With Winter Storms Creating Brutal Conditions, Homeowners Urged to Deice Smarter and Check Driveways To Save Money

Anyone who has paid attention to weather forecasts in 2026 will know that winter storm warnings over the last several weeks have revealed that incredibly brutal conditions have hit many areas of America. After all, the National Weather Service has provided warnings that have detailed things like heavy snow accumulation, powerful wind conditions, and extremely cold temperatures.

In the wake of those announcements, residents have spent weeks having to cope with how to lead their lives in those conditions. Fortunately for anyone who has been dealing with one of the effects of major winter conditions, having a snow and ice-covered driveway, experts have provided valuable tips. Those experts are advising people on how to de-ice their driveway, and how to conduct an inspection when those conditions subside that could save homeowners hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Safer and Smarter Ways to De‑Ice Your Driveway in Winter

During the winter season, having a snow or ice-covered driveway can quickly become a serious problem. Due to a driveway covered in ice creating a slipping hazard, allowing those conditions to continue can cause people to suffer serious injuries due to falls or wheels losing traction, resulting in accidents. Those very real and potentially serious dangers inspire many people to spread rock salt on their driveways to break down the ice. However, experts have suggested another way to get rid of the ice.

A January 2026 article from The U.S. Sun is encouraging people to use sugar to clear the ice instead for safety and cost-saving reasons. However, the outlet cautions against spreading too much sugar because it can freeze when used in excess and create its own danger. The article states that, similar to how rock salts and other commercial deicers lower the freezing point of water, sugar can do the same thing. However, the outlet also cautioned that sugar is less effective at lowering the freezing point, so it is best used to break down less significant patches of ice.

Given the drawbacks of using sugar that there are, some readers may wonder why using it to deice could be a better route. There are three reasons why that is the case. First, using sugar to deice is less toxic for animals, including household pets, and the environment. Second, buying sugar will typically be significantly cheaper than rock salt or deicing products, which can result in real savings. Finally, a November 2025 House Digest article stated that using a sugar alternative to deice and create better traction can create even more savings for a specific reason. House Digest's experts state that sugar beet juice won't do the damage to concrete and asphalt surfaces that rock salt does.

Post‑Snowfall Driveway Checks That Could Prevent Costly Damage

After a long winter of working to shovel snow out of and deice your driveway, the coming of spring can be an extremely welcome change. For many people, the change in weather conditions can inspire them to put all considerations of having to maintain their driveway out of their mind. However, a recent report has revealed that ignoring your driveway at that moment can be a costly mistake that could be remedied by a quick and free inspection.

In January 2026, The U.S. Sun published an article suggesting that homeowners mark the end of the winter weather season with a quick driveway inspection. The article explains that, according to experts, the aforementioned rock salt and deicer can be highly destructive to your driveway if allowed to remain on it. To be specific, the deicer can cause cracks to develop in your driveway. Worse yet, the deicer can also cause those cracks and preexisting ones to expand, creating more damage that will be costly to fix. Depending on the extent of the damage, a professional repair can cost hundreds, and if a full replacement is required, homeowners will need to invest thousands of dollars. To avoid all that, The U.S. Sun suggests doing a speedy inspection as the winter weather recedes so you can remove any remaining deicer.

It is important to note that it isn't just The U.S. Sun that is making these claims. Instead an Oregon Department of Transportation study offered similar warnings about decing products damaging surfaces like driveways and roads. That study has a very revealing title, "Understanding and Mitigating Effects of Chloride Deicer Exposure on Concrete." With a study like that in mind, it seems very clear that The U.S. Sun's driveway inspection advice is spot on.