The common deicers that are generally safe to use on concrete are.
Ice melt that does not damage concrete.
Some materials such as brick are especially porous and should not be treated with ice melt.
Ice melt can make your winter safer and more manageable.
It also needs to be something that really works and is tough on ice but not on your concrete surfaces.
So it absorbs water and then generates heat as it dissolves up to 140 f.
While opinions are not always the same most experts agree that calcium chloride is the best product for those seeking an ice melt that is safe for concrete.
Good ice melt choices for concrete are calcium chloride and magnesium chloride.
While potassium chloride is good for the environment it damages the concrete and typically costs 3 5 times more.
The freeze thaw cycle of ice and snow causes expansion and contraction within the crevasses thus impacting the integrity of the surface spencer says.
Ice can be stuck and unable to scrape away with a shovel.
Fertilizers contain ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate that can severely damage concrete.
In fact ice removal is sometimes required for rentals or public properties.
Studies have found that ice melt formulas that combine solar salt and anti corrosion agents are less damaging to concrete and vegetation when compared to magnesium chloride and calcium chloride based ice melters.
The solution is to find snow melt that doesn t damage concrete.
Damaged concrete will absorb the water melted ice more readily since its seal has been broken and therefore can be more susceptible to damage.
Safepaw is the solution.
Luckily there are different and safer solutions to help prevent slips and damage.
Contrary to popular belief ice melt does not damage concrete but ice can.
There has been concern that de icers can damage the concrete due to the chemicals that melt the ice.
Most de icers for concrete are chloride combinations usually sodium rock salt or magnesium.
This is a hygroscopic compound.
Common deicers do not contain chemicals that damage properly designed concrete used for exterior flatwork although a few fertilizers used for deicing or traction do.
Safe paw is one of the few ice melt products on the market that can be used around pets and children and it will not cause harm to your concrete walkways.
Sealing your concrete can retard or delay the concrete deterioration and minimize the ugly pock marks on the concrete.
Sometimes though this method is not effective enough to remove ice from pavement.
One of the tried and true safer alternatives to salting pavement is using a shovel.
It has even been considered the best ice melt for concrete.
