[Wingspan482]

Hello. My concrete garage floor is somewhat pitted and has efflorescence. I would like to minimize or stop the efflorescence if I can. The moisture appears to becoming from the cars when exposed to rain / snow, etc. The garage roof is sound and there is no water coming in from the driveway.

I understand I can try removing the efflorescence with vinegar, scrubbing and a final water rinse. That's great, but how do I keep it off? The solution I am thinking of is putting down mats as this would protect the surface floor of the garage from additional moisture. It's a two-car garage and I've seen mats that have a sort of lip on them to hold in water, but I would need two and I am also concerned about folks tripping over the lip.

I have priced out a new garage floor, but the cost is out of the question at the moment and I am looking for a reasonable workaround. The pitting isn't actually worth putting in a new floor at this time. I would like to do what I can to minimize future issues without a tripping hazard.

My questions:

1) What would you do?

2) Are mats a potential solution and if so any suggestion as to brand and/or what to look out?

3) Any other thoughts and tips you might have/?

 

[Nealtw]

Hello. My concrete garage floor is somewhat pitted and has efflorescence. I would like to minimize or stop the efflorescence if I can. The moisture appears to becoming from the cars when exposed to rain / snow, etc. The garage roof is sound and there is no water coming in from the driveway.

I understand I can try removing the efflorescence with vinegar, scrubbing and a final water rinse. That's great, but how do I keep it off? The solution I am thinking of is putting down mats as this would protect the surface floor of the garage from additional moisture. It's a two-car garage and I've seen mats that have a sort of lip on them to hold in water, but I would need two and I am also concerned about folks tripping over the lip.

I have priced out a new garage floor, but the cost is out of the question at the moment and I am looking for a reasonable workaround. The pitting isn't actually worth putting in a new floor at this time. I would like to do what I can to minimize future issues without a tripping hazard.

My questions:

1) What would you do?

2) Are mats a potential solution and if so any suggestion as to brand and/or what to look out?

3) Any other thoughts and tips you might have/?

More often efflorescence is when water is coming thru from the other side, so it could be water from below.
If it is that, then the fix would be a drain system below that level around the outside to keep the water level down.
Proving it would be the next problem.

 

[Wingspan482]

More often efflorescence is when water is coming thru from the other side, so it could be water from below.
If it is that, then the fix would be a drain system below that level around the outside to keep the water level down.
Proving it would be the next problem.

Nealtw- That's interesting. What if I cover over the suspected areas with plastic sheeting - tape it down for a few days (especially) when rain is predicted and leave it and then check in a few days to see if there is any moisture there. Would that be a proper test?

 

[Nealtw]

Nealtw- That's interesting. What if I cover over the suspected areas with plastic sheeting - tape it down for a few days (especially) when rain is predicted and leave it and then check in a few days to see if there is any moisture there. Would that be a proper test?

I would do that where you have had efflorescence, it might work.
You might dig a hole some where close just to see the level of the ground water is when it rains.

 

[Racinmason]

You can apply Siloxane based concrete/masonry waterproofing or a breathable concrete sealer. A plastic membrane placed under the slab would've prevented this. Plus that membrane is a great radon barrier.

 

[Wingspan482]

You can apply Siloxane based concrete/masonry waterproofing or a breathable concrete sealer. A plastic membrane placed under the slab would've prevented this. Plus that membrane is a great radon barrier.

Racinmason, Thanks for the idea. My understanding with sealers is that the concrete needs to be a smooth surface. Am I correct?

I think I would need a product that would fill in the pitted areas and then created a smooth surface on top. The garage floor is pitted in quite a few places. The efflorescence is mostly in the interior and under the car and appears to associated with the pitting.

 

[Wingspan482]

I would do that where you have had efflorescence, it might work.
You might dig a hole some where close just to see the level of the ground water is when it rains.

Nealtw, Thanks for validating the idea. I would have to dig a hole in the concrete to be anywhere near close to the efflorescence as it is in the interior of the garage floor surface area under a car. Are you suggesting digging in the ground outside the garage?

 

[Nealtw]

Nealtw, Thanks for validating the idea. I would have to dig a hole in the concrete to be anywhere near close to the efflorescence as it is in the interior of the garage floor surface area under a car. Are you suggesting digging in the ground outside the garage?

Ground water is at some level below the surface before it could come up thru the slab it would need to be near the surface around the garage.