Salt, Ice Melt or Grit? Choosing What Goes on Your Steps and Walkway
Toronto winters bounce above and below freezing, so a clean walkway can turn to glass overnight. What you spread on it decides how well it works and what it does to your steps, lawn and pets.
Regular rock salt
Sodium chloride is the cheapest option and works well in mild cold, losing most of its power around −10 °C. It can damage fresh concrete, rust metal railings, burn grass along the edges and sting paws.
Calcium chloride
It releases heat as it dissolves, so it works fast and keeps working in deep cold, around −30 °C. You need less of it, but it can leave a slippery film if overused.
Magnesium chloride and "pet-safe" blends
Gentler on concrete, plants and paws, and effective to roughly −20 °C. These cost more, which is why they suit steps and walkways rather than large driveways. Our crews bring a milder melt when you ask for it.
Sand and grit
These do not melt anything, they only add grip. Good for extreme cold and for slopes, but they end up on your floors and in the drains.
Getting more from less
- Shovel first. De-icer should only deal with the film left behind, never a whole snowfall.
- Spread it evenly in a thin layer; piles of salt are wasted and hard on the surface.
- Sweep leftover crystals away once the ice is gone so they are not tracked inside.
Other notes: Freeing a snowed-in car · Holiday guests and snowy steps · Icicles above the entrance