Rock Salt or Sand on Ice?

Whether the use of rock salt or sand is better for ice management has been a subject of debate for years among property owners. Both come with their own set of pros and cons. Determining which one is right for you is a personal preference and knowing how each works can help with that decision. In today’s blog, we will be looking at just that.

The first thing that everyone should know is how the two substances work when applied. There are some people out there that think both sand and rock salt will melt ice. This is not the case. Rock salt will melt ice but, it will only work in temperatures of above -11 degrees C and can be very damaging to plant life, concrete and steel. Sand on the other hand will not melt ice but it will provide traction and works in any temperature. If buried under snow or ice, sand does need to be reapplied as it will lose effectiveness. This can be somewhat prevented by adding rock salt to the mixture and spreading both at the same time.

Currently, these are the two most widely used substances in the aid of ice management and while research is being done into alternatives, there has been no real success as of yet. The best way to prevent major ice build-up from forming is still to shovel and use a snow blower regularly when it is snowing.