How Much Salt Do I Need for My Driveway?

Do you find that you’re pouring more and more salt on your driveway? You should only need 15 ounces of salt or about the salt that would fit in a small coffee mug, for every 20 feet of driveway you have. You’ll need 15 ounces per day for every day that you’ll expect to need to break up or prevent ice. You can find out how many days it snows on average in your town. If you’re in Ontario, 40 days of snow is a good estimate.

That’s 720 ounces of salt, or 45 pounds of salt, for every 20 feet of driveway. You may want to add a few extra pounds in case there is more snow this year.

So, why does it seem like you need to pour on more than 15 ounces of salt for it to work? We have some tips that can help you maximize your salt so that you can buy less and protect your landscaping and the environment.

Why Minimize Salt Usage?

There are many reasons that it is beneficial for you to limit the amount of salt you’re using on your driveway:

Water and soil problems: Salt affects the pH of your soil and the local water supply. One teaspoon of salt that washes into the water supply can pollute five gallons of water. Salt spikes can kill plants and animals that live in freshwater.
Weakens your home: Excess salt can also damage your concrete, stone, brick, and other parts of your building. Excess salt can also burn your grass.
Cost: Using a lot of salt can rack up a bit of a bill.

Keep your driveway and sidewalk safe this winter with road salt. To learn more about how much salt is needed for your driveway, contact our experts today at Lane’s Landscaping.

What Does Salt Need to Work?

If you have poured down 15 ounces of salt on your driveway, and have found that it’s not enough, there may be a few reasons. Salt works best when there is some sun out to heat up the ice and let the salt disperse into the rest of the ice.

The salt works best when there is some traffic on the driveway, to break up the pieces of ice so that the salt can work into it. To make your salt go further, try salting while the sun is still out, or in the morning so the salt will be active throughout the day.

When It’s Too Cold for Salt

Salt doesn’t work in all temperatures. Once the temperature is below -9 Celsius, then the salt will not be able to break up ice anymore. In fact, it’ll be a little less effective as the temperature approaches -9 Celsius. In this case, you’ll want to use our treated salt, which can still work at these temperatures.

Stay safe this winter by ensuring that your driveway and sidewalk is safe for your family, pets, and neighbours. To learn more about how much road salt you need for your property, contact our team at Lane’s Landscaping today.

_Sources:

_{https://apnews.com/article/70fc64f8184c4953bed92e6732182ce3}

_{https://www.laneslandscaping.ca/products/bulk-salt/salt-driveway-sidewalk/}

_{https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/news-events/the-buzz/too-much-road-salt-bad-for-environment}