Spalling
Spalling is the flaking, chipping, or popping off of the surface layer of concrete, brick, or stone, usually because water got in, froze, and expanded. Spalled surfaces look pitted or peeled. Cleaning cannot repair them, and cleaning with too much pressure can make them worse.
Need this done on your property? See our pressure washing in Madison page.
In depth
De-icing salt, repeated freeze-thaw cycles, and rusting rebar are the common triggers. Once a face breaks away, the softer material underneath absorbs water faster, so damage accelerates. A careful cleaner spots spalling before spraying, because a high-pressure wand can rip out loose chunks and widen the damage. Treatment ranges from sealing to patching to replacing the brick or slab, which is a masonry contractor's work. Cleaning removes the dirt and moss that hide the early signs.
How this shows up on our jobs
In Madison, spalling shows up on older brick chimneys, front stoops, garage aprons, and salted driveways. We flag it before we wash and keep pressure low around it.
Services where this matters
Frequently asked
- What is Spalling?
- Spalling is the flaking, chipping, or popping off of the surface layer of concrete, brick, or stone, usually because water got in, froze, and expanded. Spalled surfaces look pitted or peeled. Cleaning cannot repair them, and cleaning with too much pressure can make them worse.
- How does Spalling show up on our jobs?
- In Madison, spalling shows up on older brick chimneys, front stoops, garage aprons, and salted driveways. We flag it before we wash and keep pressure low around it.
Need concrete & driveway cleaning in Madison?
Free quotes — most estimates back within a few hours. Prefer to talk? Call us anytime.
Related terms
Freeze-Thaw Cycle
A freeze-thaw cycle happens when temperatures swing above and below freezing, so water that soaked into a surface freezes, expands, and melts again. Each round pushes cracks wider. Wisconsin delivers many cycles every winter and spring, which is why exterior surfaces here wear out faster than in warmer climates.
Concrete Scaling
Concrete scaling is the peeling away of the thin top layer of a slab, leaving a rough, pitted surface with exposed stone. It is caused mainly by de-icing salt and freeze-thaw cycles acting on concrete that was not air-entrained or sealed. It is most common on driveways, walks, and steps.
Efflorescence
Efflorescence on brick or concrete is the white, chalky powder that forms when water dissolves mineral salts inside masonry and carries them to the surface. It also shows on stone, stucco, and block. As the water evaporates, the salts are left behind as a crystalline residue. It is cosmetic — not structural — but it is frustratingly persistent because every rain cycle can push more salts to the surface.
Tuckpointing
Tuckpointing is repairing brick or stone walls by grinding out deteriorated mortar joints and filling them with fresh mortar finished to match. It restores the wall's water resistance and strength. It is a masonry repair, not a cleaning process, and crumbling joints should be repaired rather than ignored.
Concrete Sealer
A concrete sealer is a penetrating or film-forming coating applied to cleaned, dry concrete to reduce its absorption of oil, road salt, staining agents, and water. Penetrating sealers (silane, siloxane, or silane-siloxane blends) chemically bond below the surface to repel liquid without changing the appearance or traction of the concrete. Film-forming sealers (acrylic, epoxy, polyurethane) create a surface coating that is visible as a sheen and provides excellent stain resistance but requires periodic reapplication as it wears.