The happiest time of the year can also become the most tedious due to the weather. Unless you have the luxury of having a heated driveway, you might find yourself on cold winter days salting and shoveling your driveway to prevent slips and falls. It turns out one of the most common prevention acts you are doing could actually be doing more harm than good! Salt is responsible for ruining driveways despite its best efforts at preventing injury. Reduce stress during the best time of the year by selling your property for cash to Best Price Homebuyers in Omaha, NE.
How salt damages your driveway
The holiday season is full of shopping and spending, so it’s no surprise that will take a cheaper option when it’s available. Rock salt is easily available and is relatively cheap, which makes it a popular choice when debating what product or material to combat snow and ice with. Rock salt can be effective at melting snow and ice in conditions around 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Using copious amounts of salt over a long period of time, however, is how the damage really starts.
Concrete is smooth and can have small pores that are all over its surface. These pores allow the concrete to absorb water. You can especially see this in the warmer months when you wet the concrete and it absorbs the water. In the winter, when ice and snow covers your driveway, nothing harmful happens to your concrete when the snow is scooped or allowed to run off. . When it is melted by salt, however, the concrete will absorb the melted water and become saturated by it. . When that water freezes again, it can cause upward pressures which result in your concrete cracking.
If you have a freshly poured concrete driveway, you should be even more careful of using salt. Fresh-poured concrete has a higher water content which makes it more susceptible to being damaged. Freeze-thaw damage can be more severe
Alternatives
If the risk of salt damage isn’t worth it, there are other alternatives! De-icer works better and has fewer freeze-thaw cycles. Shoveling, snow blowing or plowing your driveway are more labor-intensive options but are also options that don’t include using salt. Heated driveways are another option that is sure to keep your driveway clear of snow and ice, or you could get melting mats if the installation of a heated driveway is too expensive.
Sell your property for cash
Upkeep of homes can be expensive! If the state of your driveway is too far gone, sell your house as-is to Best Price Homebuyers. When you sell your property for cash, you will receive an offer in as little as 24 hours! We will buy your house and make it a simple and stress-free process. Contact us today and request a cash offer.