Salt Usage Downtown

With spring on the way and warmer temperatures, people start to think more about using salt to help clear ice and snow from sidewalks. The new Cushman and Noble street projects have a lot of features that can be damaged by salt. New concrete (less than a year old) can be damaged by salt. Salt can flake concrete, corrode metal and kill plants. You can help:

Reduce salt use and use the best type. Remove as much snow as possible before applying the de-icer. Combine it with other materials such as sand that can provide grittiness for traction. Applying ice melter at cold temperatures doesn’t do much good. If the daily high isn’t getting to +5F, it is best to use sand and wait for warmer weather. De-icing materials that use salts other than sodium chloride(rock salt), including calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, or calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) can reduce injury to plants.

Make applications carefully. Applications should be targeted at walkways. Don’t pile salt-laden snow on landscape beds, tree wells or lawns. The flow of salt-laden runoff water should be considered so not to drain into plants or tree wells.