(ARA) – Building snowmen, sledding and sipping hot chocolate by the fire. Shoveling, slipping on the ice, and using a hot pack for your aching muscles. Whether you love it or hate it, winter is right around the corner, and there is not much you can do about it. The time has come to break out the shovel and restock on deicing salt.
Many people will soon be using deicing salt to remove ice from sidewalks and stairs and to improve traction on driveways. Unfortunately, not everyone understands how deicers work and the differences among them. Many people just toss salt on the ground and hope for results. Others shy away from using salt, as they believe that applying a deicer will result in chipped sidewalks or damaged vegetation.
In reality, the proper application, usage and disposal of deicers will prevent most or all potential side effects.
Cargill Salt, a leader in deicing products for both consumer and commercial users, suggests these easy-to-follow tips to ensure the best results:
* Before applying deicing salt, clear as much loose snow and ice from the surface as possible. This allows the crystals to penetrate remaining ice immediately.
* Always check the label and follow manufacturer instructions. As a general rule of thumb, use from one-half to one cup of deicing salt per square yard.
* Leave a gap between the surface being deiced and any nearby vegetation. Plow or shovel away from and do not pile up snow in grassy areas. This will help prevent damage to surrounding vegetation.
* Once the treated ice melts completely, remove the remaining slush to keep the sidewalk safe.
Application tips aside, there is a lot of confusion as to which types of products will do the best job removing ice. To clear up any misconceptions, keep the following in mind:
Sand — Not a deicer. Can provide minimal traction, but does not have any ice-melting capabilities.
Sodium Chloride (rock salt) — Effective ice melter that is readily available, inexpensive and easy to handle. Effective to 5 F.
Calcium Chloride — Fast-acting deicer that is effective down to -25 F. Can be difficult to handle and may leave an oily residue.
Potassium Chloride — Perceived to be less damaging to vegetation, but has little ice melting capacity.
Magnesium Chloride — Fast-acting deicer that is effective down to -25 F. However, it may leave an oily residue.
Urea — Perceived to be less damaging to vegetation, but only works down to 10 F.
As for whether or not deicers can damage your sidewalk or driveway, deicers do not technically deteriorate pavement. They do, however, speed up and increase the frequency of the freeze/thaw cycle. Under these conditions, pavement that was not properly treated during installation can deteriorate. The result is a chipping or flaking effect, otherwise known as scaling.
To avoid this, make sure your pavement receives the proper amount of air entrainment during installation. Also, keep in mind it is not a good idea to use deicing salt on porous or improperly cured concrete, concrete less than a year old, brick sidewalks and patios, or wood or other porous materials.
And what about Fido? First of all, keep your deicing salt properly stored in a sealed container away from pets. It is also a good idea to use a baby wipe or similar product if your pet has walked across an area of salt. This will remove any excess salt and prevent your furry friend from tracking in salt from outside.
Deicing salt products are still the most effective, cost-efficient way of keeping your sidewalks and driveways safe. Proper application, usage and disposal can help ensure that your winter is safer and less slippery.
For more information, call (800) 428-4244.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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