ATLANTA, Ga.,None — Two months ago north Georgia was preparing for an onslaught of snow and ice.
Now homeowners are preparing to spend thousands to repair the damage left behind.
Driveways sprinkled with rock salt during the storm are now crumbling underfoot.
"Our driveway is just literally crumbling away each day," said Amy Burdette of Sandy Springs.
"It's spongy, and when it rains it forms like sand and it just washes away," said Burdette's husband, Cory, describing how the driveway gave way under his foot.
Three contractors have told the Burettes when rock salt thawed the ice in January, the water penetrated the concrete and refroze.
The new ice then expanded, destroying the top layer of the driveway called "the cream."
A warning is printed on the back of the rock salt bag, saying this damage can happen.
"You just lay it down on the ground and you expect it to melt the ice. We never would have anticipated this," said Amy Burdette.
"We call it 'driveway destroyer,'" said contractor Brandon Sewell.
Sewell's firm, Professional Concrete, is one of three to look at the Burdette case.
"It's very common. We're seeing three to four calls a day. I've probably looked at 50 or 60 driveways," said Sewell.
Homeowner Chuck Prudames of Buckhead has also experienced the same problem with his driveway.
Prudames showed Channel 2 Action News a bucket full of crumbled concrete. When asked what it was he said, "That's my driveway!" said Prudames.
Prudames' driveway was poured last summer.
It took 12 truckloads of concrete.
"It was a beautiful driveway, but it's not anymore," said Prudames.
The top layer is chipping or pitting wherever he applied ice melt.
The back of the bag he used warns it should not be applied to driveways less than a year old.
He didn't see it.
"With damage like that it should say, 'May damage new concrete,'" said Prudames.
"We're very angry. The last thing we want to do is buy a new driveway," said Amy Burdette.