With Winter on our doorstep it’s time to get the supplies you need so you’re ready when the bad weather hits. If you have a walkway, driveway or steps that have concrete in them you’ll want to be careful of the product you put down to melt ice.
Salts that can be used for melting include sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. Magnesium chloride is less damaging to concrete. It is also more environmentally friendly and less damaging to trees and plants because it releases less chloride into the environment than other salts.
Another product to consider is Liquid Ice Melt. It claims to melt ice even to temperatures 50 degrees below zero. The chemical mixture is supposed to melt ice 35 times faster than pure salt and is safe for concrete, cement, brick, aluminum and steel.
Magic Salt is a blend of magnesium chloride and condensed distiller solubles which is a plant by-product. It will melt ice down to 35 degrees below zero, is non-toxic and biodegradable. The company claims it is less corrosive and safe for use on brick and concrete and says “Snow will ‘burn off’ with no plowing.”
