calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
(OP)
Snow is finally here!!!!
What are other engineers using to "salt" their concrete driveways?
rock salt vs. calcium chloride.
where are you buying it? Big box stores (depot and lowes)?
Thank you.
What are other engineers using to "salt" their concrete driveways?
rock salt vs. calcium chloride.
where are you buying it? Big box stores (depot and lowes)?
Thank you.






RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
Maine EIT, Civil/Structural.
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
consumer reports is a good source
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2014/02/best-ic...
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
Personally, I just retired from the cold climate and moved south. Only 1-2 days of snow ice and I just stay home.
Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.
WWW.amlinereast.com
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
Question: How do we get local road maintenance guys to save their salt for where needed, vs spreading it on level streets that have low speed traffic away from stop signs? My dog is relegated to doing her walks away from all that salt that affects her paws. Besides my taxes pay for that waste. When I was a Kid (30's and 40's) there was no salt and we got along fine on packed snow. We had tire chains.
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
Salt water works.
Kitty litter works.
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
2. Do not use salt if there is any metal, like posts or rails attached to the concrete or to nearby locations where the salt will be tracked.
3. Do not use salt even on unreinforced concrete unless the concrete is properly air entrained with the proper air-void structure as specified in CSA A23.1.
4. Do not believe the labels on salt packages that say that they are non-corrosive. Read the label and you will see that the material is chloride. This is false advertising and should be prosecuted in my opinion.
5. I forget which is a little less corrosive - calcium chloride or sodium chloride, but both are quite corrosive.
6. Do not use salt if the concrete is relatively new, even on concrete with the proper air-void structure.
7. Do not use salt except in emergency conditions. Sweep off the salt when the emergency has passed.
8. In some cases, for public liability, salt may be necessary, or when infirm or the elderly have to walk there. Sweep it away when no longer required and wash the area thoroughly in early spring.
9. There are other deicing chemicals, some of which are less harmful, but which are less effective at colder temperatures. Some chemicals are deleterious to the concrete, even if properly air entrained. Some are environmentally unfriendly.
10. In short, for a home driveway, use a shovel, as others have noted, and get yourself a good robust long handled ice scraper.
Hope this helps a bit.
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
From what I've seen, mixing salt and sand just wastes sand most of the time. Maine DOT found they need to spread 8-12 times as much when they use a 10% salt mixture. The grit may help on ice, but that's about it.
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
As to me using an ice scraper on my sloping driveway once light rain has hit a cold slab, well that is about like trying to scrape paint off the slab. Out comes the salt bucket. The old bones can't take many falls these days.
Another question. Having had four houses with blacktop (asphaltic concrete) driveways, I have never had salt being a problem, nor on those highways either.
RE: calcium chloride vs rock salt on concrete driveway
Sadly, I will not be moving to Florida any time soon.
Here is my solution:
1. shovel snow often with shovel. Use shop broom to keep concrete clean of any ponding water, eliminating opportunities for ice melt.
2. use calcium chloride sparingly (no sand/no sand chloride mix)and clean from concrete surface once ice is melted.