A covering of wintery precipitation can be beautiful – until it’s time to clear it from your concrete patio, sidewalk, or driveway. GW Brockelbank Concrete Contractors wants you to take the best care possible of your decorative concrete surfaces this winter. Here’s some advice on how to get rid of ice and snow on your concrete patio, sidewalks, and driveways without causing damage.
Shovels work best for snow.
The classic method of removing snow involves doing the work by hand with a snow shovel. It’s a great way to clear snow off your concrete areas without harming the surface. Just be sure to take frequent breaks to avoid injury.
Look for safe ice melting solutions.
Ice is a little trickier to remove. While de-icing chemicals are great for clearing roadways in a hurry, they can cause damage to concrete, especially decorative concrete. Avoid using anything that includes rock salt, ice melt (calcium chloride), urea, calcium magnesium acetate (CMA), or potassium chloride.
So what is a safe way to remove ice from your patio, sidewalk, or driveway? Sand, cat litter, sawdust, and wood shavings are natural de-icing solutions that are also safer for pets and young children.
There’s way to know if we’ll see winter weather this year. But if we do, we hope these tips help you prepare and protect your concrete. Call GW Brockelbank Concrete Contractors to learn more.