Does rock salt destroy the pavement?

Question

My mom and I had an argument over this, so I want your oppinion. She doesn't like putting rock salt on the ground because she thinks it destroys the driveway, and the concrete on the sidewalk. My arguement is that it is not the salt that destroys anything, it is the melting and refreezing of water which expand the cracks to cause further damage. She also argues that salt causes incredible pain to our dogs feet. Can you help set the record straight on these issues once and for all?

Answer 1

OK...mom is a little off her rocker. The salt doesn't hurt. If it did, why would companies pay those sand trucks to come with the sand to do their parking lots? You know that the sand is mixed with salt, right? Also, it does NOT hurt your dog's feet. Dogs walk on rocks all the time. What's the difference? Sometimes though the dogs will try to eat the salt...but it's better than them eating sand! Which is worse...mom falling and breaking her hip or mom being mad about salt?

Answer 2

Poorly made concrete has lots of small cracks that the salty runoff from salting them in winter can trap. Those cracks then widen when that salt water freezes. If the cracking gets down to the reinforcing bars in the concrete they can be rusted away. That rust takes up more room than the un-rusted steel so that exerts another force that widens the cracks until part of the concrete breaks off (spalls) permitting even more salt water runoff damage.

I don't know about the pain to the dog's feet but I do know that people slipping on the icy sidewalks (old people breaking bones) or cars colliding on icy streets (with major loss of life) causes incredible pain as human injuries. Call me crazy but I value those human lives more than dog foot problems. If she is concerned about the dogs she can put booties on them but an old lady with a broken hip is not as easy to cure.

Answer 3

Concrete is pourous so yes it can damage a concrete driveway over time. Yes salt is bad for dogs nails and will cause the to split.Yes Salt is not ideal for pavement either.Truth is all salt has rock salt in it.The best salts to use will be eco friendly and or magnesium or calcium.WHAT YOU DONT WANT IS AMONIUM NITRATE OR PHOSFATE.Its spelled wrong I know but make sure it does not have that.The best to use is the magnesium cause its still melting ice untill 13 degrees.If you use a rock salt just make sure to get it off the sidewalks when the ice n snow are gone.AND RINSE DOWN EVERYTHING WHEN TEMPS RISE.