Five Products to Save Your Garage
Updated: Sep 10
Parking garages have a tough job. They’re exposed to vehicle traffic, water, de-icing salts, oil and chemicals, temperature swings, and here in NYC, plenty of freeze/thaw cycles. Over time, all of that eventually takes a toll.
Cracks start to form, water finds its way in through the deck, rebar begins to corrode, concrete spalls, and expansion joints wear out.
The good news is that a lot of this damage can be repaired, and in many cases, prevented from getting worse.
Here are five products and systems we recommend often for parking garage repair and protection.
1. Neogard Traffic Coatings
Protect the deck from water, chlorides, and everyday wear
Water and chlorides are two of the biggest concerns on a parking deck, particularly here in NYC where de-icing salts are part of winter.
Once they make their way into the concrete and reach the reinforcing steel, corrosion can begin. As the steel corrodes and expands, it puts pressure on the surrounding concrete, eventually leading to cracking, delamination, and spalling.
A traffic coating helps prevent that by creating a waterproof, traffic-bearing membrane over the concrete.
Neogard offers several systems for parking decks, ramps, loading areas, and other vehicular surfaces. For many parking garage projects, Auto-Gard FC is a good place to start. It’s a fast-cure, low-odor urethane system designed for vehicular traffic. Auto-Gard FC T incorporates aggregate into the wear coat for built-in texture.
The faster cure is especially useful in occupied garages, where taking a deck or traffic lane out of service for an extended period can be challenging.
The right Neogard system will ultimately depend on the deck, traffic conditions, slope, exposure, and how quickly the area needs to return to service. Check out our break down of the whole lineup here.
2. USCP Concrete Repair
Repair deteriorated concrete before it gets worse
When concrete begins to spall or delaminate, the damaged material needs to be removed and repaired. Any exposed reinforcing steel should also be cleaned and treated as needed before the repair material goes back.
Choosing the right repair material depends on the location, depth, and conditions of the repair. Shallow vertical repairs and full-depth horizontal repairs each require materials designed for those applications.
For full-depth horizontal repairs, we often recommend USCP Deck Mix AE. It’s a single-component, shrinkage-compensated concrete repair material with air entrainment for freeze/thaw resistance and an integral corrosion inhibitor.
Just add water on site and mix. Deck Mix AE can be placed by hand or pumped and is designed for horizontal repairs including parking decks, balconies, elevated slabs, and other concrete exposed to freeze/thaw conditions.
And for vertical and overhead repairs, try USCP US Thin Patch V/O.
3. ADCOS Injection Grout
Stop leaks without having to excavate
Water can enter a parking structure through below-grade walls, foundations, joints, cracks, and penetrations. Accessing the exterior side of below-grade concrete often requires excavation, which isn't always practical (or possible). Injection grouting allows the leak to be addressed from inside the structure.
Injection resins are installed into cracks, joints, voids, or the surrounding area where water is moving. The conditions of the leak help determine which resin and injection method to use.
For parking structures with fine cracks and hard-to-reach leaks, we often recommend ACRYLINJECT AC FLEX. It's a two-component acrylate injection resin with a viscosity close to water, which allows it to travel into hairline cracks that thicker resins can't penetrate. It cures into a flexible gel (hence the name) so it holds up in cracks that still see some movement. With its low viscosity, long reach, and flexible cure, it's a good fit for a lot of what we see in older NYC parking structures.
4. MM Systems Expansion Joints
Accommodate movement and keep water out
All structures move, and parking decks are no exception. They expand and contract constantly due to temperature changes, settling, and vehicle loads. Expansion joints are what accommodate this movement and help to prevent structural damage.
As an expansion joint system wears or fails, water can make its way through the joint and into the levels below. MM Systems makes expansion joint systems specifically for vehicular applications, with options for different joint widths and movement requirements, including larger and higher-movement joints.
We can help you match the system to your specific job. Choosing a system starts with the joint width and expected movement. Traffic exposure, waterproofing requirements, existing conditions, and the joint configuration also factor into the selection.
5. Tenon/Conproco ECB Corrosion Inhibitor
Protect exposed rebar
Rebar corrosion is one of the most common causes of parking structure deterioration. Once it starts, it progresses rapidly. Corrosion inhibitors protect the steel reinforcement, preventing the electrochemical reactions that cause rust and structural damage.
Tenon/Conproco's ECB is one we recommend. It's a single-component, water-based coating applied to exposed reinforcing steel as part of the concrete repair process. It serves as an anti-corrosion coating and can also be used as a bonding primer.
ECB goes on bright orange, making it easy to see where it has been applied and check coverage before moving on with the repair. It can be brushed or sprayed onto properly prepared steel and has a relatively long open time, giving crews more flexibility between treating the reinforcing steel and completing the repair.
We're Here to Help You Get it Right
Every parking structure is different.
The products listed here are ones we recommend often, but they're not a one-size-fits-all answer. What works on one job might be wrong for the next, depending on the service level, site conditions, substrate, and other factors.
We're here to help.
If you’re working on a parking garage repair and have questions, give us a call. We can look at the conditions with you and help you sort through the options.
