How to Avoid Refreeze of a Driveway

Preventive maintenance keeps your driveway from refreezing.

When you live in an area where the weather gets cold and you need to clear your driveway of snow, it is important to take measures to keep it from refreezing. As the weather warms up in the spring, the snow can melt during the day. However, the temperature still often drops at night, causing the water to refreeze. This can create dangerous conditions for walking and driving. Preventing this refreezing makes your driveway safer.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Ice removal tool
• Sodium chloride, calcium chloride or magnesium chloride

Instructions

1. Shovel any snow off your driveway. Clear the snow on either side of your driveway by about 1 foot to prevent any melting snow from making your driveway wet.

2. Use an ice removal tool to chip away any ice from your driveway. If you leave any patches of ice, they will melt and then refreeze on your driveway.

3. Apply a thin layer of deicer to your driveway to help prevent any melting from refreezing on the driveway. Sodium chloride works between 16 and 20 degrees F; calcium chloride works in temperatures before 0 degrees F; and magnesium chloride works best until -13 degrees F.

Tips & Warnings

• Use caution when using deicers on concrete. Too much deicer can result in damage to the concrete, especially if water freezes and unfreezes often.

• Keep your driveway clear of snow every time it snows to prevent it from freezing on your driveway.