With the Winter season just around the corner, most Canadians are preparing for snow removal by purchasing road salt. However, it is important to consider the damaging effects of road salts on your asphalt driveway. For concrete driveways, we recommend not using road salts, as these can cause severe damage to your driveway. Let’s consider the following implications from using de-icing salts on your asphalt driveways.
Is Road Salt Bad For Asphalt Driveways?
When used occasionally, road salts can be effective in clearing ice off your driveway. However, if excessively used, you’ll start to notice existing cracks get larger. Another negative impact of using excessive road salt is on the environment. A lot of companies mix road salt with other additives which can contaminate our sewers and water sources. According to recent research studies, our water sources have an unusual amount of saline run-off. This can occur from excessive salting which mixes with melted snow and runs into our natural, salt-free water sources. In order to decrease our environmental footprint, it is recommended to mix your road salt with sand. This helps reduce the amount of saline ( salt ) that is mixed in with the melting snow or ice.
Can Road Salts Develop Potholes?
Although road salt won’t necessarily develop potholes, it can help aggravate existing damage. For example, if your driveway already has cracks, the salt mixed with water can seep through the cracks. Once the salt has been absorbed through these cracks, it can increase the erosion rate below the asphalt. Potholes are formed when the soil underneath the asphalt pavement erodes, which causes the pavement above to sink. Pair this with heavy vehicle traffic and cold temperatures, you will likely see potholes form. Make sure your driveway is sealed well before the Winter season starts to come around.
What Are Some Alternatives to Road Salt?
Try to look for organic ice-melters that don’t have an environmental footprint. There are also home remedies to melting the ice on your driveway. For example, according to a website Tiphero, you can create a homemade ice-melter using only 3 simple ingredients. Tiphero recommends mixing rubbing alcohol, dish soap & water to create their ice-melting solution. Check out the full recipe guide here: Pour This 3-Ingredient Mixture on Ice and It Will Easily Break Away
For the ones that would rather just purchase an organic ice-melter rather than conducting a chemistry experiment at home, there are a few products out there. Recently, we found a company that produces a non-staining, pet-friendly & organic ice melter using sugar beets. Check out the organic ice-melter solution by OrganicMelt.
ORGANIC MELT IS THE SAFEST, MOST EFFECTIVE ICE MELTER FOR CONCRETE, ASPHALT, PAVERS, STONES, LAWNS, GARDENS, AND PETS WHEN USED AS DIRECTED. – Organic Melt Website
Professional & Eco-friendly Snow Removal & Ice Melting Services in GTA
If you’re like most people in Toronto, then you don’t want to have to wake up 2-3 times overnight during a blizzard just to clean your driveway. Luckily, there are multiple service providers who can do the snow removal for you. At My Landscapers, we have over 15 years of experience in both commercial & residential snow removal services. Our experts are dedicated to providing exceptional service, quick response times and high customer satisfaction. If you’re looking for a reliable, professional and highly rated snow removal service provider in North York, Toronto & most of the GTA, then contact us. We provide FREE, no-obligation, detailed estimates for everyone. Winter is almost here, be prepared with your FREE snow removal estimate from My Landscapers today.
Call Us Today: +1 (416) 838-2229 or Contact Us
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