Once winter hits and the roads start to ice over it will finally be time to start laying down road salt again. If you’ve just laid down new asphalt or simply want to maintain your existing pavement then this notion may make you nervous. Does road salt damage asphalt? How will your pavement react to it? Let’s find out!
Why Road Salt is Necessary
Unfortunately, no matter how different pavements react to road salt it’s not something that is easy to forego. Whether it’s a driveway or a parking lot you need to make sure that your asphalt is safe to drive and walk on. This is to prevent any injury that could happen due to the slippery ice.
On top of this, as ice builds and compacts it can actually start to damage your pavement if driven over. This is because of the added weight and pressure that the ice creates. Failure to remove the ice might not just cause harm to a person, but the asphalt as well. Because of this, it’s crucial to spread that salt.
How Does Asphalt React to Salt?
Contrary to what you may believe, most road salts are completely harmless to the pavement they are spread over. This, however, only holds true if you’re using the proper amount of road salt. Spreading too much or confining it all to one area can lead to your asphalt deteriorating. This doesn’t mean that you have to go light on the salt, you should still make sure that you’re putting enough down to get rid of the ice. It just means to spread it evenly instead.
What Kind of Salt Should You be Using on Your Asphalt?
Determining what kind of salt to use on your driveway really depends on how much ice is present and what the temperature outside is. Some road salts are more heavy-duty than others so you may have to pick and choose carefully when the time comes. Rock salt is perhaps the most popular option and for the most part, it works great. It tends to be a bit harsher than other products however so you should use it in smaller quantities. Calcium chloride is less harsh than rock salt and can work down to -25°F.
Overall you should be fine with whatever road salt you end up using. Just make sure that you keep the overall condition of your asphalt in mind whenever you begin spreading salt.
Have More Questions?
You can count on Walt’s Paving to complete your residential or commercial paving project in an efficient and timely manner. We have over 40 years of experience paving asphalt driveways, making asphalt repairs, and seal coating asphalt. We are located in Osceola IN and service homeowners and businesses within 50 miles of Elkhart IN. If you have any further questions regarding our services, do not hesitate to contact us today.
