Choosing the Right Winter Salt: Protect Your Concrete, Stone, Lawn — and Keep Pets Safe

Winter ice can make your home’s walkways dangerous fast. But choosing the wrong de-icer can damage your concrete, kill your grass, or hurt your pets’ paws. Not all salts work the same—and the temperature outside plays a big role in how effective each product will be.

Ice Melt

Here’s a clear breakdown of the three main types of winter salts, including their ideal temperature ranges and how safe they are for your property and pets.

1. Rock Salt (Sodium Chloride)

Best for: Mild winter conditions and budget-friendly de-icing

Effective Temperature Range:Works best at –1°C to –7°C

Stops Working Below:–10°C

Pros:

• Inexpensive and easy to find

• Works well on light to moderate ice when temps are around freezing

• Fast acting in mild cold

Cons:

• Harsh on concrete: Can cause spalling and cracking

• kills grass and plants

• Not pet-safe: Can burn paws and irritate skin

• Doesn’t work well in deep cold

Where to Use It:

Driveways and areas far from pets, grass, or sensitive stone. Only use on older, fully cured concrete.

2. Calcium-Based Salt (Calcium Chloride)

Best for: Deep cold and fast melting

Effective Temperature Range:Works from –1°C down to –30°C

Extremely effectiveeven when snow is compacted or frozen hard

Pros:

• One of the fastest ice-melters available

• Reliable in frigid conditions

• Less damaging to concrete than rock salt when applied properly

Cons:

• Not fully pet-safe: Still irritates paws

• Can slightly damage surrounding plants if overused

• More expensive

• Leaves a slimy or oily feel when wet

Where to Use It:

High-traffic walkways, stairs, steep driveways, and anywhere you need quick results in cold weather.

3. Magnesium Chloride

Best for: Property safety, pet-friendly areas, and balanced performance

Effective Temperature Range:Works from –1°C to –15°C (some blends to –20°C)

Ideal for moderate to cold conditions—not extreme deep freezes

Pros:

• More gentle on concrete and stone than sodium or calcium salts

• Considered one of the safest options for pets

• Less damaging to grass and plants

• Works consistently in typical Canadian winter temps

Cons:

• Slightly more expensive

• Works slower than calcium chloride

• Still a salt—overuse can harm plants over time

Where to Use It:

Walkways, patios, steps, stone surfaces, and anywhere pets frequently travel.

Which Salt Should You Choose?

✔ For concrete protection:

Magnesium chloride (best) or calcium chloride (use lightly)

✔ For landscaping & grass safety:

Magnesium chloride

✔ For pets:

Look for pet-safe magnesium chloride products or pet-friendly blends

✔ For extreme cold:

Calcium chloride (best performer below –15°C)

When Should You Lay Salt?

Apply salt when:

• Temperature is within the salt’s effective range

• Ice is forming or has just formed

• Before snowfall when a freeze is expected (pre-treatment improves results)

• After shoveling to melt remaining thin layers

  
  

Avoid salting during extremely low temperatures if your product doesn’t work below that point—you’ll waste product and still have ice.