Winter weather is much like a beating that your driveway takes from Mother Nature. During the cold and icy season, water naturally seeps into cracks and freezes, expanding and pushing up on the concrete surface, causing the edges to chip away. Freezing winters make it difficult to drive in some areas, but just because you don’t have to worry about ice doesn’t mean your driveway doesn’t need protection. Chipping, cracking, and heaving are common problems affecting concrete surfaces throughout homes in Central Virginia.
While we commonly do not see temperatures in Central Virginia drop down to 0 degrees during winter, it can still get pretty cold. It is also not uncommon to see a few heavy snowstorms each winter. The combination of snow and freezing temperatures can be extremely damaging to concrete surfaces, which causes them to crack and break.
Let’s talk ice melt for a minute. We all know ice melts, right? Everyone knows if you put ice melt on concrete, it will turn to water that will soak into the concrete. Now that we have established that, let’s talk about ice melts.
Why is it so important to be careful what you use on your concrete? Concrete is susceptible to damage if moisture seeps through the concrete and into the aggregate below. This will cause deterioration of your cement, causing a severe case of spalling. Ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, and ammonium phosphate will melt ice and snow. But, they can also damage the concrete’s surface, causing cracks in your concrete. These cracks in your concrete can then allow water to penetrate the surface of the concrete. When the water has entered the surface and into the concrete, it can freeze and expand, which will push off small bits or pieces of the concrete, and create a situation that will cause your concrete to become un-level.
It’s tough to remember all the things we should and shouldn’t use. But it only takes a second to use the wrong product on your concrete slab, and you could have some serious problems. Xcel Concrete Leveling would like to tell you to be careful what products you use on your concrete. Products that contain ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, or ammonium phosphate can be damaging to your concrete.
Xcel Concrete Leveling wants to help you decide what product is best for your situation. Reference this great article to learn about ice melts and what could be good for your situation:
https://www.consumerreports.org/exterior-maintenance-repairs/best-ice-melt-how-to-use-ice-melt/