Salt for de-icing driveways

[joebongo]

Does it have to be that pinky brown stuff or will the table variety do the job?

I'm fully aware of the chemistry of salt, but wondered if the coloured road stuff has anything else added or is it just unrefined?

I also ask as I can get white table salt half the price in the supermarket.

[theaxe]

Table salt will work but is easily washed away. Proper grit is designed to stay in place longer. You can get it in sacks from B&Q for a fiver or maybe somewhere like Travis Perkins for less.

[edo]

road stuff is mixed with grit too isnt it?

Cheap table salt will work, but I guess you could mix some fine gravel in with it too..

[anonymous-user]

Dishwasher salt works pretty well, chunkier.

[joebongo]

What about soil from a grow bag with table salt? I know the soil has a lot of plant matter in it though but don't know what effect that would have.

[theaxe]

I think that'd just make a mess. How cheap is the table salt? Less than £5 for a sack? If not, stick with proper grit.

Edited by theaxe on Sunday 21st November 09:57

[joebongo]

23p/Kg. or £4.60 for 20Kg.

[f1dget]

You can get white road salt,you may have to shop around to find it though.

http://www.peacocksalt.com/store_product.asp?produ...

[agent006]

We use dishwasher salt (and occasionally salt from the water softener) for the carpark at work. On the steep bits we mix in some sand to stop it all pissing off down the hill.

[FreeLitres]

Table salt is very effective at melting ice. Our gutters broke last winter and we ended up with sheet ice on our front step. As soon as I sprinkled some table salt on it, I could walk on it without any slipping at all. You can hear the ice cracking as soon as you sprinkle it on.

[Uhura fighter]

Cat litter.

[aruck]

£6.99 a bag from Wickes

[spikeyhead]

The brown stuff used on roads is mixed with molasses to make it stick.

This also means it sticks to cars far better than I'd like.

[volvoforlife]

You need rock salt. You can buy it from B&Q which is mixed with grit. I would think that table salt would be difficult to spread evenly and much more expensive.

I think the grit gives you grip while the salt melts the ice away but it seems to take ages to work.

[Efbe]

just use hot water. works really well.....

[Pothole]

just grab some from the yellow bins by the roadside..you paid for it!

[Efbe]

Pothole said:

just grab some from the yellow bins by the roadside..you paid for it!

don't think they top these up any more do they?

[Pothole]

Efbe said:

Pothole said:

just grab some from the yellow bins by the roadside..you paid for it!

don't think they top these up any more do they?

the one outside my Mum's is full.

[Efbe]

Pothole said:

Efbe said:

Pothole said:

just grab some from the yellow bins by the roadside..you paid for it!

don't think they top these up any more do they?

the one outside my Mum's is full.

ours is empty, and we're in a part of the country that actually need it.. typical:/

we do seem o have one of the worst councils in the uk though.

[Deva Link]

Pothole said:

just grab some from the yellow bins by the roadside..you paid for it!

You'll get into trouble if you spread it on private property and nosy neighbours do watch these things!