Corrosion & preventative parking garage maintenance

 A parking garage is a great investment, but an expensive one, as anyone who owns one can attest. Construction costs are high and and if a parking garage is badly maintained, the costs can spiral out of control and the building becomes a hazard.

Preventive maintenance is key for any parking structure. You want your building to stay safe and structurally sound. That’s why corrosion inhibitors exist.

Corrosion is the enemy of any commercial building. With steel and concrete being the primary commercial building materials, water damage can expand rebar and tear concrete apart, or weaken the underlying steel enough to lead to collapse. Even if it’s caught early, rusted rebar or structural steel can be expensive to repair. Corrosive inhibitors work to avoid that.

Surface-applied corrosion inhibitor

Corrosion inhibitors applied to a surface will keep water from entering and breaking them down. These sprays are common for marine maintenance, where they’re used to keep the water out. They’re particularly important for saltwater, which has a much higher level of corrosion than freshwater.

Parking garages deal with some of the same challenges. In cold climates, salt residue can build up from tires or other sources, and harsh chemicals used for cleaning can take a toll on exposed concrete or metal.

A surface-applied corrosion inhibitor will safeguard against the worst effects and keep concrete and metal safe from corrosion. But it’s not the only protection you need.

Anode corrosion inhibitor

An anode corrosion inhibitor works off the principle of cathodic protection, one of the most common methods of protecting structural metal. The metal to be protected is connected to a more reactive metal, which acts as a sacrifice, corroding instead of the structure itself.

One of the most common anode corrosion inhibitors is galvanization, which uses zinc to protect an underlying steel structure. Anode corrosion inhibitors in parking garages work on the same principle.

Sacrificial anodes often have to be replaced as time goes on and they wear down. If you have questions about this, talk to a professional.

Corrosion protection is essential for parking garages. At JK Industries, we know the ins and outs of corrosion protection. We can help you with coatings or sacrificial anodes, making sure your building stays protected over the long term. Give us a call today and see what we can do for you.