The Dangers of Peeling Concrete: How to Avoid and Repair

Learn about peeling concrete (concrete cancer) and how it can cause serious hazards & public injury. Find out how to avoid & repair chipping in concrete.

The Dangers of Peeling Concrete: How to Avoid and Repair

Concrete is a porous material, meaning it absorbs the acid created during the descaling process, which accelerates corrosion and exposes the internal steel structure to air and water. This can cause extensive and costly property damage. The problem is not necessarily caused by the contractor's coloring methods, but rather by poor installation techniques, poor curing, or poor concrete mixing. Stamping the surface of bad concrete only worsens the deterioration process.

What makes matters worse is that the contractor may refuse to take any responsibility and won't get involved to help figure out what happened. Descaling can ruin the structural integrity of concrete and compromise any load borne.

Peeling concrete

, also known as concrete cancer, has the potential to cause serious hazards, public injury, and loss of public property, as it can damage the entire structure, including the rebar inside the concrete. Therefore, Spallling Concrete is an issue that needs attention and should never be left exposed or untreated.

It is very important to address issues of concrete fragmentation when they begin to occur. If peeling has already occurred, damaged bricks can be replaced, but the cause of moisture must also be properly identified and treated. Action must be taken quickly if flaking is detected in concrete installations, as the risk of damage increases the longer remediation is delayed. However, corrosion of reinforcing steel is by far the most common cause of chipping and splitting in older concrete structures.

Usually, the repair of concrete chips will be carried out using pre-bagged materials, which ensures the consistency and compatibility of the components. The best way to avoid flaking is to take steps to prevent it from occurring when concrete is first poured. The concrete resurfacing product should also be sealed to ensure that peeling does not recur. Over time, alkalinity levels will be reduced enough that the reinforcement is no longer protected within the concrete and becomes susceptible to concrete flaking.

Chipping can be a major concern for a concrete floor, but you can avoid it with the right techniques and partner with a reliable flooring contractor. As steel corrodes within the structure, the reinforcing bars expand, inducing stress in the surrounding concrete leading to concrete fragmentation. Unfortunately, an adhesive plaster approach is often taken to repair peeling structures without treating the underlying causes. To repair chipping in concrete, the affected area must be cut in a square shape and then filled with rigid epoxy. Chipping is often caused by poor installation, poor maintenance, poor repairs, or environmental factors. Peeling of concrete can also occur when the ends of reinforcement beams are too close to the surface.

A fragmentation in concrete typically begins when steel reinforcement embedded within a concrete member oxidizes. Without proper application of a sealant, concrete will absorb moisture and become a haven for mold as well as being more susceptible to cracking, chipping and pitting.