Rock Salt Ice Melt Pail, 8, 20 and 45 lb, Coarse Granule De-Icer

What Rock Salt Is Good At, And What It Is Not

Being straight about this saves people money. Rock salt is the most cost effective de-icer available and it works well in the temperature range most storms actually happen in. What it does not do is perform in deep cold, and it is the harshest of the common de-icers on concrete, metal and planting.

• Coarse rock salt for rapid ice melting. Larger granules stay put and keep working rather than blowing away.
• Efficient in extreme cold relative to its cost, though a calcium chloride product will outperform it once you are well below zero.
• Driveways, walkways and steps. The everyday surfaces.
• Residential and commercial. The workhorse choice for both.

Where Rock Salt Is The Wrong Answer

• Concrete under a year old. No de-icer belongs on it, and salt least of all.
• Decorative pavers and natural stone. Use a CMA blend or magnesium chloride product instead.
• Right against planting beds and lawn edges. Sodium accumulates in soil.
• Deep cold nights. Sodium chloride slows badly as temperatures drop. Keep a pail of calcium chloride for those.

Specifications

Buy The Right One For The Job

Most properties are best served by two products: rock salt for the bulk of the driveway where cost per pound rules, and a small pail of something gentler for the paver patio, the front steps and anywhere a dog walks. Buying one product for everything is how patios get pitted.