Brooks Management

Winter in New England is very harsh to concrete/masonry stairs. Salt of the earth is usually a good thing unless it loses its saltiness or destroys your stairs. Most concrete/masonry damage is a result of the natural effects of freeze-thaw cycles, not a chemical attack by an ice melter. Moisture seeps into the surface pores and cracks in the concrete/masonry, and as it changes to ice, expands and puts pressure on surrounding surfaces. Stress on weaker areas in the concrete/masonry may result in cracking or surface deterioration.

Using an ice melter increases the number of freeze-thaw cycles, and the potential for damage to concrete/masonry. However, the hazards and risk of injury associated with slippery surfaces must be weighed against this.

With our motto of Preservation instead of Restoration we have found a product that works pretty well here in New England and so far has proved to be pretty safe on the masonry steps. That product is a Urea based ice melter it does not melt at the extreme low temperatures of say a Rock Salt or Calcium Chloride, but does do a very adequate job. We suggest you clean the stairs off as often as possible after all snow falls. Do not leave the residue ice melter on the steps. Sweep the stairs often and try to manually keep them free from the snow build up.

Let us keep the salt in the shaker as the spice of life and not on the stairs.