Does Calcium Chloride Ice Melt Damage Concrete

Ice melt can make your winter safer and more manageable.

Does calcium chloride ice melt damage concrete.

It is less harmful to concrete and vegetation. This exchange is irreversible and severely weakens and destroys structural integrity and longevity 4. There has been concern that de icers can damage the concrete due to the chemicals that melt the ice. Calcium chloride and magnesium same family as calcium work against the calcium in concrete sidewalks and parking structures through a process called lon exchange1 where calcium from ice melt exchanges places with calcium in concrete.

While opinions are not always the same most experts agree that calcium chloride is the best product for those seeking an ice melt that is safe for concrete. By using a potassium chloride product you extend the time available for more melted ice water to drain off your concrete or evaporate resulting in less water being absorbed by the concrete. It works by preventing snow particles from sticking to each other on the concrete surface. As opposed to other ice melt products it does not form brine like salts.

So it absorbs water and then generates heat as it dissolves up to 140 f. Calcium chloride can cause skin irritation and is high concentrations chemically attack concrete potassium chloride limited to range of temperature use unless mixed with other chemicals magnesium chloride releases less chloride and in general less toxic to plants. It s much easier to replace a driveway than a hip bone. However it becomes less effective as temperatures dip to less than 20 degrees fahrenheit.

In fact ice removal is sometimes required for rentals or public properties. For example ice melter containing calcium chloride tends to re freeze more quickly compared to ice melter containing potassium chloride.