Most flaking is scaling, caused by water freezing in the top layer of the slab. Deicing salt makes it worse.
The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) defines scaling as “local flaking or peeling of a finished surface of hardened concrete as a result of exposure to cycles of freezing and thawing.” Water soaks in, freezes and expands. That pushes the surface apart a little at a time until it starts to come off.
Why Evansville concrete takes a beating
Evansville averages 90.4 nights a year at or below 32°F, but only 15.7 days when the high stays at or below freezing (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). That leaves about 75 days a year when it can freeze overnight and thaw by afternoon. That’s our math on NOAA’s numbers, not a measured count.
Salt piles on. NRMCA says deicers make scaling worse “by increasing the saturation of concrete at the surface and the number of freezing and thawing cycles.”
What you can do now, and what you can’t undo
- Skip deicers made with ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate or magnesium. NRMCA says never to use them on concrete.
- On new concrete, NRMCA suggests clean sand for traction instead of deicer.
- Clean and treat the surface that’s still sound. A penetrating treatment helps reduce how much water and salt get in.
What can’t be undone: flaked spots stay flaked. A treatment won’t rebuild the surface or fill pits, and it can’t promise the slab won’t crack. Purdue researchers found sealers showed benefits in absorption tests, but their effect on freeze-thaw damage varied with what the sealer was made of. Deep damage is a job for a concrete contractor, and we’ll tell you if that’s where you are.
See how concrete protection works, or read whether to protect concrete now or wait. Then call or text (812) 664-6222 to book a free exterior evaluation.