However there is no such thing as safe for concrete de icing salts or chemicals.
Deicing salt safe for concrete.
Concrete less than 30 days old even if it s properly designed poured cured and sealed should never have deicing salts spread on it.
The following are the best ice melt products for concrete surfaces.
Ice melt can help keep your concrete driveway free of snow and ice in winter.
Deicing agents sometimes contain organic based performance enhancers obpe which are primarily agriculture by products.
The safe paw ice melter is 100 salt free and it is guaranteed to be concrete pet and child safe.
The properties of deicers.
If you ve been using rock salt or potassium chloride this is probably why your concrete driveway is showing signs of deterioration.
When you spread rock salt on your concrete to melt snow and ice the salt dissolves the snow and makes a salt water mush.
There are several ice melt products that are safe for concrete the most popular and most effective being calcium chloride magnesium chloride and calcium magnesium acetate.
Ironically these by products also are used to make products to dissolve concrete residue on ready mix trucks.
They are added to reduce the corrosiveness of the salts.
Some deicing salts for concrete are corrosive sodium chloride rock salt.
It does take concrete at least 30 days and sometimes up to a year to reach its full strength.
After the first winter if you choose to take the risk to use de icing salts or chemicals you should apply a sealer to your concrete in the fall.
The first winter for new concrete salt should never be used.
Just use some sand in the meantime and clean the concrete off regularly.
It s recommended by most deicing salt manufactures to not apply their products to concrete that s less than 1 year old.
If the temperature then drops and the water freezes the growing ice crystals can blast apart the concrete.
This solution generates heat which in turn melts the ice.
Ice melt works by attracting moisture thus forming a salt water solution known as brine.
Saltguard wb also provides exceptional protection against any salt damage to concrete garage floors sidewalks patios or even roads that are exposed to deicing salts.
Sand can be used to increase traction when needed.
It is alkaline stable and reduces rebar corrosion caused by salt content in moisture especially in coastal regions.
