Where Road Salt Collects Around a Commercial Property
Salt piles up where people and cars bring it in. Look at entrance pads, sidewalks along the building, ramps and loading docks. Check the floors and drains of parking garages too, and the bottom metre or so of every wall near a road.
Plows and passing cars throw salty slush against walls, doors and lower windows. When it dries, it leaves white lines and spots.
How Salt Affects Different Surfaces
Salt itself is not the only problem. Water carries it into the surface, then freezes and thaws there.
Concrete
Salty water soaks in, freezes and expands. Over time the top layer can flake and pit.
Brick and Stone
White residue shows up on the face of the wall. It can also build up in the mortar joints.
Metal
Doors, frames, railings and parking structure steel corrode faster when salt sits on them.
Glass
A dull white film on lower windows and storefront glass that ordinary rain does not wash off.
Interlocking Pavers
Salt residue settles in the joints and on the surface of the stones.
When to Remove Salt Residue
The main deep clean comes after winter, once the last snow has melted. That is when road salt and grime have built up the most. Building walls and parking garages usually need a deep clean once or twice a year.
Busy entrances may need more. A rinse on a mild winter day keeps the worst of it off the doors and walkways. Storefront walkways, loading bays and dumpster pads often do well on a monthly or quarterly plan.
Pressure Washing and Soft Washing for Salt
Hard surfaces such as concrete walkways, loading docks and garage floors take pressure washing. Walls are different. We lift residue from older brick, stucco, EIFS and metal panels with low-pressure soft washing and biodegradable cleaning products.
After a garage or a concrete apron is clean, we can seal the concrete. A sealer helps keep water, oil and road salt out of the surface, which helps prevent freeze-thaw cracking.
To keep your business running, we can work overnight, early in the morning or on weekends. See our page on commercial pressure washing in Toronto.
Road Salt Cleaning Questions
Can’t find your question below? Call us at 1-647-224-2064.
When should road salt be cleaned off a commercial building?
The main deep clean comes after winter, when salt and grime have built up the most. Busy entrances may need cleaning during the winter too.
Can road salt damage concrete?
Yes. Salty water soaks into the concrete, freezes and expands. Over the years that can make the surface flake and pit.
Do you pressure wash brick walls?
We clean older brick, stucco, EIFS and metal panels with low-pressure soft washing, since high pressure could damage them.
Can you seal the concrete after cleaning?
Yes. A sealer helps keep water, oil and road salt out of the surface and helps prevent freeze-thaw cracking.
Can you work when the business is closed?
Yes. We can work overnight, early in the morning or on weekends.
Are your crews insured?
Yes. Outwash carries $5 million in liability insurance and WSIB coverage.
Related Services
See how we clean salt and grime off commercial properties.
More tips for property managers are on our blog.
Send Us a Message. We’d Love to Help.
Tell us about your property and we’ll send you a free quote. Prefer to talk? Call us at 1-647-224-2064.
Toronto, Ontario M5C 1C4