You don't need to be an engineer to notice a garage that's getting worse. A regular walkthrough by the property manager catches most problems early — while they're still maintenance items rather than structural ones. Here are six things to look for.
- Walk the garage regularly, and look up as well as down.
- Rust staining, cracking with staining, and spalling are signs of corrosion inside the slab.
- Leaking joints and ponding water let chloride into the structure — they are early warnings, not cosmetic issues.
- Anything that could fall is a safety item: restrict the area and call your engineer.
The six signs
1. Rust staining
Brown or orange streaks on the slab, ceiling or columns usually mean reinforcing steel is corroding inside the concrete. It is one of the earliest visible signs.
2. Cracks — especially with staining or efflorescence
Hairline cracks are common. Cracks that are widening, leaking, or have rust or white mineral deposits around them are a route for water and chloride into the slab.
3. Spalling and delamination
Spalling is when pieces of concrete break away, often exposing rusted rebar. Delamination is the hollow layer that comes before it — it sounds hollow when tapped. Spalling on the underside of a slab means the problem is already well advanced.
4. Leaking expansion joints
Drips onto cars below, staining under the joint, or a joint seal that is torn, missing or debonded. Failed joints are one of the most common sources of leaks in a garage.
5. Ponding water
Water that sits on the deck after rain or snowmelt carries chloride into the concrete for longer. Ponding usually means blocked drains or slopes that need correcting.
6. Worn or damaged traffic membrane
Bare patches, peeling or cracked coating — especially at ramps, turns and drive aisles where tires scrub hardest. A worn membrane is no longer protecting the slab underneath.
Look up as well as down — the underside of the slab tells you what the top is hiding.
What to do when you spot them
- Photograph and note the location — level, bay and stall numbers.
- Restrict access to any area with loose or falling concrete.
- Report to the board and the restoration engineer, with your photos.
- Fix small items early. Clearing drains, resealing a joint or patching a coating is far cheaper than the structural repair it prevents.
- Bring findings into the next reserve fund study so the funding plan reflects real conditions.
Solid handles small concrete, sealant and asphalt items between major projects — the kind of early fixes that keep a garage off the urgent list.
