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SUBTERRANEAN GARAGE LEAKS

Buildings with subterranean garages sometimes show signs of water infiltration such as leaks, rust and spalling concrete. Rebar rusts when it is attacked by water. Rust takes up more volume than normal iron, so it expands and breaks the surrounding concrete. Cracked concrete often creates further water infiltration, causing more rust, and so the cycle continues.

Associations sometimes use band-aid patches that only postpone much-needed repairs. A common band-aid is the installation of troughs to catch water leaking from garage ceilings or even falling chunks of concrete. Ceiling leaks are obvious signs of needed concrete deck repairs.

Is it possible to fix a leaking structural deck from below? If you had a roof leak in your home, would you paint the ceiling? Typically these efforts only move the water to another location and do not solve the problem. Ultimately, over many years, the structural integrity of the deck becomes compromised. When garage ceilings start leaking, associations need to find and repair the problems at their source not repair the symptoms underneath.

 
Spalling & exposed celing rebar    Efflorescence from leaks


Thank you to Bart Mendel of Stonemark Construction Management for providing this information.

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