Snow and Ice Clearing- Pros & Cons of Ice Melt
What is Ice Melt and when should you use it?
Technically, ice melt is just another word for salt. Also known as deicer, ice melt is designed to lower the freezing point of water, preventing the buildup of ice or breaking up pre-formed ice into liquid slush. It can also break or prevent a bond between the pavement or concrete and the ice.
Deicers should only be used on ice NOT snow. It does not get rid of the problem, however, it changes the snow into a liquid, which freezes and you have an even worse situation with the ice. Snow you can clear but ice is much harder to address and can often stay all winter.
The way we approach it is to PREVENT ice from forming in the first place. Our snow clearing services are triggered on a trace amounts of snow. If we can get to your walkways, drive pads and sidewalks when there is a light dusting, we can tackle the job quickly and easily.
When we clear on trace amounts of snow, we eliminate the chance of it packing and hardening into a slippery mess. We also reduce the risk of it melting and freezing into a layer of black ice.
Years ago we would wait for a couple of centimeters to accumulate before going, but we found it took more effort as we were often dealing with ice. Our approach allows us to use blowers and shovels on walkways, which is where ice melt is most often used.
For parking lots and roadways, we use sanding chips or a plow truck. When it gets too cold, deicers don’t work very well. When the mercury plummets to -20 Celsius or colder, a better alternative is to use sand for traction on the ice.
We work all of this into a contract pricing strategy that translates to peace of mind for our customers.
Is it safe?
In our experience, all ice melt can have a negative impact on humans, animals, plant life and infrastructure. Especially if it’s used too much.
There are currently no labeling laws when it comes to deicers, so take the labels with a “grain of salt” when they make claims like “pet safe”! If it has a notice that it’s harmful if ingested by humans, there is a good chance it’s not great for your pet’s either. Overuse of deicing products on cement can cause it to deteriorate prematurely.
A better way
Although we have deicing products in our tool chest, we use them as a last resort. Our goal is to clear any snow before it ices up.
Our winter service crew goes out on a trace amount trigger. This doesn’t always work, like when it snows while the roadways and walks are warm in spring and fall, but it’s a great approach when the temps stabilize below zero.
If we do encounter an ice problem that requires us to use ice melt, we use it minimally with a finer granular and an even spread. This results in a faster and more efficient melt.
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An irrigation system will take into consideration area, configuration, soil type and water requirements. 
