FAQs

Efflorescence – a crystalline salty deposit that occurs on surfaces of brick, concrete and other masonry

• Masonry building material contains sodium and calcium chloride
• Water gets inside the material creating a salt mixture
• During the winter heat from building moves outwards causing moisture to evaporate leaving large white spots known as efflorescence

Rust – Iron, oxygen, and water combine

• Iron and oxygen have opposite charges causing them to seek each other out
• Iron loses electrons to oxygen atoms causing oxidation which is what we call rust.
• We all know that leaving things like chains and metal out in the rain on the concrete or metal that is above concrete can cause rust spots but did you know that some concrete can rust if the reinforcing bar is placed to close to the surface of the concrete? Water gets into the concrete and rusts the rebar and it is brought to the surface therefore causing rust all over the concrete.

Oil – most are crude oils which consist of hydrocarbons

• • We are all familiar with using an absorbing material, like kitty litter, to help get up oil stains. However, it doesn’t pull all of it up and it must be used right away while the oil is still on the surface. Once the oil soaks into the concrete it has then formed a molecular bond and that bond must be completely broken in order to remove it.
    
  • Another method that we use is best explained with how we wash a pan that has greasy or oily deposits
    
    • High pressured, extremely hot water cause molecules to become excited
    • Allowing surfactant (soap) – to break down the base molecules
      
    • Think about this… Would you wash your pans in cold soapy water if they had grease and oil on them? NO. Why because you scrub and scrub and the oil/ grease is never removed. You simply cause a resistance to form between the two. The water and the oil separate. When you break them down at a molecular level then the surfactant can begin to break apart the bond that is formed allowing the stain to be removed.

• Oil stains that have been there a long time have become oxidized. Hydrocarbons that have been exposed to oxygen oxidize causing the concrete to turn a darker black color, the longer they are exposed to oxygen. The longer they sit the stronger this bond becomes which is why the stain becomes more difficult to remove. Over time breaking this bond with extremely hot water and high pressure and using a surfactant you can slowly start to remove the entire stain.
  

De-Icing Salts – While de-icing salt can be useful in the fact that they help to melt ice and prevent slips and falls removing the de-icing salts afterwards is important. Leaving them on the concrete over a long period of time can cause a plethora of expensive problems.

Some examples of de-icing salts used:

• Magnesium Chloride
• Rock salt
• Calcium chloride
• Calcium magnesium acetate

Effects concrete both physically and chemically:

• Chemical
  • Breaks down the chemical properties of the paste that is used to hold concrete together- causing decrease in strength of concrete
• Physical
  • Cracks- When salt gets into the pores of the concrete water is drawn to the salt. As we all know once the water is in deep in the pores and it freezes outside the water freezes causing the concrete pores to expand and crack. Once the crack has started it just continues to get worse. More water is absorbed, causing an increased expansion, thus causing a larger crack and the cycle repeats itself.
  • Discoloration- breaking down of molecules which changes the overall color of the concrete over time.
  • Salt scaling – Salt crystals collect in the pores over time changing the osmotic pressure of the concrete, the greater the amount of solute ie. De-icing salts the more pressure that is created when water is flowing from an area of low concentration to an area of high concentration. This pressure causes the bumpy appearance in concrete known as tensile stresses in the concrete.

ORGANIC GROWTH – Fungus that grows

• Organic growth can be to humans in may different ways. The quicker it is removed the less damage it creates to the human body.
• Organic growth can be on our houses, in our houses, and on all types of surfaces.
• Organic growth can cause symptoms from watery eyes, runny nose, allergy like symptoms, asthma flare ups, mold infections to people who have a suppressed immune system and many other harmful effects.
  • Killed using sodium hypochlorite

Wood and Deck Restoration – Most people don’t realize it but wood cells age causing the wood to turn a grey color. What do you do? Most people believe that you must replace the entire fence or deck. This will cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars in material and hundreds of dollars in labor or time and frustration to do it yourself. What if I told you that you could keep your same wood and make it look brand new for a reasonable price?

Wood is like our bodies. If you allowed the dead skin cells to stay on your body and you never washed it your body would become dull along with lots of other issue. Now let’s say you took a shower and you scrubbed those cells off. Your skin will glow again. This is how wood works. When you use the right amount of pressure with the right amount of cleaner and a brightener your wood looks brand new again.