Luckily, there are a few measures that you can take to avoid concrete pitting, flaking, and staining. These can be performed at home easily, with minimal cost on your part.
Preventing Concrete Pitting, Flaking, and Staining
De-icing your concrete with salt can help melt any snow or ice, but it can do a lot of damage to your concrete over time. To avoid that problem, it is best to avoid using salt when you want to melt the snow off your concrete. You can instead look for other alternatives. For stains, be sure to perform messy jobs, such as oil changes, away from your concrete. If using fertilizer, take extra precautions to not get any onto your concrete paths or driveway to prevent staining due to chemicals.
Of course, understanding what causes the formation of concrete pits, flakes, and stains helps when working to avoid it. Because the main culprit behind concrete pitting, flaking, and staining is water (both liquid and frozen), inhibiting water absorption can go a long way. The most versatile prevention method is to protect your concrete holistically.
Protecting Your Concrete
Concrete sealants, when applied to concrete, fill in or block the concrete pores. This prevents water, salt, or other liquids from being absorbed. It protects against concrete pitting, flaking, and staining because it inhibits the penetration of most substances into the concrete. Many are made of silicon, a very water-repellent material.
While concrete sealants can certainly work against future concrete pits, flakes, and stains, they are not permanent. Depending on the type of sealant, they last between one to five years, sometimes five or more years, before needing to be reapplied. Additionally, some sealants do not fill the pores of your concrete—they simply block it. The PolyRenewal Foam offered by Ohio Basement Systems is more permanent because, while it is waterproof like many concrete sealants, it cannot be washed away and is not affected by freeze-thaw cycles. Due to its versatility, it can also prevent other concrete-related issues on top of concrete pits, flakes, and stains.