How to Prepare a Concrete Driveway for Freezing Temperatures

Prepare your concrete driveway for freezing temperatures by laying down a salt rock path. Road crews may clear ice and snow from the streets in front of your house, but homeowners are often left to deal with their own driveway. When temperatures drop below freezing concrete driveways get cold enough for precipitation to form an icy crust on the surface. Ice-covered driveways can be dangerous. A few minutes of preparation will help you avoid an frozen driveway during an ice event.

Measuring tape
Chalk
Thick leather or rubber gloves
50 lb bag or more magnesium chloride (MAG) pellets or flakes
Large plastic cup

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the width of the vehicle or vehicles for which you intend to ensure a clear path of exit. You will need approximately two pounds of magnesium chloride for every square yard of your measured path. Pellets and flakes are commonly sold in 50 pound bags, which is capable of covering a seven-foot wide strip on a 30-foot long driveway.
- 2
  Mark the needed width in a few spots along the length of the driveway with a piece of chalk.
- 3
  Cover your hands with a pair of thick leather or rubber gloves.
- 4
  Open the bag of magnesium chloride pellets or flakes and use a plastic cup to scoop some out. Immediately reseal the bag or pour the contents into a container that will seal air-tight. Magnesium chloride pellets and flakes will absorb moisture and slowly dissolve when exposed to the air.
- 5
  Walk to the end of your driveway and begin spreading the pellets or flakes in a single layer between the guide chalk marks. Walk backward toward the house as you spread them.
- 6
  Refill your cup as needed until your path is covered.

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