Road Salt
&
Ice Melt:
Before you spread traditional rock salt on your driveway, consider its impact on your local watershed, pets, plants, and pavement. Other more eco-friendly options are available that are more effective and have less environmental impact including calcium chloride or magnesium chloride.
Explore the pros and cons of each option below to make the right decision for your home this winter:
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Magnesium chloride-based deicer: effective to 0° F, better than rock salt
+ Less damage to driveways, sidewalks and vehicles
+ Less harmful to plants
+ Less irritating to pets’ paws than rock salt or calcium chloride
- Requires about twice as much as rock salt to cover the same area
Calcium chloride-based deicer: effective to -25° F, much better than rock salt
+ Fast-acting, melts ice very quickly
+ Less damaging to driveways, sidewalks and vehicles
+ / - Can use about 1/3 less than rock salt, but is more expensive
- NOT pet friendly, may cause severe irritation to pets’ paws
-Overapplication may still harm plants, and cause vehicle damage
- Can be slippery, so mix it with sand: 1 part sand to 3 parts calcium chloride
Rock salt (Sodium chloride): effective to approximately 12° F
+ 12oz of salt (think coffee mug) is all you need to treat a 20-foot driveway (using more salt does not increase its effectiveness)
- Causes over-salinization of waterways, damaging ecosystems
- Damages soil chemistry and biology
- Damages and kills plants and lawns
- Damages driveways, sidewalks and vehicles
- Toxic to animals when ingested and can injure their paws
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