Winter Weather is Coming, is Your Driveway Ready?

With ice and snow forecast this week in the KC Metro. Here are some driveway tips:

Do: Seal your driveway with a high solids sealer (25% or higher)
Do Not: Wait until winter to seal your driveway. The solvent in the sealer will not evaporate well in cold weather. The best time for sealing is in the fall when the temperature is in the 50's.

Do: Clear snow off you driveway as soon as possible. The sooner your driveway dries out, the fewer freeze/thaw cycles it will have to undergo with moisture present. Freezing water exerts tremendous force on the top of your driveway. The sooner you get the snow/ice off the better.
Do Not: Use salt, fertilizer, calcium chloride or ice melt on your driveway. Even if the bag says it is safe for concrete DO NOT USE. If you read the contents it will probably contain one of the items listed above.
Do: Use sand for traction on driveways/sidewalks.

Do Not: Park your car on you driveway and let the snow and salt that you pick up on the roadway drip on your driveway. This combination contains just the right amount of salt or calcium chloride to cause problems.