People always ask us, “What ice melt chemicals are safe to use on my concrete and around my pets?” There are so many different options to choose from, and the process can be quite confusing if you aren’t sure what you’re looking for. You want ice melt that won’t damage your driveway or walkways and that’s safe for your four-legged friends to walk on – even ingest a little bit of without any harm coming. There are six main types of ice melt: we’ll lay them out for you to help you decide what’s right for your home this winter.
People always ask us, “What ice melt chemicals are safe to use on my concrete and around my pets?”
The Many Types of Ice Melts
- Calcium chloride
The best all-around ice melt for residential and commercial use. It does minimal damage to concrete and acts quickly, but has the potential to damage grass and plants. It is moderately priced.
- Calcium magnesium acetate
The best choice for contractors. It’s environmentally friendly and good for use in airports and parking garages. It causes moderate damage to concrete. It’s on the pricier side.
- Magnesium chloride
Great for residential and commercial use and works fairly quickly. It does minimal damage to concrete and is environmentally friendly and safe around pets. Be careful not to overuse, or your grass and plants will suffer. Keep a close eye on pets with kidney disease, as this product is safe for their feet, but not to eat. It’s moderately priced.
- Potassium chloride
The best choice for pet owners. It’s on the pricier side, but will only do minimal damage to concrete. Like some of the other options, it is safe for your plants unless overused, and safe for pets unless your dog with kidney disease ingests it.
- Sodium chloride (rock salt)
Bargain hunters will choose this ice melt. It’s fairly inexpensive, but will cause massive amounts of damage to asphalt, concrete, brick, stone, metal, grass, plants, and wood. It is lethal to your pets if they should ingest it.
- Urea/carbonyl diamide
Looking for an inexpensive ice melt that won’t cause any damage to your concrete? Go with this one. It’s environmentally friendly and safe for your pets, but may not be as effective as other ice melts.
For further reading, click here.
Fisher Lumber and Hardware
Since 1894, Fisher Lumber and Hardware has been serving homeowners and professional contractors in the Maryland, Washington D.C., and Northern Virginia areas with top quality lumber, building materials, tools, and accessories. Operating under the same ownership since 1947, our business has been built on our reputation with our customers. Get in touch with us today by calling 301-424-6500 or by visiting our website. Stay in touch via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Google+ too!