Chemical Attacks Not even non-porous surfaces are safe. Salts (both sulfates like epsom salt and chlorides like table salt) can react chemically with many minerals found in masonry and cement.
American Home Shield said you can try table salt, but don't use a lot because it could harm grass and plants. Epsom salt also works but is more expensive. Sugar works like salt, but is again more expensive than table salt. Rubbing alcohol will also help melt ice.
Sodium chloride (commonly known as rock salt or table salt) is the safest de-icer for use on concrete.
The answer is yes, salt does indirectly damage your concrete driveways, patios and sidewalks. Bumps and potholes don't just appear due to regular wear and tear – salt damages concrete over time by causing corrosion to occur under the surface, leading to discolored, cracked and crumbling concrete.
Rock salt (sodium chloride) is one of the most damaging substances that will ever contact your concrete driveway. It accelerates the deterioration caused by winter's freeze-thaw cycles and shortens the lifespan of your concrete pavements.
Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA) and Sodium Acetate (NAAC) are often considered the finest concrete-safe ice melt solutions available. When applied to concrete, both CMA and sodium acetate are much less corrosive than a number of other ice salts.
The inorganic compounds which are useful as concrete dissolvers generally include inorganic acids such as hydrochloric, phosphoric, hypochlorous and carbonic acid. Salts of these acids and alkalies such as sodium-hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate and ammoniumsulfate are also eifective.
You should NOT use salt on a concrete driveway.
Salt can and will eat away at the surface of your concrete and asphalt.
- It is deadly on your concrete. Why take the risk? The use of Magnesium Chloride, also sometimes referred to as MAG, as an ice melter to melt the ice on concrete sidewalks, driveways or roads can be deadly.
Potassium and magnesium sulphates (K2SO4 and MgSO4) present in salt water can cause sulphate attack on concrete because they can initially react with calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2, which is present in the set cement formed by the hydration of dicalcium silicate (C2S) and tricalcium silicate (C3S).
Magnesium Chloride (MgCl2) – Like calcium chloride, magnesium chloride is a hygroscopic material, able to attract moisture from the air. However, unlike calcium chloride, solid magnesium chloride is a hexahydrate salt, meaning it is 53% water by weight.
Spray affected areas with water to get them wet. Fill a bucket with warm water and add vinegar and/or dish soap/detergent. Dip the broom into the water and use it to scrub the surface of the concrete. Scrub for several minutes until the salt residue and stains start to lift.
Epsom salt is an excellent natural lawn fertiliser which helps facilitate lush growth. The chlorophyll-boosting properties of magnesium will help keep your grass lovely and green. Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt for every 4 litres of water to use as a lawn spray.
And since soil naturally contains magnesium and sulfur, the overuse of Epsom salt can increase mineral contamination in the water that drains through the soil.
Adding Epsom salts to soil that already has sufficient magnesium can actually harm your soil and plants, such as by inhibiting calcium uptake. Spraying Epsom salt solutions on plant leaves can cause leaf scorch. Excess magnesium can increase mineral contamination in water that percolates through soil.
Driveway salt, sometimes called rock salt, is what you will want. If you want to provide traction and melt the ice, use salt and not just sand. A combination of salt and sand can be used for this, or salt alone. Salting in extremely cold temperatures will not work well, as salt is only effective up to -12 degrees.
Sodium chloride is not corrosive to concrete, but still should not be used within the first 12 months after a concrete pour.
Will Vinegar Damage Concrete? Cleaning concrete with vinegar will not damage it! However, saturating concrete for an extended period will damage the cement that binds concrete together. Over time, vinegar erodes the concrete itself, so be careful.
The most destructive agent of concrete structures and components is probably water. Indeed, water often directly participates to chemical reactions as a reagent and is always necessary as a solvent, or a reacting medium, making transport of solutes and reactions possible.
Chemical Attack
Sulfates of sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium dissolved in soil, seawater, or groundwater can penetrate the concrete, react with hydrated compounds, and expand, causing concrete damage.
Magnesium chloride is consistently ranked as one of the best and safest ice melts for concrete on the market. Unlike some other ice melts, you can safely use magnesium chloride in heavily vegetated areas.
Salt does not damage concrete, but the effects of salt can. That sounds weird, so we'll explain. Salt does not chemically react with hardened concrete. Salt does however lower the freezing point of water, attract moisture, and increase pressure of frozen water.
Over time, vinegar erodes the concrete itself, so be careful. Take extra care with polished concrete, as a chemical reaction might take place between the vinegar and cement, causing salt and erosion to form. This eats away at your cement and, in turn, your concrete.