A city street covered in ice and snow.
Melting ice and snow on cement can provide several benefits that make the effort worthwhile. The largest benefit is one of safety. Standing ice causes injuries that can easily be prevented by removing the ice from traveled surfaces. A side benefit is that removing ice and snow from sidewalks and roads just makes traveling easier. There are two primary products available on the market to do the job quickly and efficiently: salt and urea. Both have their own set of advantages and disadvantages to consider before applying.
Deicing Salts
Deicing salts are the cheaper of the two melting choices available. On badly formulated, mixed and finished cement, deicing salts can cause damage from the repeated cycle of snow and ice melting into water and freezing again. Use deicing salts only on surfaces that have been properly installed. Deicing a well-installed surface should do little or no damage despite years of use.
You can buy salts in four different blends: sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride and calcium chloride. Sodium chloride, also known as rock salt, is the least expensive and has the highest salt concentration, while magnesium chloride is the newest blend and least likely to harm badly made cement surfaces.
Use magnesium chloride when temperatures are at their coldest. It will melt snow and ice at temperatures as low as -22 degrees F and is less toxic to plant life than competing products. It also dries without leaving a powder residue to be tracked through your home. However, do not use the substance in areas containing aluminum utility boxes or fences as it will corrode aluminum with consistent use.
Urea
Urea is regularly used in lawn fertilizers but makes an effective ice melt if used in higher concentrations. You should use urea for areas where the corrosive nature of salts may be an issue. Due to its non-corrosive nature, it's even been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for use on airport runways as it's only about 10 percent as corrosive. You'll have to use urea only in higher temperatures as it's only good down to 21 degrees F. You should also avoid using in areas that run off onto plant life. If left on topsoil, it will cause increased growth of plant life in the area.
Process
The chosen deicer should be spread onto the surface of the ice or snow to begin the melting process. No deicer will melt the ice completely; it works by passing through the ice to the surface beneath and breaking the bonds the ice makes with the pavement. After the deicer has softened the icy surface, remove the ice and snow from desired areas.
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