# Colored Concrete on driveway to increase heat gain and melt ice? (Minnesota)



## hws (Aug 31, 2013)

Has anyone done colored or stained concrete to increase the heat gain on a driveway to increase ice melt? HO here in Minnesota is interested in mimicking asphalt to reduce ice build up on driveway.


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

Why not heat it?


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Yes & it didn't work all that well....


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Colorants won't do much at all. Coat it with one of those black sealants for asphalt and it will warm up nicely.


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## Rio (Oct 13, 2009)

jlsconstruction said:


> Why not heat it?


What would that cost?


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

It would cost a Sh!t Ton.


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

Rio said:


> What would that cost?





Morning Wood said:


> It would cost a Sh!t Ton.


I always start big :laughing:


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## hws (Aug 31, 2013)

griz said:


> Yes & it didn't work all that well....



How dark did you tint it? What were the daytime temps like when it didn't work well? 

I can understand it not working at 5-10 degrees, but I would think in the 20-25 degrees and sunny, a dark tint would put the surface temp above freezing.

Their goal is to burn off the ice during the freeze/thaw periods in October/November and February/March in northern Minnesota. Usually there is enough sun that I would think we could boost surface temps 10-15 degrees in the daytime sun.

Asphalt sealants get pretty slippery IMHO.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

hws said:


> How dark did you tint it? What were the daytime temps like when it didn't work well?
> 
> I can understand it not working at 5-10 degrees, but I would think in the 20-25 degrees and sunny, a dark tint would put the surface temp above freezing.
> 
> ...


Dark green & black. No comparison to asphalt which worked pretty well in your scenario. Went back after a couple of years & replaced the black concrete with asphalt.

Concrete is just not worth a chit in snow country. Too slippery and the freeze thaw cycle plays he!! with it.


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## concretemasonry (Dec 1, 2006)

If you are in a climate where you get the cold, dry snow, it is always followed by clear cold weather from the NW. If you just scape it well the sun will make the thing surface snow disappear by melting or sublimation from any surface, which is evaporation of solids (ice in this case). - Just don't use the driveway too much and pack the remains too much the day after if you are on a slope. - It even disappears at night of 0F.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

concretemasonry said:


> If you are in a climate where you get the cold, dry snow, it is always followed by clear cold weather from the NW. If you just scape it well the sun will make the thing surface snow disappear by melting or sublimation from any surface, which is evaporation of solids (ice in this case). - Just don't use the driveway too much and pack the remains too much the day after if you are on a slope. - It even disappears at night of 0F.


A lot of people don't plan on hand shoveling. If it's plowed and the low has shoes (like they all do), there's a nice packed show layer sitting on top of whatever you have. Usually the surface turns to ice. Snowblowers can do pretty well if the surface is even.

There's a huge difference in clear rates between concrete and asphalt on a sunny day.


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

Just do like we do in Mass. Dump a crap load of salt on it.


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## KMak51 (Jan 10, 2022)

Morning Wood said:


> Just do like we do in Mass. Dump a crap load of salt on it.


Now here in Jan 22 I'm asking this same question about concrete stain.... I have a driveway that gets melt water from a neighbor's yard. The first winter I worked like a dog, because my concrete drive had aged only 2 months, and could not use crap loads of salt...lol. But four years later I've tried different things ( not asphalt sealer !!) and I'm back to the crap loads..... not salt though, but calcium chloride. Expensive but effective down to 0 degrees and safer for grass.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Concrete stain still doesn't do squat.


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## Thom Paine (Nov 21, 2021)

??? 



KMak51 said:


> Now here in Jan 22 I'm asking this same question about concrete stain.... I have a driveway that gets melt water from a neighbor's yard. The first winter I worked like a dog, because my concrete drive had aged only 2 months, and could not use crap loads of salt...lol. But four years later I've tried different things ( not asphalt sealer !!) and I'm back to the crap loads..... not salt though, but calcium chloride. Expensive but effective down to 0 degrees and safer for grass.


A quick thought...
Have you considered landscaping ?

Put a swale, to act as a basin, between the drive and the neighbor's water.


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## bambam7714 (Nov 11, 2018)

I'm from Texas. They just invented snow here last year.


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## Windwash (Dec 23, 2007)

hws said:


> Has anyone done colored or stained concrete to increase the heat gain on a driveway to increase ice melt? HO here in Minnesota is interested in mimicking asphalt to reduce ice build up on driveway.


I think for it to really work you probably need a south or west facing driveway with full sun exposure. My detached garage has a regular concrete driveway with a pretty steep slope that faces west and has full sun from 1PM on. It will be melting at temps below freezing when sun is out. We have a blacktop driveway to our attached garage that faces north and it doesn't melt much until above freezing.


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