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Winter - Rock Salt vs Pet Safe Salt vs Sand vs Other?

Timothy Norton

master gardener

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Location: Upstate NY, Zone 5, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

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posted 1 year ago

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Good Morning,

It is that time of year for some, and almost that time of year for many more. Snow will fall, ice will form, and our balance will be put at risk.

What is your preferred material, if any, that you use to deal with slips and trips?

I used to throw heaps of rock salt onto my driveway after shoveling hoping to keep the ice down but it always seemed to work so-so and end up hurting my dog's paws.

This year, I have started the year with a bag of 'Pet-Safe' salt but have just finally decided to look up what it is made out of. Magnesium Chloride. I mean it is not rock salt going into my soil but it still isn't probably the best thing....

What do ya'll do? What is your system? Please share your insights.

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thomas rubino

rocket scientist

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Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A

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posted 1 year ago

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Hi Tim;
Wood ash is by far the best I have used, but it does track into your house with you.
Sand is second best.
I have some rock salt but only use it on thick ice flows when the temperature rises.
Otherwise, it simply melts down a hole that is filled with water and refreezes

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Anne Miller

steward

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Location: USDA Zone 8a

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I second the recommendation by Thomas to use wood ash.

The sand suggestion is good, too.

We usually use rock salt because we don't have wood ash or sand handy.

Our concrete porch has a dip in it making using rock salt a necessity when we get that kind of weather.

I usually send the dog out back where there is not rock salt.

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Eric Hanson

gardener

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Location: Southern Illinois

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Of the options available I would go with sand--it has the fewest complications. That being said, I almost never use even that as I always try to clear my driveway right down to the base. Also, just knowing how to drive on snow and ice goes a long ways as well. However, I do recognize that there are times when some type of grit on the driveway surface is helpful.

Eric

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Matt McSpadden

gardener

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Location: Central Maine (Zone 5a)

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posted 1 year ago

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A third vote for sand. Ashes work, but are way more messy than sand.

Honestly, in my area, all the towns give away sand mixed with salt for use on your driveway. I often use that. Probably nasty stuff, but I've had my pregnant wife fall on ice, and my mother fall and break her leg on ice... so I use what I need to make it safe.

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John F Dean

master steward

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Location: southern Illinois, USA

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posted 1 year ago

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A number of years ago, I had a rare intelligent thought. Whenever I put in a new building or repaired one near an existing walkway I extended the roof to cover the walkway. Now, more than 50% of our stairs and sidewalks are covered.

I do keep salt around to address iced stairs that can get pretty exciting.

Other sidewalks get sand.

I use ashes on pathway to the out buildings.

I also use wood chips on pathways.

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Douglas Alpenstock

master pollinator

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Location: Canadian Prairies - Zone 3b

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posted 1 year ago

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I'm on a sand/silt hill that makes gardening tough as hell (yeah, I could truck in black soil, but it's the principle dammit!)

Two years ago, in the heat, I dug out a nook in the hill beside my steep driveway, spread out the sand to dry, and stored it in plastic bins (scrounged of course). I have enough to last for years. I also have some more aggressive gravel chips in bags, which I have used and then gathered up in spring.

As you can see, I am pretty serious about this -- I had a couple of falls with full winter gear on pure ice that could have been life changing concussion events. I was lucky.

I still keep some scrounged salt around, in case of emergency. The last time I used it, it did severe damage to concrete. So it's the nuclear option, to prevent severe injury.

Timothy Norton

master gardener

Posts: 5087

Location: Upstate NY, Zone 5, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

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posted 3 months ago

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I'm trying to wean away from rock salt still, but the one area that I am hung up are the steps immediately before my door. Ash and sand gets tracked into the house which is less than ideal.

My overall usage is reduced which is a plus, I only use it to prevent slips/trips in certain areas. Otherwise the afternoon sun has been doing a good job this year taking care of ice patches.

Christopher Weeks

master gardener

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Location: Carlton County, Minnesota, USA: 3b; Dfb; sandy loam; in the woods

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posted 3 months ago

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I use a couple gallons of sand each spring when we go into that melt-freeze-melt-freeze cycle to keep the ice-sheet safe to traverse. I own a bag of salt that's outside our walk-out door for melting the ice sheet that forms two feet from the door after dripping off the roof and through the deck, but I haven't used it at all the last two years.

My land is made of sand, so it's easy to come by, but it would be nice to let it dry out thoroughly before locking it up in the metal can so I don't have to chisel it out when needed.

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Anne Miller

steward

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Location: USDA Zone 8a

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posted 3 months ago

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We rarely get snow. When we do I just prefer to stay inside...

I have read a lot of good suggestions for using ashes to melt the snow.

My second choice would be sand, if I had some.

Dear hubby always uses rock salt, though like me he generally just stays inside.

Invasive plants are Earth's way of insisting we notice her medicines. Stephen Herrod Buhner
Everyone learns what works by learning what doesn't work. Stephen Herrod Buhner

Tommy Bolin

Posts: 89

Location: 55 deg. N. Central B.C. Zone 3a S. Nevada. Hot and dry zone

posted 3 months ago

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Bulldozer and shovel keep my work areas, driveway, and walkways cleared enough, we have no paving/concrete.
I would have to screen sand to make it and even less toxic mag chloride would be wasted on top of packed snow. Any salt runoff would be unacceptable to the master gardener. So, we just use kitty litter when the packed snow gets icy. Breaks down when wet, but cheapest litter good enough for safety on our sloped property.

Ó Ruairc M'Ghie

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posted 2 months ago

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I use grips on my boots - sand is a nightmare, in between dog's toes and covering pads + carried right on in to the house. If you google, it's really hard on dogs paws/pads and 'dangerous'. Salt of course, 'dog-friendly' or not. (I'm 77 and boot grips have never let me down and come off and on easily.) Kudos to all you guys out there!

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