Every winter, homeowners use a variety of de-icing salt products to combat ice as it builds up on sidewalks, steps, and driveways. Regardless of the type of salt product that is used the resulting damage is always the same.

Salt, by its nature, is acidic. Conversely, concrete is very alkaline. When a salt product is used to breakdown ice it will eventually make its way into the small pores of the concrete and begin to lower the pH of the concrete, causing the concrete to become brittle. Once the integrity of the concrete has been compromised it will begin to flake off and deteriorate.

Preventing ice build-up without using a salt product is important to keep your landscape and lawn healthy, as well as to prevent the destruction of your concrete and other hardscapes. As salt products melt ice, the resulting salt water solution will make its way into the soil of your landscape.

Any addition of salt into your landscape will cause long lasting damage to turf, shrubs and trees. Getting the salt out of your soil is very difficult, so it’s vital that steps are taken to prevent it from getting there in the first place. To keep your sidewalks and driveways ice-free, make sure to shovel as soon as you can after it snows. Try not to walk or drive on the snow before doing so to avoid the snow getting compacted, making it harder to remove and more prone to ice.

If you really need to use a de-icing product, be sure to use de-icers properly: It is still best to remove the snow and ice by hand when possible and spot treat to melt ice if needed, thereby using lesser amounts.

There are de-icing products available that do not use salt as their main ingredient. These products are more expensive than the traditional salt products, but the extended costs of repairing concrete, turf, and plants after salt damage occurs is something to avoid if at all possible.