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Ice Salt
How to Determine the Best Ice Salt for
Your Local Climate and Driveway Type
By Mark J. Donovan
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If you live in an area where the
winters are harsh it’s always a wise idea to have a bag or two of ice salt in
your garage or home to keep the driveway and walkways free from ice. There
are several popular ice salt types to choose from, and they each have their
unique pros and cons. Some deicing salt types are meant for temperatures
above 20o Fahrenheit, while others are meant for temperatures below 0o
Fahrenheit. In addition, some ice salt types are more destructive to concrete
and vegetation than others.
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So it is important when buying ice
salt to consider the average winter low temperatures in your area as well as
what type of driveway and adjacent grass or shrubbery you have.
When trying to decide amongst the various ice salt types available on the
market, it is important to realize one important thing. All ice salt types
effectively lower the melting point or freezing point of water. As a result,
they cause the ice to melt and stay in a liquid form at lower temperatures.
Of approximately a dozen different types of deicing salts that exist, there are
four that are most commonly used by homeowners and municipalities.
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Sodium Chloride Ice Salt
First on the list is Sodium Chloride, or rock salt. It is probably the most
commonly used ice salt on the market. It can melt ice down to around 15o
Fahrenheit. However, it is corrosive to concrete driveways and walkways as
well as to metal. It can also damage vegetation. It also produces a high
amount of Chloride ions which is bad for the environment. Therefore, Sodium
Chloride should be used in moderation and only on non-concrete surfaces.
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Calcium Chloride Ice Salt
For very cold areas Calcium Chloride is probably the best ice salt type. It
melts ice faster than Sodium Chloride and can melt ice down to -20o
Fahrenheit. It can, however, irritate skin and is corrosive to concrete as
well.
Potassium Chloride Ice Salt
Another type of ice salt is Potassium Chloride. It is very similar to Sodium
Chloride, however it only effectively melts ice down to 20o Fahrenheit and
again it also can easily damage concrete driveways and walkways.
Magnesium Chloride Ice Salt
The last fairly common ice salt type is Magnesium Chloride. It is similar to
Sodium Chloride, however it can melt ice down to approximately 0o Fahrenheit.
The nice feature with Magnesium Chloride is that it is less damaging to
concrete driveways and walkways and to vegetation. It also releases fewer
Chlorides ions to the environment than Sodium Chloride.
So in preparation for the next winter season make sure to visit your local
home improvement center and pick up a couple of bags of ice salt that is
right for your local weather conditions and driveway surface type. Also, no
matter what ice salt type you purchase, use it in moderation so that you
limit the impact to the local vegetation and environment. Even used
sparingly, deicing salts will do a great job of melting ice build up on
driveways and walkways.
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