The Best Winter Care for Your Hardscapes
Most people have always used some sort of rock salt to melt and prevent ice during the winter months on steps and sidewalks. But these rock salts have many negative consequences that go along with them. They can eat away at your concrete (including pavers) that sacrifices the aesthetic quality of your hardscapes. Also, the salt may be harmful to the surrounding plant material. And one more thing, what about people tracking salt into your home? All of these things are reasons not to use general rock salt during the winter.
So what should you use? The answer is magnesium chloride. Because of its effectiveness, magnesium chloride is a high performance deicer. Found in pellet, flake, and liquid solutions, it will melt snow and ice effectively down to -13 F. But the pest part is that it is also the most environmentally-sound choice. Magnesium chloride provides very low impact to landscape surfaces as well as plant material. It is also pet friendly as its low toxicity is comparable to Vitamin C. The liquid is best used as a preventative before a winter event occurs, and is great as it does not track into the home. The pellet and flake forms work just as well, so it’s up to you to see what works best for your situation.
Magnesium chloride has exploded in use and demand over the past two decades because it balances high performance with low environmental impact. According to Lexington KY wildlife control it also helps keep away unwanted raccoons. So before you put down that general rock salt, try magnesium chloride instead and preserve the condition of your landscape!