How Does Chloride-Based Ice Melt Damage Concrete? And What To Use Instead?
Concrete is a popular choice for driveways, patios, and sidewalks. It’s durable and easy to maintain. Therefore, it’s great for building structures exposed to the elements. However, concrete can also be damaged by improper use of certain chemicals or materials. In this article, we’ll discuss how ice melt salts like chlorides damage concrete and what you can use instead.
While sodium chloride ice melt is inexpensive, it leads to damage and may cause environmental concerns.
The corrosive nature of sodium chloride makes it a poor choice for use on concrete surfaces. The ice melt salt containing chloride will leach into the concrete surface and deteriorate the material over time. This can lead to pitting and spalling of the surface, leading to structural issues over time.
In addition to causing direct damage to your driveway or sidewalk, sodium chloride can also be harmful if you use it around plants or vegetation in your yard or garden. The salt can kill grasses and other plants near where it’s applied because it kills roots and leaves.
Calcium chloride ice melting products are corrosive
While calcium chloride is an effective ice melting option, it has one drawback: it’s corrosive. That’s why we recommend using a non-corrosive alternative.
Potassium chloride is less corrosive than sodium or calcium chloride but can be harmful to lawns and plants if used in excess.
Potassium chloride is less corrosive than sodium or calcium chloride but can be harmful to lawns and plants if used in excess. The granular form of potassium chloride ice melt is often preferred because it can be spread more evenly across the surface of a driveway. Liquid forms of potassium chloride are available, but they tend to be more expensive than other types of ice melts.
Many ice melt products like road runner ice melt are a cocktail of all the above ingredients mentioned. Therefore, they are effective but damage your property in the long run.
Therefore, we recommend using a chloride-free ice melt like Safe Thaw. It is an exceptional urea-modified product and comprises 100% natural ingredients safe for concrete, kids, and pets, and does not harm our bodies.
Its unique glycols, inhibitors, ice melting boosters, and special surfactants help in melting ice quickly without causing damage to any vegetation and concrete surface.
100% salt & chloride-free, fast acting Ice Management Solution
Conclusion
Concrete is an expensive investment that can be easily damaged by certain ice melt products. Ice melt is a necessary tool for many people in cold climates, but it has the potential to damage concrete surfaces. This can be an expensive problem for homeowners and businesses alike, so it’s important to know how chloride-based ice melt reacts with concrete and what to use instead.
Chloride-based ice melt poses a serious threat to concrete, and if you use it, you could be putting your business or home at risk. Safe Thaw is an excellent alternative that doesn’t pose this threat. If you want to protect your property from the damaging effects of chloride-based ice melt, then switch over today!
Try Also Our Other Winter Safety Products:
Safe Paw
The Original and #1 Selling Pet and Child Safe Ice Melt for over 20 years. Guaranteed environmentally safe –It won’t harm animals or children, and it won’t damage your property. That’s Safe Paw. Safe Paw can change how winter affects our planet.
Walk On Ice
The handy disposable canister can be taken everywhere, with the same 100% naturally occurring minerals that provide instant traction on ice or snow. Use it on sidewalks, steps, or as an instant traction agent for your car.
