De-icing driveways with and without salt

Snow season is well underway and now is the time to prepare for icy walkways. There are many options when it comes to de-icing walkways and driveways, so we took a look at a few to decipher what is best for the right job.

First is NaCl, or sodium chloride. Rock salt is the most generic and cheapest that sits at around 20 cents per pound. While this is cheap, it is not considered environmentally friendly and does not function under extremely cold temperatures. It may help increase friction between boot and ice.

The next step up is Magnesium Chloride, or what some consider even better Calcium Chloride. This type, while running anywhere between $1.30-$5.00 per pound functions well under extremely cold conditions and some are advertised to be healthy for pets as well as environmentally friendly. “I’ve used salt a lot,” said Elly Kantor while visiting Wilson Hardware Co. “This has been coming out, so I’ve been using that because it’s supposed to be better for the pets and the grass.”