Ice Melt For Fresh Concrete

Always use a gentle hand when applying any type of ice melt to concrete.

Ice melt for fresh concrete.

Salt on concrete or pavement can causes it to pit and once pitted it can eventually crack and break. When it hits you know how important it is to ensure that you spread some type of salt or ice melt on your side walks and driveway however if you have new concrete salt is not the best option. Good ice melt choices for concrete are calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. You can expect top price in the region of 18 for a 50 pound bag of calcium chloride ice melt depending on the brand.

It is considered one of the more environmentally safe ice melt products. Though not the best in this regard. The most common way of preventing ice and snow on your porches sidewalks and driveways is salting prior to ice and snow. Of all the concrete deicers on the market calcium chloride will melt ice the quickest it s less harmful to plant life than sodium chloride rock salt and less corrosive than sodium chloride.

Using calcium chloride to de ice concrete can be quite expensive a 50 pound bag cost around 18 00 dollars. Whilst easily the best ice melt safe for concrete calcium chloride is one the more expensive options. Another good de icer is cma or calcium magnesium acetate which doesn t wash away as easily as the others and has a lower environmental impact. While potassium chloride is good for the environment it damages the concrete and typically costs 3 5 times more.

If you want to have your new concrete last for years you are going to want to use products that are safe and that will not damage your new concrete you do not want to wait until the dreaded snowstorm has happened before you decide to go out and get your ice melter products. Nor will ice melter manufacturers provide any warranties when used on new concrete. Lay down a thin layer before a storm then another light layer during the storm. Winter snow and ice are a fact of life in certain areas of the country.

Many ice melting products and salt products can and will damage concrete. If you must use an ice melter then use a very high quality salt based melter that melts to 25f and has a large amount of anti corrosive compounds in the product. Concrete manufacturers recommend using only sand and a shovel on new concrete.