What ice melt is safe for concrete?
Here are some of the best deicer products for new concrete.
Your concrete walkways and driveways should be kept free of snow during the winter months. This is because concrete becomes very slippery when packed with ice, which can lead to falls and injuries.
That being said, you can use ice melts to melt the ice.
However, you shouldn’t use the ones that can damage your concrete in the process. This is why we recommend safe examples of concrete safe deicer.
Ice Melt Safe For Concrete
Redoing concrete is expensive, so it wouldn’t make sense to solve the ice problem while creating another in the process.
Thankfully, there are ice melts that won’t damage your concrete, and that is what we will be discussing in this article.
Keep reading!
What Is An Ice Melt For Concrete, And How Is It Different From Rock Salt?
Ice melts are crystal-like granules that can be used to melt ice and snow.
Even though they can be found in liquid and pellet form, the most common type of ice melt looks just like salt. However, there is a significant difference between them.
The main distinguishing factor between the two is that rock salt is purely mineral chloride. At the same time, ice melts are a mixture of sodium chloride and other minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and others.
Why Use Ice Melter To Remove Snow From Concrete
There are many ways to get rid of ice on concrete. Shoveling is one of them, but as you can imagine, that would take time and energy.
Depending on the level of snow on your walkway or driveway, you could spend hours clearing snow. Even with a helping hand, the job will leave you fatigued in the end.
Ice melts, on the other hand, offers a more stress-free solution. All you have to do is sprinkle around the snow and they’ll be gone in no time.
This snow removal substance relies more on chemistry than it does on physical effort. And this makes it the more preferred option.
How Does Ice Melt For New Concrete Work?
Ice melts work by drawing water and forming a brine, which in turn produces the heat needed to melt ice or snow.
Best Ice Melt Products For Your Concrete
Now that you understand what ice melts are and how much stress they can save you, let us take a look at the ones that are safe to use on your concrete.
If you don’t have any of these at home, then you can buy them from any home improvement store in your area.
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Calcium Chloride
Is calcium chloride ice melt safe for concrete?
This is one of the most popular ice melt products in the market. It is also considered one of the safest options for use on concrete.
To get the best out of Calcium chloride ice melts, be sure to use them in temperatures below 26°F.
It works in a pretty straightforward manner by destroying the bond between the ice and the concrete’s surface. The best part about using calcium chloride ice melt is that it works faster than other ice melts.
Another advantage of calcium chloride (besides the fact that it is safe on concrete) is that it is not as corrosive as other ice melt products.
Calcium chloroform is also safe for the environment, so it will not contaminate your soil or plants.
2 Magnesium Chloride
Just like calcium chloride, magnesium chloride is equally safe for concrete snow removal. Although it isn’t as effective as the former when used in temperatures as low as 26°F.
Notwithstanding, magnesium chloride is not corrosive, and this makes it safe for use around soil and plants.
It is also a standard ice melt product and can be easily found in most home improvement stores.
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Potassium Chloride
Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride are among the most popular ice melt products for different reasons, including their melting speed.
The same cannot be said for potassium chloride, which melts ice at a much slower pace. However, it works well at higher temperatures than those above two.
If the temperature in your area is higher than 26°F, potassium chloride is one of your best options for ice melts.
As for safety, potassium chloride is ideal to be used around plants, water, soil, and pets.
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Calcium Magnesium Acetate
This is one of the most unique ice melt products in this article. This is because it doesn’t work by creating a brine as the others do. Instead, it works by keeping ice particles from adhering to each other on concrete.
Calcium magnesium acetate, or CMA, is made up of acetic acid, which is the active ingredient found in vinegar. Nonetheless, it is safe for use around plants and pets. It also will not contaminate your soil.
CMA is so effective that it is sometimes added to other ice melt products to improve their potency. CMA can work in temperatures as low as 20°F.
Another advantage of CMA is that it comes in tiny granules. And this means just a handful of it can cover larger areas than the other ice melt products mentioned so far.
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Urea
Urea is typically used for soil fertilization. But it possesses heat capabilities, and that is why it can also be used as an ice melt.
You can already tell it’s safe to use around soil and plants, as I have already mentioned its role in agriculture.
However, it is only effective when used in temperatures greater than 25°F.
Other Options For Keeping Your Concrete Clear During The Winter
Besides the regular ice melts, there are other options for safely keeping your concrete free of ice during the winter season.
A heated driveway is one of such options, and while it is more expensive than calcium or potassium chloride ice melts, it is also effective and safe.
You can also place heated ice-melting mats by your walkway to keep it dry and make it slip-free.
Conclusion
With concrete-safe ice melts, you can rest assured that your driveway and walkway will be free of snow and that the structural integrity of the concrete will be preserved.
Use any one of the ice melts recommended in this article to keep your concrete dry.
Thanks for reading!