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How To Make Your Concrete Sidewalk Last

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ice melt on concrete driveways

A concrete sidewalk or driveway is an investment in your home and business, but it can be costly to repair when cracks develop. In addition, repairing cracks in a concrete surface can cause more damage if the underlying problems are not addressed. To increase the life of your concrete sidewalk, you should take small preventive measures that will help prevent cracks from forming in the first place. And can you put ice melt on ice? Then the answer is yes. But not every ice melt is safe for your concrete. We’ll also discuss the best ice melt for your concrete sidewalk.

Safe Thaw - Ice And Snow Management Solution

Let’s start with what you can do to increase the life of your concrete sidewalk:

Use a sealant

If you find that the concrete in your driveway or sidewalk is cracking, if it has stains, weeds are growing through it, or if water is seeping into it—apply a sealant to prevent this from happening. Sealants can be applied to new as well as existing concrete. An effective sealant will help prevent cracking, stains, and weeds from growing through your concrete pavement.

Avoid stress on the concrete

If you want to keep your concrete sidewalk or driveway looking great for years, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

First, avoid parking on the concrete as much as possible. When cars drive over areas where people walk or ride their bikes, they create stress fractures on the surface because of how heavy and fast cars travel compared to humans or bicycles (which don’t weigh nearly as much). Stress fractures grow larger over time and eventually cause cracks across entire sections of sidewalk or driveway if they’re left untouched long enough—and those cracks can be damaging when someone steps into them accidentally while walking along their path!

Secondly, don’t put anything heavy on your sidewalks unless absolutely necessary–this includes flower pots filled with dirt.

Remove stains as soon as possible

You can remove stains on your concrete by using any of these products:

  • A pressure washer – Most of the time, a pressure washer is the best choice to get rid of most of the stains on your driveway or sidewalk.
  • A concrete cleaner – This is what you want to use if the area has been stained for a very long period of time and you don’t have a pressure washer available, or if the stain is stubborn and won’t come out with just a pressure washer alone. It’s better to dilute concrete cleaner with water before applying directly to the stained area.

Use deicers/ ice melt carefully

Here’s the answer to your question – Can you put ice melt on ice?

De-icers are sold in various forms, including salt and calcium chloride. These chemicals can damage concrete and also harm the surroundings.

Safe Thaw Ice Melt is one of the best concrete safe ice melt products on the market. It is a urea-based ice melt designed to be safe for concrete, kids, pets, and the planet. 

Safe Thaw’s non-corrosive formula can be used as ice melt on concrete driveways, lawns, and decking material without discoloring or damaging the surface. 

And if you also have a question – Do roof ice melt tablets work? Then again, please check the ingredients of the tablets. If they contain salt or chlorides, then they can be harmful to the pets, and can even corrode your roof. The best is to go with Safe Thaw, which is 100% eco-friendly and very effective even at lower temperatures.

100% salt & chloride-free, fast acting Ice Management Solution

Final Words

Concrete sidewalks and driveways can last for decades, but only if you take proper care of them. To do this, you need to understand what causes damage and take steps to prevent it. Small preventive measures can dramatically increase the life of concrete sidewalks.


Try Also Our Other Winter Safety Products:

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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.

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