We all remember how bad the snow was last winter. If this winter is anything like last year’s, then you will need to stock up on sidewalk salt. But did you know that there are some kinds of salts that are bad for the life of your masonry hardscaping? When you buy sidewalk salt, you’re not just buying simply salt. You are buying salt that has different chemicals mixed in with it. Sometimes, the chemicals that get mixed in with the salt are harmless. Other times, these chemicals can burn human skin and kill vegetation. It’s important to know what to look for before stocking up for the winter.

What Happens When I Use the Wrong Salt?

If you have to repeatedly use heavy amounts of sidewalk salt, you put your masonry hardscaping at risk. With the wrong kinds of salt, the surfaces of your masonry might start scaling and flaking, a process which is called “salt fretting”. Salt fretting usually occurs at the base of buildings, where the building meets the sidewalks. It ages your hardscaping beyond its years, damaging your property value. To avoid salt fretting from occurring, make sure that you are using the right kinds of de-icing products. Here are some tips to help you buy and use your sidewalk salt correctly.

• When was your hardscaping done? If you have concrete sidewalks or steps that are less than 6 months old, do not use de-icing products at all! At this stage, the concrete is extra sensitive and prone to damage.
• Check the ingredients list. If your de-icing product has ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate, don’t use it! These chemicals are extra damaging to masonry.
• Wash up. In the spring, wash any area that you salted in the winter to get rid of the residue.
• Know your salts. There are four types of deicing salts: Sodium Chloride (rock salt), Calcium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, and Magnesium Chloride. Avoid Sodium Chloride and Calcium Chloride; they contain chemicals that are harmful to masonry, surrounding vegetation, and human skin. When shopping for de-icing salts, look for Potassium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride. These salts are great choices for deicing your hardscaping, because they contain drastically fewer harmful chemicals. This makes them better for your masonry, the environment, and you. With the right types of deicing salts, you’ll keep your hardscaping looking like new!

Tristate Paving Company

So, are you ready to call on the help of a professional paving company?

Call Tristate Paving. We’re a seasoned hardscaping company based in Maryland and have the experience and knowledge help you turn your backyard into the perfect retreat quickly and affordably. Our experts will work with you to find a design and layout for outdoor kitchen and dining area that you’re sure to love for years and years to come.

Our area numbers are:

West Chester: 610.563.9456

Oxford: 610.932.3566

Delaware: 302.757.4100

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Tags: concrete, hardscaping, masonry

This entry was posted on Friday, November 13th, 2015 at 12:35 am and is filed under Concrete Paving, Hardscaping. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.