Sometimes caring for the outside of your home—such as concrete walkways, driveways, patios, porches, and steps—gets overlooked. But it shouldn't. Each area of your home should be given the same consideration. Most exposed concrete surface deterioration is caused by de-icing chemical solutions dripping from underneath cars parked in driveways after driving on wet, salted streets.
Here are some tips to prevent deterioration of your lead walks and driveways:
- Do not use any deicing salts on your concrete surfaces during the first winter
- Under any circumstances, use plain sand as a de-icer
- Never use de-icers containing ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate
- After the first winter, if you plan to use sodium chloride or calcium chloride as de-icers, periodically apply a concrete sealer for protection