How to Brine a Driveway

Snow and ice on driveways can lead to injuries to person and property. Applying salt to the ice and snow turns much of it into brine, which has a lower freezing temperature than plain water. Once the ice liquefies, it becomes easier to remove from the driveway. Salt is inexpensive and effective at making the driveway less slippery. However, the brine can negatively impact the environment and doesn’t work at temperatures below 20 degrees, because it can still freeze when it gets cold enough.

Things You'll Need

• Salt
• Water

Instructions

1. Watch the weather forecast for potential snow. If there is already snow on the ground, shovel as much snow as possible. However, try to shovel the snow into the yard, not onto the street.

2. Mix water and salt together. The water should be 23 parts salt for 77 parts water.

3. Spray the brine onto the driveway. Brine production systems often have stainless steel spray bars with adjustable nozzles, so you can control how the nozzle sprays the brine. For a driveway, you will not need more than a half a liter. When spraying the brine, try to spray it as evenly as possible. Apply the brine before it begins snowing to prevent the snow and ice from bonding to the driveway. You can apply the brine up to 72 hours before the snow and ice falls. The brine also makes future applications of salt more effective.

Tips & Warnings

• When the weather is unusually cold, use calcium chloride instead of brine to deice. Calcium chloride freezes at -6 degrees Fahrenheit. However, calcium chloride is more expensive than brine.

• The ice and snow begins to melt as soon as it hits the driveway, preventing the snow from bonding. With brine, the salt in the brine should have time to dissolve from moisture and traffic in order to effectively melt the ice and snow, which is why the brine is not as effective when applied after the snow has started falling.

• Brine is usually applied by local governments, rather than individuals.

• When buying a deicer, make sure you know what is in the deicer solution. Don Walker, professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, states that deicer products sometimes make false claims on their labels.

References

• Massachusetts Department of Transportation: Winter Road Treatment and Snow Removal
• Jasper Street Department: Snow and Ice
• Brecksville Snow Removal: Keep The Roads Safe For All!
• Road Management and Engineering Journal: Prewetting with Salt Brine for More Effective Roadway Deicing
• Clean Link: Ice Melt: A Scientific Primer On Deicers
• Cumberland County Department of Public Works: Getting the Facts About Salt Brine!