DEICER WARNING​

​Use of deicers on your new drive, sidewalk, or patio could be harmful.
You wouldn’t use a strong caustic soap to clean your wall-to-wall carpet! Nor would you use acid to clean your kitchen or bathroom fixtures! In fact, you’re pretty careful about how you clean and take care of your home inside. But what about outside concrete walks, drives, patios, porches, and steps? Give the exposed concrete around your house the same consideration as you would your pretty interior! It’s quality concrete, but don’t abuse it. For durability, concrete should be properly cured. Consult your ready mixed concrete producer for information.

Avoid any deicing chemical the first winter. The only safe material to use to make the concrete surface skid resistant is plain sand. Under usual conditions, deicers which contain sodium chloride (common salt) may be used sparingly after the first winter.

​Never use deicers containing ammonium sulphate or ammonium nitrate. These chemicals are often packaged and sold as deicers, but they will rapidly disintegrate concrete. Calcium chloride, another common deicer, can attack concrete if a concentrated amount is applied. Magnesium chloride, magnesium acetate, and magnesium nitrate have also been found to be damaging to concrete.
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Common garden fertilizers can contain ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulphate which can cause concrete disintegration.

Remember

1. Cure concrete properly.
2. Avoid the use of any deicers the first year.
3. Use sand (plain) anytime.
4. Never use deicers containing ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, calcium chloride, magnesium acetate, magnesium chloride, or magnesium nitrate.
5. Apply a concrete sealer after finishing.

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​​Use of Deicers Could Cause This:
​Scaling Concrete Surface

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