What Salt Water Does to Houses POSTED: Thursday, November 1,
2012 - 10:39am UPDATED: Thursday, November 1, 2012 - 4:49pm In
the wake of Hurricane Sandy, many people have flood damage on
their minds. Hurricanes come with an extra complication that
makes flood damage potentially more dangerous, more expensive,
and more difficult to manage: salt. As these huge weather
systems move across the landscape, they pick up water from the
ocean as well as estuaries, depositing diluted brackish water on
land. This water contains salt in concentrations lower than
those found in the ocean, but still high enough to cause
significant problems. Salt suspended in water is highly reactive
because it carries an electrical charge. It can quickly
penetrate a variety of materials and holds on tight once it gets
there. That’s bad news for building materials, because salt can
be extremely corrosive, and corrosion is something you don’t
want happening to structural components of your home, business,
or other buildings. Also, carrying e