How to Repair Rock Salt Damage to Concrete Steps

Discover a product that lets you repair rock salt damage without expensive masonry work. Plus, learn about the alternative to traditional sodium chloride rock salt that will prevent expensive damage to concrete sidwalks, stairs and walkways in the future.

LESLIE: Holly in Delaware, you’ve got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?

HOLLY: We’re older and my husband is in his 70s and I’m in my late 60s. And we’ve had the same set of concrete steps and we keep putting salt on it so we won’t fall. And they pitted over the years and I was wondering if there was anything we could put on there to refinish the steps.

LESLIE: There is a product that you can use – QUIKRETE’s Concrete Resurfacer. And depending on how large of an area you need to actually repair, you can either squeegee it on or trowel it on or even brush-apply it. And you just have to mix it according to the manufacturer’s direction but it’s super-easy to use. You want to use it on a day that’s nice and dry.

And then make sure that you buy – Tom, is it calcium chloride the one that doesn’t cause the pitting?

TOM: Yeah, that’s right. The sodium chloride is going to be very corrosive. A better option is calcium chloride ice melt. And that’s not going to damage the concrete, so you won’t have a repeat of this problem with the pitting.

As far as the temperature is concerned, you need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. I don’t think you want to be applying that resurfacer when it’s below freezing out. But other than that, you should have a pretty wide range of temperature applications under which you can work.

HOLLY: Well, thank you very much. You have a Happy New Year.

TOM: Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.