How Landscaping Sand and Ice Melt Salt Work Together to Clear Walkways and Driveways in the Winter

“The Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that there are over 20,000+ recorded ice, sleet, and snow-related workplace injuries every year, and Utah has one of the highest incident rates for winter weather injuries,” according to BYU’s winter weather safety report.

It’s important to find solutions to keep your outdoor spaces safe and accessible during Utah’s cold months. Here's an insider tip many don’t know: combining landscaping sand with ice melt salt is a highly effective solution that landscapers have been using for years. While ice melt salt helps break down ice, landscaping sand creates traction, preventing slips and falls. Kilgore Landscape Center, known for its wide selection of decorative landscaping rocks and road salt products, is the perfect place to find these for winter landscaping products.

Why Landscaping Sand?

Sand, like Kilgore’s Bedding Sand or Beach Sand, Play Sand are popular products to help winterize your property. While ice melt salt effectively melts ice, landscaping sand provides traction. The University of Wisconsin reports that “sand and other abrasives improve vehicle traction on snow and ice-covered roads.” Sand is especially useful on surfaces like driveways, walkways, and patios where you need to prevent slipping. It doesn’t necessarily melt ice, but it can make icy surfaces less hazardous by adding grip to smooth, slippery spots.

Bedding sand, generally used for leveling and creating a solid base for various landscaping projects, works well as a winter safety product because of its coarse texture. When spread over icy walkways, it provides immediate traction, reducing the risk of slipping and falling on slick surfaces. Similarly, beach sand and play sand, often used for children's playgrounds and sandboxes, are other great options for adding grip during the winter months. It’s clean, easy to spread, and eco-friendly, so that that your surfaces stay safe without causing harm to your environment or the pets that may roam the area.

At Kilgore Landscape Center, customers can find landscaping sand in a variety of forms, such as bedding sand and beach sand/play sand. These products can be applied to driveways, walkways, and patios, significantly improving safety when combined with ice melt salt. This simple yet effective solution helps make your home or business more accessible during the harshest winter conditions.

Why Ice Melt Salt?

When it comes to melting ice and snow, ice melt salt is a product every homeowner or business needs for winter maintenance. Kilgore’s Salt Lake Landscape Center offers a wide range of ice melt salt products, each for specific needs. For example, their bulk road salt is perfect for large areas like parking lots and roadways. It works well in tailgate spreaders for personal and professional use. 

They also offer three different forms of ice melt salt - Polar Ice Melt, Ice Bomb Ice Melt and Purple Heat Ice Melt, which are available in both bulk pallets and individual bags. When applied to ice, ice melt and rock salt lower the freezing point of water, causing the ice to melt faster and more efficiently. Purdue University explains that this process is known as freezing point depression. By spreading ice melt salt on walkways and driveways, you’re not only breaking down existing ice but also preventing future ice from bonding to the surfaces. As the ice melts, the water drains away, keeping your surfaces clear and reducing the risk of further ice formation as the temperature fluctuates.

Kilgore’s ice melt salt products, such as Polar Ice Melt and Purple Heat Ice Melt, are designed for different applications. Purple Heat Ice Melt, for example, contains a magnesium blend that works well even in sub-zero temperatures, making it a trustworthy option for extreme winter conditions. The purple dye helps with controlled application, ensuring that you use the right amount for optimal performance.

Combining Landscaping Sand and Ice Melt Salt

While ice melt salt helps melt ice, it works even better when combined with landscaping sand. The sand doesn’t interfere with the salt’s ability to melt ice, but it adds helpful traction to icy surfaces. For walkways and driveways where people and vehicles are frequently, landscaping sand reduces the chances of slips and falls, especially in high-traffic areas like entrances and parking spots.

Using landscaping sand with ice melt salt also helps preserve the integrity of your surfaces. Road salt can be harsh on concrete and other materials, leading to cracks and damage over time. By applying sand in addition to salt, you can reduce the amount of salt needed and limit its contact with your surfaces, mitigating potential damage.

Also, landscaping sand is environmentally friendly. Unlike salt, which can runoff into the soil and cause damage to vegetation or water sources, sand remains in place and doesn’t harm the surrounding ecosystem. For homeowners and business owners who are concerned about the environment, using sand as an added measure to ice melt salt is a great way to keep your property safe while minimizing your environmental footprint.

Kilgore Landscape Center’s Winter Safety Products

Kilgore Landscape Center, also known as Asphalt Materials, has been a trusted supplier of landscaping products and materials for over 40 years. As a provider of landscaping sand and ice melt salt, Kilgore Landscape Center offers practical solutions for winterizing your property. Whether you need Bedding Sand, Beach Sand, Play Sand, or Bulk Road Salt, Kilgore Landscape Center has you covered.

Kilgore also offers a wide variety of products for both residential and commercial use. From decorative landscaping rocks to soil landscaping products, you can find everything you need to maintain the beauty and functionality of your property throughout the year. Kilgore’s staff is always available to help guide you in selecting the right materials for your needs and they provide product calculators to make sure you get the right amount.

Bulk Road Salt Type C White

• Ideal Use: Best for large areas such as roads, parking lots, and driveways
• Efficient Application: Works well with salt spreaders for even coverage
• Composition: Treated with magnesium chloride to prevent crusting and clogging
• Melting Capacity: Melts ice down to 0ºF
• Best For: Large-scale, commercial, and municipal use
• Price: Available in bulk; delivery charges apply

Ice Bomb Ice Melt (Individual Bags)

• Price: $7 per 50 lb bag
• Ideal Use: Perfect for homeowners or small businesses managing smaller spaces
• Features: Dyed purple for controlled, visible application
• Safety: Provides immediate traction for safe walkways
• Melting Capacity: Melts ice down to 0ºF
• Environmental Consideration: Pet and environmentally friendly
• Best For: Smaller residential areas and walkways

Polar Ice Melt (Full Pallet)

• Price: $379 per pallet
• Melting Capacity: Effective in extreme cold, melts down to -25ºF
• Best For: Larger properties, frequent applications, and commercial use
• Features: Pet and environmentally friendly
• Composition: Contains a mix of sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, and sodium silicate
• Best For: Ideal for residential and commercial areas needing fast melting in extreme temperatures

Purple Heat Ice Melt (Individual Bags)

• Price: $9.75 per 50 lb bag
• Ideal Use: Commercial and residential use, especially in high-traffic areas
• Concrete Safe: Safe for concrete surfaces
• Melting Capacity: Effective down to -15ºF
• Features: Dyed purple for controlled, visible application
• Best For: Commercial and residential use in Utah’s winter conditions
• Environmental Safety: Pet and environmentally friendly

Visit Kilgore’s Salt Lake Landscape Center

Winter weather brings challenges, especially in Utah, so keeping walkways and driveways clear is important for safety. By combining landscaping sand and ice melt salt, homeowners and business owners can make sure that their properties remain accessible throughout the winter. Ice melt salt helps to break down ice, while landscaping sand provides traction and prevents slips and falls. Together, these materials create a winning combination for winter safety.

Kilgore Landscape Center offers a range of landscaping sand products, such as bedding sand, beach sand/play sand, bulk road salt and three high-quality ice melt salt products like their Purple Heat Ice Melt. Visit Kilgore Landscape Center today to find the perfect winter landscaping products and stay safe!