Choosing an Ice Melt That Is Safe for Concrete, Pets and Plants

The ice melt aisle is full of confident claims and not much explanation. Here is what the actual differences are and which one belongs on your walk.

The common materials

Sodium chloride, plain rock salt

Cheapest and most widely used. It works down to about 15 degrees Fahrenheit and does nothing useful below that, which matters here because our coldest stretches drop well past it. It is the hardest on plants, soil and concrete, and it corrodes metal.

Calcium chloride

The strongest performer, effective to roughly 25 degrees below zero. It generates heat as it dissolves, so it works fast, and because it works at low rates you can apply considerably less material. It costs more per bag and can irritate paws and skin, but per unit of ice melted it is often the gentler choice simply because you use less of it.

Magnesium chloride

A middle option, effective to around 5 degrees below zero, less damaging to plants and concrete than rock salt, and common in products marketed as pet safer. Reasonable general purpose choice.

Calcium magnesium acetate and urea

CMA is the most concrete friendly material available and is often specified for new or decorative concrete, though it is expensive and works only to about 20 degrees. Urea is fertilizer, is weak as a de icer, and runoff feeds algae blooms in waterways, so it is rarely the right answer.

About pet safe claims

The phrase is marketing, not a regulated standard. Products labeled pet safer typically use magnesium chloride or urea and are less irritating to paw pads than rock salt, which is a genuine benefit. But most still cause vomiting and diarrhea if a dog licks enough off its paws, and none are safe to ingest.

Regardless of product, wipe your dog's paws after walks, and consider boots for dogs that walk salted sidewalks daily. The sharp crystals of rock salt cause as many cut pads as the chemistry does.

Protecting your concrete

De icers rarely attack concrete chemically. What they do is force additional freeze and thaw cycles by repeatedly melting and refreezing water inside the surface pores, and that cycling is what causes spalling and pitting.

• Never apply any de icer to concrete poured within the last twelve months. Use sand for traction instead.
• Seal concrete driveways and walks every few years, which is the most effective protection available.
• Avoid anything containing ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate, which genuinely do attack concrete chemically.
• Shovel first and de ice second. De icer is meant to break the bond of remaining ice, not to melt a full snowfall.

Protecting lawn and plants

Salt damage shows up in spring as dead brown strips along driveways and walks, plus browned evergreen foliage on the side facing the pavement. Sodium also degrades soil structure on our clay, which compounds the problem.

• Apply the minimum that provides traction, spread evenly rather than dumped in piles.
• Sweep up leftover material after a thaw instead of letting it wash into the lawn.
• Pile shoveled salty snow on the driveway or street side rather than onto beds and turf.
• Flush salted lawn strips heavily in early spring before reseeding, and consider gypsum on badly affected soil.
• Mix sand into your application for traction so you can use less chemical overall.

Our winter service includes salting done at sensible rates, which is better for your concrete and your landscaping than heavy handed application. Call or text 224-634-0673 or 224-200-8363 to get on the list before the season.

Ruiz Landscaping serves Vernon Hills, Libertyville, Mundelein, Buffalo Grove, Lincolnshire, Long Grove and the rest of Vernon Hills's surrounding North Shore and Lake County communities.