Alternatives to Salting a Driveway

Abrasives

• Abrasives, unlike salt or other deicers, do not melt ice or snow, but instead provide traction on top of the slippery surface. Materials that can be utilized as abrasives include sand, ash, kitty litter or cinders. Abrasives have little environmental impact, but they may be messy and, in the spring, require removal from where they accumulate. Abrasives can be combined with a deicing compound for the added traction they provide and to limit the amount of deicing compound used.

Calcium Magnesium Acetate

• Calcium magnesium acetate, or CMA, is a salt-free deicing agent made from acetic acid and dolomitic lime. Although this deicing compound is more expensive than most salts or combination deicers, it is less damaging to the driveway surface and plants, making it suitable for use in environmentally sensitive areas.

Heat

• Electric heating cables or a system that incorporates running heated water through pipes under the driveway's surface will remove snow and ice without requiring chemicals or manual removal. Most systems must be installed when new concrete or asphalt is laid, and they can be costly. However, it may be possible to cut narrow trenches across the driveway, lay electric heating cable within the trenches and then seal the trenches with a suitable caulking substance.

Enhanced Radiation Absorbers

• Dark materials such as graphite or ash can be applied to a driveway to act as enhanced radiation absorbers. These materials increase the absorption of sunlight and accelerate melting, although they work relatively slowly, can be messy if they are tracked into buildings and become ineffective if they are covered by accumulating snow.

Physical Removal

• Physical removal of snow and ice, using a shovel, plow or snow blower, will greatly reduce the need for salt, abrasives or other removal methods. Frequent or timely removal of snow will help to prevent the formation of a packed snow or ice layer on the driveway. An ice chipper can be utilized to crack a thick layer of ice into smaller, removable pieces. An additional option most suitable for small areas that are difficult to shovel is to cover the area with a thick plastic sheet or tarp prior to snow events.