Whether you are a homeowner with a concrete garage or a member of a condominium association responsible for the condition of a large parking garage, over time your parking space will show signs of wear and tear. No matter where you live, concrete parking spaces take a lot of abuse. Here are five top tips for maintaining your concrete parking garage.
1. Invest In Regular Pressure Washing
Salt, motor oil, grime – over time these things can weaken the bonding agents in the concrete surface of your parking garage. This can cause early deterioration if left uncheck and frankly, it just looks bad. If you manage a condo, having a stained and dirty parking space will be an eyesore for owners and may influence peoples’ perception of your project. The answer is regular pressure washing. Pressure washing will remove surface contaminants and help maintain the structural integrity of the parking space.
- Use Concrete Sealant
If concrete sealant isn’t a regular feature of your cleaning and maintenance program, your parking lot may deteriorate far sooner than you anticipated. Sealant is essential for preventing dirt, stains and other materials from bonding with the surface. Sealant will help prevent stains and keep the parking space looking fresh. Sealant is applied to a dry, clean concrete and allowed two days to penetrate. - Regularly Seal Cracks And Control Joints
Most hardware stores such as Home Depot sell concrete sealant yet few people make this a regular part of their maintenance program. Sealing cracks is essential to prevent water from seeping down, freezing and expanding in colder winter months. This gradually widens the cracks. Regularly seal any cracks you see in your concrete parking area and seal the control joints too. - Have Spall Areas Professionally Repaired
A common problem with underground concrete parking garages is that areas of concrete break away from the slab. Moisture damages the concrete and corrodes the reinforced steel. This issue requires the services of professional contractors who specialize in structural concrete repairs. They will remove unstable concrete from the spall area, restore the steel, apply an anti-corrosion agent and repair the spall with a bonding agent. By patching this area with a polymer modified patching material, further damage can be avoided. - Set Usage Rules In Place
Whether you are a private homeowner with your owner underground garage, or part of a condominium management team, you’ll want to preserve your concrete parking area to reduce ongoing maintenance requirements. Prevention is better than cure so the final tip is to set usage rules in place. This means putting up signs for where certain vehicles can park. You may, for instance, wish to ban certain larger trucks from using the parking space, or display a sign instructing vehicles over a certain weight limit to park outside.
Conclusion
These five tips should help anyone maintain their concrete underground parking space. What do you think of our tips? What tips would you add? Leave us a question or comment below!
