Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - While there has already been much discussed about rock salt shortages for many local municipalities in Western New York, it has become more difficult recently to find salt and ice melt for your sidewalks or walkways at your local hardware stores.
Dan Golden, store manager at Ed Young's True Value Hardware store in Williamsville says the impacts of rock salt shortages have been felt on their inventory.
"We sold out of absolutely everything that we had in stock here, including the water pellets for water softening. We ended up selling those as well," said Golden in an interview with WBEN. "But luckily, we were able to find a supplier locally, and we've got more stuff, more rock salt coming in on Wednesday."
For other hardware stores, the supply of rock salt and ice melt hasn't been able to keep up with the demand.
"We haven't had a problem getting ice melt, but your selection has changed. You have to get whatever is available," said Ken Sfier, owner of Hector's Hardware on Maple Road in Williamsville. "When we normally carry maybe four different products, we're down to just one product. But, at least, people can come in, get ice melt, get the job done."
"Our warehouse, which we're an Ace Hardware store and our warehouse is up in the Saratoga Springs area in New York that covers New York and New England, and just because of the weather with all the freezing rain and ice that we've had over the past several weeks, everyone's looking for ice melt," added John Dudek, owner of Elma Hardware in the Town of Elma. "We've gone through pallets of it, but there's just none to be had currently. Our warehouse is being restocked, but I won't have any new product in my store for about two weeks now."
In conversations with other local hardware store owners, it has been much of the same across the board when it comes to the supply of ice melt or rock salt for customers.
"Most of us in the ACE network, we buy through the same suppliers and we're all facing the same issues," Dudek said with WBEN. "We have been in contact with someone like Niagara Produce, which has a store about three, four miles from us here, and they have a local connection to a local rock salt, ice melt depot, and they've been able to bring some product in to, at least, assist in some way, but it's minimal."
"People have come in, looking in multiple locations for stuff, and they've been unlucky in finding it. So it seems as if around here - the Williamsville area and in Western New York - it seems as if there's quite the large shortage of of rock salt," added Golden.
So what are some alternatives that local hardware stores are recommending, if they find themselves short of rock salt or ice melt?
"You can use fertilizers, they do help a little bit. You can use sand for traction, it won't melt the ice, but it gives you some traction. It's about the best you can do," Sfier said with WBEN.
"It's winter, chop up the ice the best you can. If you're using an ice melt, let it do its job, and then scrape the water off your pavement so it doesn't refreeze."
As for Dudek, he says some people have used other methods to try and thaw out their walkways or driveways.
"If you're just looking for grit, play sand works well, and we have some play sand in stock. You can also use water softener salts. Some come as crystals, some come as flakes, depending on what your system is, and we have some of that in stock that people have used as a last resort as well," Dudek said. "And then, I was just talking with the customer and we're going back to our childhood when mom would give us the little pound container of table salt, and we'd go out and sprinkle that on the walk ourselves. That's about where we stand at this point."
In the meantime, local hardware stores are praying for some warmer weather and sunshine to help melt some of the ice, and alleviate the local need for ice melt and rock salt in the region.