An ice melter is a cost-effective and convenient option for maintaining safe passage from the walkway to your home during colder months.
More than that, the hard winter can cause slip-and-fall incidents and is bad for concrete driveways and walkways.
That’s when ice melter can keep the areas outside your home snow-free.
You can apply it on surfaces to melt snow or ice. It can be used on top of snow and ice to turn them into slush or before snow and ice to avoid accumulation.
If you are reading this, you are likely interested in whether ice melters are safe for concrete.
We will cover everything you must know about an ice melter.
Read More: Snow Removal Prices in Toronto: How Much Does Snow Removal Cost in 2024?
How Does an Ice Melter Work?
When the chemicals combine with water, the melting point of the water is lowered.
This keeps your sidewalks and roads clear longer by preventing the water from freezing in warmer weather.
An ice melter solution is created when snow or ice melts into unfrozen water. This melts and breaks up the ice as it moves through it.
Related Blog: How to Remove Snow from Driveway: 8 Driveway Snow Removal Methods for Canadian Homeowners
Benefits of an Ice Melter
1. Clears Your Passages
The advantage of an ice melt is a simple one. It keeps ice from accumulating on surfaces like asphalt, stone, and concrete. If freezing temperatures are predicted, you can apply ice melter on your driveway or walkway the night before or when you wake up to melt the ice away.
2. Safe for Living Beings
Unlike many chemical products, an ice melter is generally harmless for your lawn and outdoor gardening.
When you sprinkle ice melter outside, you don’t have to be concerned about damaging chemicals seeping into the plant’s roots and causing damage.
However, it can be fatal when pets consume potassium chloride and sodium chloride rock salt. Different ice melters have different effects on plants and pets. So, it is better to do your homework before buying an ice melter.
3. Saves You from Legal Troubles
You avoid lawsuits from insurance companies. Using an ice melter on your driveway, walkways, and sidewalks lowers your insurance liability.
Indeed, it is correct. If someone trips and falls on your property, you will be responsible for paying the bill and, in many situations, facing legal action.
Without insurance, it is your duty as a property owner to reduce the possibility of accidents, liability claims, and legal action.
Is an Ice Melter Safe for Concrete?
The chemical reaction between cement and water can take up to 28 days to finish, even though concrete can start to set in as little as a few hours.
However, your concrete may remain brand new for up to a year, contingent on the weather.
Because fresh concrete is more vulnerable to damage, you can guarantee smooth, pothole-free concrete for many years to come by selecting the right ice melter.
By lowering the water’s refreezing temperature, ice melt compounds also stop the freeze-thaw cycle, which causes ice to form on concrete. When ice melts and thaws, it enters your concrete’s pores like a sponge.
Some of the ice melters can harm concrete in the manner listed below:
As the ice melts, it transforms into water, which enters gaps and cracks before freezing and widening them. The expansion causes the build-up to experience increasing pressure, eventually surpassing the concrete’s capacity to bear it.
Applying rock salt as an ice melt could also penetrate the fissures and expose the metals within. This would destroy your home and speed up the rusting process.
Although there are many chemicals available, they can seriously harm concrete. Ammonium nitrate, calcium sulfate, aluminum chloride, magnesium chloride, sodium cyanide, and so on are a few examples of these substances.
Additionally, using rock salt as an ice melter may penetrate the fissures and access the metals within. This would destroy your home and speed up the rusting process.
Choosing the Best Ice Melter: 7 Options to Consider
Usually, snow-melt products function by drawing in water and forming brine, a mixture of water and salt.
The heat produced by this process melts snow and ice.
Here is an ice melter list that is safe for concrete:
1. Ice Melts for Concrete Driveways Using Glycol
Glycol can also be used as a deicing agent in place of sodium-based ice melts.
Propylene Glycol
Propylene Glycol is your best option if you use an ice-melting agent based on glycol.
This product is incredibly effective in melting ice to -75 degrees Fahrenheit and is also safe for plants, pets, and concrete because it is less acidic.
Since propylene is often liquid, gravel is added to most products to provide traction.
2. Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA)
It’s a chemical that’s good for the environment and works wonders at melting ice off freshly laid concrete.
Since CMA doesn’t contain chlorides, which can corrode metal or harm concrete, this ice melter is better than many available on the market.
For instance, although calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) is promoted as a safer substitute, it still has certain hazards.
So, if you are a pet parent, you must be careful.
This ice melter works well with concrete and is designed for use on newer surfaces under two years old.
It also works well at temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Magnesium Chloride
Although this ice melter isn’t as effective at low temperatures as calcium chloride, it is safe to use around plants and landscaping because it isn’t corrosive.
Also Read: Ornamental Grasses in Ontario: The Best Tall Ornamental Grasses for Privacy in Ontario
4. Potassium Chloride
This ice melter operates at higher temperatures (down to 26 degrees Fahrenheit) and melts slowly.
Above all, it is safe for concrete, plants, animals, and water sources.
5. Urea
You may already know urea as a popular fertilizer. With the heat it generates, it also works well as an ice melter.
As it is a fertilizer, it is plant-safe, yet it functions best at temperatures of 25 degrees Fahrenheit and higher.
This ice melter maintains the quality and integrity of concrete during the snowy season, while there are many other possibilities.
6. Calcium Chloride
A calcium chloride solution is the finest option for an ice melter. This driver’s practical working temperature is significantly lower than that of sodium chloride (rock salt), making it far less detrimental to concrete’s structural integrity.
Calcium chloride pellets can function at temperatures as low as -25°F (-31.67°C).
It can function at such low temperatures. Overnight temperatures will almost never go below -25°F, which restricts how often ice will develop and strain concrete walks and roads.
You can be sure your concrete is safe from damaging freeze-thaw cycles because the ice will remain in a brine liquid for most of the winter.
This also applies to other porous household materials like roofs and pavers, providing improved protection for asphalt driveways.
The fact that calcium chloride is an exothermic substance contributes to its effectiveness.
In other words, it produces and releases heat during the chemical reaction when a pellet comes into contact with water.
Its heat-generating properties are quite powerful. Adding one pound of calcium chloride to a gallon of water may raise the temperature by up to 30 Fahrenheit.
7. Beet Juice Salt
This is a relatively new ice melter that works at cold temperatures. The sugar in the beets reduces the freezing point of ice.
Its inherent anti-corrosion qualities make it safe to use on concrete.
This ice melter is an inexpensive way to prevent ice hazards on your property.
FAQs
When is the best time to use an ice melter?
For optimal effects, apply the ice melter either before or during snowfall. Pre-treatment can facilitate removal by preventing ice from adhering to surfaces. To ensure safety and efficacy, monitor the weather and reapply as needed, particularly after significant rain or snowfall.
Is Alaskan Ice Melter safe for concrete?
If you use it as per instructions, it is safe for concrete. Although it is designed to reduce surface damage, adhering to the manufacturer’s instructions is always advisable.
Can an ice melter damage concrete?
Indeed, if applied incorrectly, certain ice melt products can harm flora, asphalt, and concrete. Avoid overapplication and look for products designated as safe for particular surfaces. Always start with a limited region and use less harsh alternatives.
What can I use instead of an ice melter?
Naturally, other safe ways to remove snow from the concrete exist. Non-chemical options include traction-boosting compounds, mechanical removal, building a heated driveway, and employing heated snow-melting mats.
In Conclusion
Now, you know the best ice melter that is safe for concrete. Nevertheless, be careful of over-application or use it on freshly poured concrete, as it may increase the risk of damage.
If you want to ensure the safe application of an ice melter to clear up your driveways and walkways, the best option is to hand over the chore to professionals.
Falcons Landscaping has various methods for removing risky snow from your property. Contact us whenever you are ready for more information!