Best ice melt for concrete

[hoggs222]

What does everyone use for ice melt on their concrete driveways. My snowblower doesn't seem to get all the way down to the concrete and I don't really feel like chipping the entire driveway.

I was just thinking of loading up the fertilizer spreader and letting some ice melt/sunshine do the trick.

[BoxMN]

I won't put any on my pride and joy driveway unless I would find something that isn't corrosive to concrete. You can tell who uses salt on theirs pretty easy after a few years. I do use the stuff you can get at Sam's or Fleet Farm for the sidewalk, so the mailman doesn't fall down. My driveway is flat though, so a little snow/ice there is not a big deal in my situation.

[Rockin Randy]

I would not use any of the de-icers on my concrete. Even the ones that claim that it won't hurt the concrete will eat the top off. If a car is parked in the same spot in the driveway, after a while you will be able to see the outline of the vehicle from the salt that drips off the car as it melts.

Rockin Randy

[LightningBG]

ya know. I've always thought the melts harmed the concrete and when I had a new house built, they said no melting stuff for at least a year.

But.... at work we plow and salt the sidewalks and have been doing it for many years (20+), and there is no sign of anything.

We use this:

[JAR JAR]

The biggest thing to look for is the amount of calcium chloride in it . It will eat away at the concrete

[LightningBG]

I shouldn't say I just use the one above, because the other day I was at a store that didn't have that, so I bought something else. I guess I just buy whatever.

Truthfully I'd like to use water softener salt, but I dont know if it really works.

[Warner's Point]

I use water softener salt on my drive, but it isn't concrete. 50 lbs for $5 and it works great. Get the blue bags, which is coarse salt. It works even on the coldest days!!

[boatfixer]

Properly placed and sealed concrete is by far the best defense. First of all, air entrained redimix should be used. Improper finishing and wet mud is usually the biggest factor. Sodium chloride and calcium cloride themselves have little affect on cement. Calcium chloride is often added in cold weather to accelerate cure time. It is however corrosive to steel. What most often causes spalling is the rapid freeze/thaw cycles that occur when deicers are used. Again, proper placement can help reduce this by limiting the permeation of water into the surface of the crete. When the ice melts, the water fills the tiny holes in the surface and when it refreezes, it expands causing the surface to "pop" leaving pits.

[Tom7227]

I have been told that you can use urea, a high nitrogen fertilizer that you can get some places. I don't know if it has anything that screws up the concrete, or if it makes the runoff something to worry about.

[shizzy]

I use whatever kind of salt mixed with sand.

1/4 salt to 3/4 sand. I keep it in a small bucket in the garage. Only use it sparingly on the slick spots where people walk. 99% of the time all ya need is a little grip to avoid ending up on your keister.

[jentz]

Wow so many chemicals and differing opinions?? Set the skids on the snoblower lower or use a shovel.Thats what used to be done before people depended on less physical activity.

[LightningBG]

Wow so many chemicals and differing opinions?? Set the skids on the snoblower lower or use a shovel.Thats what used to be done before people depended on less physical activity.

No can do sir. We scrape to the pavement/concrete, but legal liability forces us to use salt. Needed or not. If we dont have salt on hand, we dont plow/shovel at all. As a cleared area gives a "reasonable expectation" of sure footing. We are better of leaving it, so people dont expect anything. That would be until the city threatens to write us up.

[PurpleFloyd]

You can use IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol)and a hudson type sprayer if you want to stay away from salt.