A driveway covered in ice can be a hassle for many homeowners and their families. In addition to making it difficult to drive a vehicle, ice can be a significant hazard to anyone who attempts to walk on a driveway. The following guide provides simple tips and tricks for determining whether you should you ice salt on your driveway.

As a rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to use as little ice salt as possible in the winter months. Ice salt works by lowering the melting point of ice by several degrees. However, it can cause damage to some driveway surfaces if too much is used.

It’s also important to understand how ice salt can impact landscaping around one’s home. As ice melts, the ice salt that was placed on a driveway can leach into the ground surrounding a driveway. If too much salt ends up in the ground, it can cause grass to go brown and die. Since salt can stay in the ground for many years, it may not be possible to grow anything at all near the edge of a driveway. In severe cases, homeowners may have to replace the topsoil surrounding a driveway after several years of using ice salt.

To reduce the risk of this happening, only use the minimum amount of salt needed to melt ice on a driveway. As a rule of thumb, this usually equates to approximately one pound of ice salt for every 100 square feet of driveway. Make sure to spread rock salt evenly on the driveway. Clumps of ice salt are ineffective at melting ice on a driveway, and may require the application of additional ice salt to achieve the desired effects.

While adding ice salt to a driveway is a good idea in many situations, avoiding adding ice salt to stairs. Ice salt can cause ice to melt and then harden into a slick layer of ice, increasing the risk of falls and broken bones.

Many local and state governments recommend salting driveways, but it’s important to always be careful in areas where there is a lot of pedestrian traffic. By following the simple tips and tricks in this guide, you’ll be back on the road sooner than ever.