Anyone that has ever lived in the New England knows what salt can do to steel. Rusted out cars are common. I remember when I first moved to Seattle how amazed I was to see every car I have ever owned in everyday use—-with no rust!
Some of them perhaps badly beat up due to use and abuse—-but no rust.
In 1971 I bought a brand new Chevy pickup truck—even paid for the fancy “protective undercoating.” By 1976, I could see the road “going by” in the foot wells below me. The arguments for salt over sand (except where it is just too dang cold for salt to work) are compelling. If you want to find out about some of the issues about Salted and Sanded roads you can check out: Breaking the Ice – Impacts of Road Salt.
Seattle doesn’t have so much of a problem with this because we don’t get that much snow and frozen road surfaces. Houses located near the water sometimes do have a problem with wind driven salt water though. The exposed metal components on these homes often are pitted and corroded from the salt water. One of the worst instances of this effect was an electrical meter that had literally been destroyed by salt water.
Birds had decided that it would make a good bird house—-free of “charge?” Pun intended—but lets hope so—-at least the meter seal was still in place.
Of course these “energized” components were all within easy reach of curious children.
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Charles Buell, Seattle Home Inspector
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