Salting a Neighbor's Sidewalk or Driveway Seems Helpful – But It Might Get You In Trouble

Icy sidewalks and driveways pose safety risks. People can slip and fall, and cars may be unable to get traction. Many homeowners apply driveway salt to these slippery surfaces to remove the ice. It’s very effective as long as it’s done at the right time and in the right way.

So go ahead and salt the ice on your own property if it works for you. But look out – not everyone thinks that this is the right way to deal with slippery winter paths and it has some downsides. That’s why you shouldn’t “surprise” your neighbor by applying driveway salt to their icy sidewalks.

It’s always good yard care etiquette to ask for a neighbor’s permission before doing anything whatsoever on their property.

Why Salt a Driveway?

Driveway salt is also called ice melt salt – because it both keeps ice from forming and also melts ice already built up on driveways and sidewalks. How does it do this? It stops ice crystals from forming by reducing the freezing point of water. Less ice means that shoveling the snow is easier.

When ice bonds to the concrete of the driveway, it’s hard to get rid of it. Anyone walking on ice risks slipping and falling, and a car parked on an icy, snowy driveway can have a hard time getting out safely. Salting your driveway makes it less likely for the tires to slip, just like salting your sidewalk makes it less likely that you will slip.

Downsides to Salting Drives and Walkways

Most things in life have both advantages and disadvantages. Driveway salt is no exception. While there are many kinds of driveway salt, rock salt is the cheapest and most common – and the type of salt used by cities to de-ice their roads. It’s also one of the most effective types of salt to use, since it makes short shrift of ice and snow.

But…there are downsides. Rock salt is corrosive – that’s why it works so well on ice. But it is sufficiently corrosive to damage concrete driveways and sidewalks. They are highly vulnerable to damage from rock salt. It can enter into the concrete pores and retain more water rather than getting rid of it. That can result in cracking and pitting.

If you’re not particularly concerned with your driveway, how do you feel about your car? Yes, rock salt can also cause the metal sections of a vehicle – like the body parts, exhaust system and undercarriage – to rust and corrode. And using de-icing salt can kill your plants. Landscape plants near your driveway or walkways can suffer injury. The salt seeps into the ground with the rain, and, when the plants uptake nutrients in spring, they will absorb the salt as well. It can stunt or kill them.

Finally, think of your kids and dogs. Rock salt contains sodium chloride. This is a toxic substance. If it touches skin, it causes irritation and if it’s eaten, it causes stomach issues. Dogs are especially vulnerable to the toxin.

(There are some pet-safe options for adding grit and traction to your own icy paths. This Quikrete All-Purpose Sand from Amazon is ideal, though you can use finer sand if you mix it with a natural, gritty product like Eco-Traction volcanic granules.)

Permission to Salt

Because there are downsides to salting a driveway or sidewalk, you should never salt your neighbor’s property without their permission. It’s never a good idea to do something on a neighbor’s property without talking to them about it first, and that applies in spades to salting their yard. Make the offer, but don’t proceed without asking or you may make your neighbor angry and even open yourself up to legal liability.

For example, if the neighbor’s plants, dogs, kids or new cars are injured from the salt, they might take you to court seeking money damages. It just takes a moment to ask and it can save you a world of hurt.