Solar salt vs. black top

Don-Wi · Jan 1, 2012

I know solar salt (the kind one puts in their water softener) is bad for concrete, but what about black top? I got about 1/2 a ton for free when my dad bought out all the bags of minerals, supplements, and whatever else in a closed grain elevator.

The trouble is, the bags were covered in coon poo as well as I'm sure urine, so I sure as hell don't want it in my softener. I've got a black top driveway and once in a while need to salt it where the tires ran down the snow before I blew it out or if we get ice.

I'm wondering if I can burn it up in the driveway without hurting it. I don't use salt often, but it is needed from time to time. In 1 season I may use 3-4 bags on average, for a driveway that is 150-200 ft. long.

Donovan from Wisconsin

evilboweivel · Jan 1, 2012

won't hurt a thing
good place to get rid of it
Good Luck
Ron

S2710 · Jan 1, 2012

Salt is what the hiway dept. uses on the roads, so I can see no problem.

Bob

Anonymous-0 · Jan 1, 2012

i don't see how the poo or pee would penetrate the plastic bags. anyway, the salt water made and used by the softner is used to flush the filter and then on the last cycle it is flushed by lots of plain water to rinse out the salt water. i guess just the thought of it though may be enough to deter a person.

VADAVE · Jan 2, 2012

You're a lot colder then here.
What i have learned around here is first things first; scrap the drive to at least where you can see the black top peeking through and no matter how cold it is if the sun is out the drive will be clear by evening.
State uses salt on the roads and you can see how long they last. Course the black top is much thicker

Don-Wi · Jan 4, 2012

the bags have a notch perforated to tear it open easy when dumping in your brine tank. Therefore, the bags aren't sealed from the outside climate. Every one I've opened had black chunks inside.

I know salt is what the highway department uses, but it's not the same stuff as you dump in a water softener, and if you use the wrong stuff on concrete you can damage it. I was just wondering if it's the same with black top or if it's not a big deal.

I also do try to keep the driveway scraped clean, but there are times where the snow and ice build up due to my wife driving on it when it drifts after I blow the drive out and go to work. When it's really cold, the sun really doesn't do much. Espescially if it snows almost every day like it did for 2 months last winter.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Solar salt vs. black top

Don-Wi

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evilboweivel

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S2710

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Anonymous-0

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VADAVE

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Don-Wi

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