Choosing The Best Salt For Your Driveway

Salt’s tough on ice – and on your driveway. The corrosive agents in rock salt effectively melt ice and snow but it’s not the most eco-friendly option for lawns and pets. Additional deicing options may be harmful to your asphalt driveway if it hasn’t been seal-coated. Seal-coating can only happen over the summer, so make sure to provide proper care and maintenance to your driveway in the warmer months and it should last up to 30 years in the long run. 

Ready for replacement? Already budgeting a new driveway for spring? Give our crew a call. We provide free replacement cost estimates all year round throughout St. Paul, MN, and western Wisconsin areas.

What Should You Use On Your Driveway?

Sodium Chloride

Sodium chloride, or rock salt, is incredibly effective in melting snow and ice but contains corrosive materials that can be toxic to your lawn and pets. Prolonged, continued use has the potential to deteriorate protective barriers, kill healthy landscaping, and harm pets that drink melted ice.

Best Alternative: Calcium Chloride

Calcium chloride is a good alternative to traditional rock salt, or sodium chloride, as it works in temperatures as low as -25 degrees – ideal for Minnesota and Wisconsin freezes. This deicing agent is gentler on asphalt and landscaping and remains relatively cost-effective against other materials.

Additional Use/Don’t Use Deicing Agents

Do Use:

Magnesium Chloride

This deicing agent is a new addition to the list that has the potential to prevent ice buildup before storms. By spreading magnesium chloride over your driveway before it snows, you create a protective barrier against ice buildup that is minimally corrosive on your asphalt surface.

Sand

Sand is an ideal traction enhancer and ice-melt material that can be used in place of or in tandem with rock salt. Sand is also a cost-effective agent that is safer on plants, grass, and all types of driveway materials (asphalt, concrete, and more). 

Ice Melt Mixes

These mixes are often a combination of all three chloride deicing agents above. They work together to melt existing ice and prevent ice from building up in the future. The negatives? All of those corrosive chemicals working together can expedite the deterioration of your asphalt if used in large quantities and can lead to potential poisoning of beloved family or neighborhood pets.

Don’t Use:

Cat Litter

Kitty litter can increase traction on snow and ice, but is not an ideal ice-melting material. Similar to sand, it can be used in combination with rock salt or calcium chloride to provide traction while the other material works against ice. 

Free Driveway Replacement Cost Estimates

Driveways plagued with potholes, cracks, and other structural damages can’t be saved with gentler deicing agents this winter. When it’s time to replace your driveway with one that’s stronger and better protected against harsh northern winters, give our team a call. Our experts have decades of experience providing residential asphalt replacement services to homes throughout western Wisconsin and Minnesota.