Seasoning slippery sidewalks with sidewalk salt will cause ice to melt, but the wrong kind of salt can also cause sidewalk surfaces to disintegrate.
Unless you want to spend the first days of spring fixing holes in your sidewalk, it’s smart to use the best sidewalk salt to avoid corroding the concrete surface of your sidewalk, driveway or patio.
The best sidewalk salt is made from potassium chloride. This type of sidewalk salt will melt ice without damaging concrete surfaces the way so-called “rock salt” (sodium chloride) does.
For best results, purchase potassium chloride well in advance of winter storms, mix it with playground sand and keep a supply stored near each entrance to your home. The sand will provide immediate traction for icy surfaces and while the potassium chloride melts the ice.
Choosing the right sidewalk salt can extend the life of your sidewalk and keep ice away – and help avoid the need to make very unsightly repairs to your walks come Spring.
