The Wisconsin Climate Challenge: Understanding What’s Damaging Your Building
Freeze-Thaw Cycles: The Silent Building Destroyer
Green Bay experiences 60–80 freeze-thaw cycles annually—more than most regions in the country. Each cycle represents a microscopic battle happening inside your building’s concrete and masonry. When temperatures drop below freezing, water trapped in pores expands by approximately 9%, creating immense internal pressure that cracks and weakens structural materials from within.
This isn’t a one-time event. It happens repeatedly throughout winter, and the cumulative damage accelerates each season. Hairline cracks become spalls. Minor deterioration becomes structural concern. What starts as a cosmetic issue can evolve into a safety hazard if left unaddressed.
“In the Midwest, the freeze-thaw cycles really expedite repair needs—especially masonry repairs and sealant repairs. Buildings are moving. Components of the buildings are constantly moving.”
— Tayton Eggenberger, Branch Manager, Minnesota, RSILake Effect Moisture & Salt Exposure
Green Bay’s proximity to Lake Michigan creates a moisture-rich environment that compounds freeze-thaw damage. The lake effect means more precipitation, more humidity, and more water finding its way into your building’s structural components. But moisture is only half the problem.
Road salt—the same chloride-based deicers that keep Northeast Wisconsin moving in winter—gets tracked into parking structures and accumulates on building surfaces. Chlorides penetrate concrete and attack the reinforcing steel inside, causing corrosion that leads to spalling, delamination, and structural weakness. Parking structures are particularly vulnerable because vehicles carry salt directly into the structure.
“Address small leaks early—they’re cheaper to fix than structural damage. Inspect sealants, joints, and drainage annually. Think in lifecycle costs, not patch-to-patch spending.”
— Dan Lephardt, Branch Manager, Wisconsin, RSIExtreme Temperature Swings
Wisconsin’s annual temperature range—from -20°F in deep winter to 90°F+ in summer—creates a 100-degree-plus swing that constantly stresses every component of your building. Expansion joints, sealants, caulking, and building connections are designed to accommodate movement, but they have limits. Repeated thermal cycling fatigues these materials, causing them to crack, separate, and fail.
The problem is often invisible until it becomes serious. A failed sealant allows water infiltration. Water infiltration leads to freeze-thaw damage. Freeze-thaw damage compromises structural integrity. By the time you notice the symptoms, the underlying cause has been at work for years.
“Today it might be 45 degrees, and by the end of the week it could be zero. That’s a huge temperature swing, and your building is being impacted by every degree of it.”
— Tayton Eggenberger, Branch Manager, Minnesota, RSI