Hidden costs of over salting

Salt is pretty cheap until you realize all the hidden costs that over salting can cause! Sidewalk salt is a common deicer used by cities and homeowners throughout Minnesota. There are many benefits to sidewalk salt but there are also a few negatives. When the snow melts, salt starts to flows and can cause damage around your home. Excess salt can erode buildings and railings, pits sidewalks, ruins indoor flooring and damages vegetation.

Sidewalk Salt’s Effect on the Home

It’s common knowledge that salt can cause rust on your vehicle and stain the floor mats but excess sidewalk salt will also cause damage around your house. It is possible that too much salt will cause pipes to rust. Salt is very abrasive so limiting your salt use is key to preventing rusting around your home.

Sidewalk salt can also damage the concrete around your home. During the melting and refreezing that happens throughout the winter and spring, salt will get between the cracks in your driveway, sidewalks, walkways and patios. This has the potential of attacking and weakening the concrete around your house.

How Sidewalk Salt Affects Lawns and Gardens

As the snow melts, excess salt will breakdown and flow into the ground around your driveway and sidewalks. As the salt settles, plants will absorb the water through the roots. This will affect the plants ability to absorb nutrients eventually killing the plant. The effect that salt has on your plants and grass might not be apparent until spring.