When we think of the word ‘snow’, we associate it with a northern region with snow-covered mountains and ice-cold river streams. All people love snow. It looks nice to see the sheets of snow neatly laid out on footpaths or the balls of snow hanging like fruit on trees. But all of these things look better in the picture.
Once the snow is over and you are out of your ‘Do you want to build a snowman?’ (a popular song from the movie Frozen that had a snow queen as a protagonist) phase, you have to clean the snow accumulated on your driveway pavers. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
You certainly don’t want dunes of snow outside your home, shop, or your office. After all, the more the snow stays at these places, the more danger it poses to you and your family. But when it comes to cleaning the snow, you have to carry out the work carefully; this is because some of the common ways that are used to prevent ice and snow from building up on concrete surfaces also cause concrete damage. It is, therefore, essential to try safe alternatives to tackle the snow and ice accumulated outside your home.
Why Is Salt Damaging?
Before we move on to define what are safer alternatives to salt, we should point out why salt, which is one of the most common remedies for cleaning up snow, is not a safe option. Salt on pavement or concrete can cause the surface to pit and once it is pitted, the concrete can break and crack. You will then have to get them repaired by calling a professional paving company, which, for some, may be an additional financial burden. In addition, when the salt comes in contact with metal, it causes erosion. So you’d have to say goodbye to your lovely patio furniture if you go with salt to clean up the accumulated snow.
Safer Alternatives to Salt
If our above paragraph has sent you into a state of panic, relax. We know that you may have been using salt for years now. And here, we are telling you that it is not safe for the very surface you want to protect. But we won’t leave you on your own to figure out what you can do to keep your pavements safe.
Here is the list of alternatives that you can use to clean the snow.
1. Cat Litter
What? We are not kidding, here. Cat litter is one of the best alternatives to salt as it doesn’t harm your furniture or concrete surface when it comes in contact with them. Grab a bag of natural cat litter and pour it over the snow-covered surface.
2. Heated Stair Mats
Place heated stair mats on your driveway or the doorsteps. This is a tried and tested way to prevent the snow from accumulating on the surface.
3. Other Alternatives:
You can also use gravel, straw, and wood chips to get rid of the notorious snow.
Summary
These are the easy DIY steps that you can adopt while protecting your concrete surfaces against harsh snow and ice. If you still fail to protect your concrete surface, you shouldn’t think twice before calling a professional.
