Salt for driveway

2qk4u

Where will I get salt for my driveway for the coming cold spell and the snow ? Not talking about running around to the local shop I want to get the proper stuff.

Cantona's Collars

Ask at your local council depot,they might give you some.I used dishwasher salt last year-great stuff altogether and cheap.

Absurdum

Hardware stores or a builders suppliers will stock some, I bet the price has quadrupled after last winter though!

nytraveller

www.rocksaltireland.com

Alfagtamini

b&q also sell it got some last year . think they were 10 or 15kg bags

biko

You can use 50/50 sand and salt, it'll last longer and the sand will give you traction.
You can even use kitty litter

http://www.ehow.com/video_4427062_using-sand-melt-black-ice.html

2qk4u

Thanks lads, is it cheap ?

Tigger

roadstone have an offer on

Del2005

If you've an open fire burn some wood and save your ash. You get some useful heat out if too:D

Not too sure about coal ash. But I can't see it being much worst the rock salt after what it did to roads earlier this year.

Capt'n Midnight

if these prices are anything to go by Urea might be cheaper than B&Q salt, and won't rust the body work - not sure if you can get it at a farmers co-op

also not sure if run off would lead to algae blooms

http://irishfarming.ie/2009/03/08/707/

Fertilizer prices are continuing to fall because of the constant flow of imports,Urea prices are experiencing a downward trend to €335/tonne,

congo_90

bag of gravel used for concrete works well. cheap and gives traction and lasts all through the winter. is your driveway on a slope?

Captain Commie

dishwasher salt FTW. pavement to door of apartment block was real bad last year so i threw down some dishwasher salt and stopped me from near breaking my neck, management company didn't seem too fussed about doing it for us at all

Fey!

B&Q have grit in bags.

Last year I used ashes from the fire; didn't need much to do the driveway. Gives excellent traction (we have a fairly steep slope on our driveway, and it gets really slippy). It does look very dirty when everything thaws, though, although it still gives grip if it refreezes over it!

E39MSport

Tenner for 25 kilos of purification salt. Same thing, different application. Don't get the coarse stuff. You'll can find it in rural hardware places. Ted Johnsons, Sapce in Prosperous and the like.

HarryDog

Dishwasher salt will destroy a concrete driveway. It really rips it up

machalla

Was mentioned to me by a friend the other day that you can get rock salt from this company.

NBT Fixings
Telephone: 01 473 6666

http://sherlingsteel.com/index.php?option=com_contact&task=view&contact_id=13&Itemid=226

Not sure on pricing but I don't think it was supposed to be too bad.

GreeBo

HarryDog wrote: »

Dishwasher salt will destroy a concrete driveway. It really rips it up

+1 on this.
Any type of salt will eat through a concrete surface.
If your concrete was not allowed to cure properly (slowly, without drying) or was mixed incorrectly then salt will literally eat lumps out if it.

I reckon about 90% of concrete driveways were just lashed in there and the concrete ignored so beware.
*My own now looks like the surface of the moon

I just use sharp sand now.

Alun

GreeBo wrote: »

+1 on this.
Any type of salt will eat through a concrete surface.
If your concrete was not allowed to cure properly (slowly, without drying) or was mixed incorrectly then salt will literally eat lumps out if it.

Interesting. I was noting that a lot of the driveways around our area were looking a bit shabby, i.e. cement eaten away exposing the aggregate, and thought it was down to some over-zealous power washing, but now you mention it, my neighbours is one of the worst and she was spreading salt on her section last winter as if it was going out of fashion!

E39MSport

Thank fcuk we had no salt to spread on the roads last year then. They remain in tatters around here from the ice last year ! ..... or maybe salt is less harmful than ice?

biko

Hmm, think I'll start by using ashes this year and then move on to B&Q 10mm gravel if I need more traction.

TouchingVirus

I think I might get in a bit of sharp sand/gravel mix for the folks at home and use that along with ash.

_Whimsical_

GreeBo wrote: »

+1 on this.
Any type of salt will eat through a concrete surface.
If your concrete was not allowed to cure properly (slowly, without drying) or was mixed incorrectly then salt will literally eat lumps out if it.

I reckon about 90% of concrete driveways were just lashed in there and the concrete ignored so beware.
*My own now looks like the surface of the moon

I just use sharp sand now.

I have to second this. We put salt on our driveway last year not realising it did any damage. After the frosty spell we were left with holes and basically a disintegrating drive way. It still has a top of very coarse cement grit all the time now that just gets worse if it's swept so it can't be removed. Everytime someone comes into the house they bring it on their shoes. It destroys your floors.

Sand is probably the best idea.

Did people find the shoe cleats good last year ?
I remember there being a thread about them but I can't find it now.

Digipass

Will salt corrode tarmac?

GreeBo

Digipass wrote: »

Will salt corrode tarmac?

Nah shouldnt be an issue, though you might get some discolouration.

moggie4000

www.pitchmaintenance.com 15kg bags for €8.99 + VAT

cyrusdvirus

woodies sell it as well

not too sure of prices though, saw it there the other day

rainbowdrop

Lidl had bags of driveway salt the other day, think it was only €3 for a 10kg bag........

91011

the best thing for walkways without much traffic is just grit / coarse sand to give you grip rather than melting it.

Salt needs to be worked into the ice before its effective, so only useful if there's a lot of people walking about.