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Best Deicing Salt for Concrete
If you have just installed new concrete or if you have an existing concrete slab you are going to want to be diligent about choosing the best deicing salt for your concrete. Deicing salts can be extremely damaging to concrete causing it to spall, pit and crack even after one winter season. In order to combat these harmful effects you are first going to want to seal your concrete with a penetrating salt repellent concrete sealer.
After your concrete has been sealed you want to make sure to follow the tips below in order to protect your concrete.
- Make sure new concrete is 6 months old before exposing it to a deicing salt chemical; if concrete is newer than this it could cause damage.
- Never use ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate as they will erode concrete at a very fast rate.
- Avoid coming into contact with plants or grass as they can also be damaged by deiciers.
- Use sand as an alternative or use both sand and a deicing salt to maximize traction. When deicing salts are used in conjunction with sand they can provide extra traction in slippery environments.
The safest way to protect your concrete from deicing salt exposure is to not use any deicing salts; however, this is not always possible. If you are going to use deicing salts use them sparingly since heavy and repeated use can result in permanent damage. Also make sure to seal your concrete before exposing it to any indirect or direct deicing salt exposure. Indirect deicing salt exposure can occur when your vehicle tracks in chlorides from the roadways.
The four most popular snow and ice deicing salt melts are:
- Sodium chloride – the most popular and most readily available deicer also known as rock salt. It is also the most damaging as it will damage concrete and metal.
- Calcium chloride – these round white pellets when used in a high enough concentration may chemically attack concrete.
- Potassium chloride – will only work if the air temperature is about 15ºF.
- Magnesium chloride – the best, safest and newest deicing slat on the market. It will work in temperatures as cold as -13ºF.