The HeatTrak Homeowner's Blog & Resources

As winter approaches, at least in the more northerly portions of the U.S., many homeowners find themselves longing for a way to make snow and ice removal fast and easy, and heated driveway systems immediately come to mind.

Heated driveways are easiest to install when pouring a new concrete or asphalt driveway and often require you to replace your existing driveway. However, in some instances, the electric coil type can be retrofitted in, especially if you only intend to heat a limited portion of the pavement.

Rock salt is easily the cheapest option when it comes to melting snow and ice on U.S. roadways as well as on pavements at U.S. homes. Over a third of the salt sold in the United States every year is rock salt, which is basically the as-is salt mined from natural salt deposits left underground by "ancient oceans."

Rock salt's destructive tendencies on driveway pavements, especially on concrete but on asphalt as well, are well known. It is not surprising, then, that many homeowners are now seeking alternatives to rock salt when it comes to deicing their driveways and outdoor foot-traffic pavements.

Below, we offer 6 chemical deicers that can take the place of rock salt and 4 non-chemical deicing solutions to consider. These options are not all mutually exclusive, so feel free to mix and match and find the approach that works best for you.

When outdoor temperatures plummet and snow and ice cover the ground, conditions are dangerous for everyone, but it is seniors who suffer the most each winter from hypothermia, frostbite, slip-and-fall incidents, and other accidents.

By better understanding wintertime dangers, seniors can better prepare and minimize the risks. Here are 8 winter safety tips for seniors that will help them safely navigate wintry conditions:

Rock salt (sodium chloride), as well as many other deicers, pose major hazards to your pets when applied in significant quantities to your driveway and other outdoor pavements. Being aware of these dangers and how to eliminate, or at least minimize, the risks to your cat or dog from rock salt can save your pet's health or even his/her life.

If you have an elderly loved one who will be spending the winter in a part of the country that typically sees significant snow and ice, there are steps to take that can help keep your loved one safe. As winter is the number one season for seniors suffering at-home slip and fall accidents, and as many of them do not (or cannot) prepare themselves for wintry weather, here are ten ways you can help keep your loved one safe this winter:

Safety should always be a top priority, for any age group and at any time of year, but for older adults, winter is a particularly accident-prone season. Wintertime safety measures, therefore, merit extra attention and special caution for senior citizens.

Rock salt (sodium chloride) is one of the most damaging substances that will ever contact your concrete driveway. It accelerates the deterioration caused by winter's freeze-thaw cycles and shortens the lifespan of your concrete pavements. The same is true of asphalt, though to a far lesser degree.

Rock salt is usually not on homeowners' minds until outdoor temperatures begin to drop and winter is "just around the corner." And when thoughts do turn to rock salt, it is usually in immediate connection with melting ice and snow rather than with health concerns.

A concrete or asphalt driveway is a major convenience that many homeowners enjoy, but when winter weather arrives and covers your pavement with a layer of snow or ice, steps must be taken to recover full use of your driveway. And the safety hazards of slippery pavements must also be minimized, both to prevent accidents and to avert any possible lawsuits that may follow if a visitor should be injured on your property.