Earlswood Garden & Landscape Centre News

Rock Salt or Winter Grit, Which is Best?

There is much confusion about the difference between pure rock salt and winter grit with most people thinking they’re the same thing when in fact, one can leave you with a really big clean-up operation!

There is no magic formula to completely eliminate all snow and ice from your pathways, steps and driveways but rock salt certainly helps the fight and might just save you from a nasty slip or even a slide in the car!

They’re not all the same
For this blog I want to explain a little about the two main types of rock salt available and why we choose to supply pure white rock salt over the brown winter grit alternatives.

The 2 Types of Rock Salt

1. Traditional Winter Grit / Brown Rock Salt
Favoured by the majority of Councils & Local Authorities, winter grit is mined from the ground and is made up from a blend of rock salt, sand & grit.

Whilst it’s an effective way of controlling snow & ice and providing a grippy surface, it leaves the sand & grit behind once the snow & ice has melted, leaving your driveway and paths in a real mess for weeks if it’s not cleared away. It also gets trodden indoors, causing a horrible mess inside too!

Some suppliers blend additional sand & grit to increase the level of grip for very steep driveways, paths and steps but this leaves even more residue behind and is simply not required for most domestic areas.

2. Pure White Rock Salt, (as sold by us)
White Rock Salt is pure sea salt with NO added sand or grit so it leaves very little, (if any) residue after the snow & ice melts away. Any salt that is left can simply be washed away with water making it ideal for domestic areas, such as garden paths, steps and driveways.

When to use Rock Salt
Although rock salt will melt the snow & ice away if applied after it has, it performs best when spread BEFORE the snow and ice comes so it can prevent it from bonding with the ground. This is why you usually see the council gritters out on the night before snowfall is forecast. They’re not being lazy by trying to get the job done early; they’re trying to get it done on time.

Keep an eye on the weather forecasts and if they predict sub-zero temperatures or even snowfall, spread the rock salt as early as you can to cover the area.

Don’t forget to keep a snow shovel / pusher handy by the front door to clear the fresh top level of snow away. The rock salt will make this job MUCH quicker and easier to do.

Whatever you do, please take care and stay safe in the winter weather.

If you have any questions for us or want to know more, please contact us on 01564 702314 or pop into the store.