Salt on new driveway? (1 Viewer)

[Dave Poehlman]

Okay... I had a new concrete driveway poured this past summer. Now it's winter around here and I had a little ice from compacted snow this past week and sprinkled some salt down to keep the mail man from killing himself.

Anyway.. my father.. who just had a patio and sidewalk put in over the summer tells me I shouldn't put salt on new concrete for 2 years. (???) He didn't know why.. but he was told this by his concrete guy.

What am I risking by putting salt down? Stains? Spaulling? I'm looking for my concrete guy's phone number to call him today but was wondering if anyone has heard this.

 

[Tony Whalen]

Well I can tell you that I put salt on my new concrete front steps the first year in our new house. It pitted and scored the hell outta the concrete. I had to get the stairs fixed after that...

I sure as heck won't salt concrete again...

 

[Dave Poehlman]

Yikes! Thanks Tony.. I'll be sweeping what's left off tonight.

I wonder if potassium chloride would be safer.

 

[Kirk Gunn]

I used it on my concrete steps with the same bad result.... worked great on asphalt driveway, but not concrete. Sorry - no suggestions as I need this info also !

 

[Denward]

Most salts have instructions on the bag about when it's safe to use on new surfaces. As has already been implied, the rules are different for different types of salt.

 

[Dave Poehlman]

I've read up on this a little more here:



Now.. my concrete guy says he put a sealer down... plus I've got fiberglass fibers in mine. So, hopefully the salt I've already put down wont cause too much damage.

 

[Duane R]

I've found that cat litter works well without damaging anything.

 

[Kevin_F]

As long you put down "Calcium" salt, it won't harm the driveway. I have been using this since I bought my house, New constructuion 4 yrs old, and no crakes or holes.

Hope this helps.

 

[Philip Hamm]

Ditto. Works great for restoring friction, but doesn't melt anything.

 

[Jay H]

Regarding cat litter, would the unscented kind work better than the scented kind?


just kidding... HAHAHAH, I wish the DOT would use cat little. I have resorted to bringing a brush to work so when I get inside, I can spend about 15 minutes brushing all the damm salt off my bike.

Jay

 

[Duane R]

Actually, it does. It absorbs the ice just fine, although it takes a while longer.

 

[Dave Poehlman]

Welp, went home and swept what salt crumbs were left on the driveway last night... went in the garage and looked at the bag and sure enough it says "not to be used on driveways less than 1 year old". :b

Woke up this morning to sheer ice... left a helmet for the mailman.

 

[Mike DBS]

I made that mistake some years ago, there's now up to 1" of concrete missing from our driveway where the salt has eaten into it. It's like a cancer for concrete IMO...

 

[Tony Whalen]

Yup... cat litter is what I use now. Of course my cats look at me like I'm insane. "Where you goin' with our bathroom stuff?!"