrates deep within the pores of the concrete, creating a glasslike silicate bond.

This bond would prevent moisture from making its way through the concrete, where it could freeze, leave salt deposits, or result in rebar corrosion.

To purchase Concrete Treat, check out or online store, or contact us for distributor prices. You may also contact us online, through comments to this post, or by phone with any questions you may have.