4 Ways In Which Ice Melt Harms Your Concrete

Get your sweaters and blankets out because the most awaited season is here, winters. With winters come a series of festivals and holidays. However, these aren’t the only things that come along with it. Some things that can make you worry about the winters are ice and snow. 

Why Do You Need To Worry About Ice And Snow?

While ice and snow are some of the most lucrative features of winters, they can also be dangerous if deposited around your house. Now that’s why you need to keep melting the snow around you from time to time. 

But melting snow isn’t as easy as it seems to be. You need to be very picky about the method that you will be using. Or else you may have to face the consequences. For example, using the wrong ice melt can harm your concrete in multiple ways. 

Ice Melt For Concrete

Here are four ways ice melts can harm your concrete and why you need ice melt safe for pavers.

Freeze/Thaw Cycle Damage

Freeze/Thaw damage is the most common damage that happens because of the wrong ice melting process. To put it simply, when the ice melts, it turns to water, and when the cracks in concrete absorb the water, the water freezes and then expands the cracks. This expansion, in turn, causes pressure on this build-up, and with time the build-up exceeds the limit that the concrete could withstand. 

Gaia Enterprises Inc. delivers 100% pet-safe and environmentally friendly winter products. Safe Paw, our flagship product, is the #1 selling pet-safe ice melt that does not harm pets, safe if ingested, and safe on all types of concrete.

Formation Of Subflorescence

Do you know what is “subflorescence”? It’s essential to understand what it is if you use rock salt as an ice melt. When you use an excess of rock salt to melt the ice, the extra salt used can end up anywhere and affect you. For example, if it stays on a concrete surface, it can recrystallize in the pores of the surface and can lead to chipping and spalling, and this process of recrystallization is known as subflorescence. 

Salt Corrosion

Sometimes subflorscence isn’t the only issue caused due to rock salt. If the salt seeps into cracks and remains there, the metals used inside can also rust and corrode. Once rust and corrosion start, it pushes out the surrounding concrete and that results in cracks and spawnlings. 

Chemical Damage 

As per American Concrete Institute (ACI), several chemicals can be for melting ice. But in the long run, they are damaging concrete surfaces. Such chemicals include Ammonium Nitrate, Calcium Sulfate, Aluminum Chloride, Magnesium Chloride, Sodium Cyanide, etc. So before you choose an ice melt safe for pavers, make sure you do not use these chemicals. 

This is where Safepaw can be your go-to ice melt. It’s 100% safe for concrete and doesn’t harm the concrete in any way. The best part is, it’s easy to use and can be very effective for melting ice without harming the environment. 

To Conclude-

So this was all about how using the wrong ice melts can harm your concrete. While using good quality concrete is vital, choosing a good ice melt is crucial too. A good ice melt includes chemicals that won’t harm your concrete. For example, urea for ice melting is an effective solution here. 

With Safepaw, you do not need to worry about your concrete or even the environment as it doesn’t include any harmful chemicals. It is the best ice melt out there which can help you enjoy the winters without worrying about snow or ice. 

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