Deicing applications at schools keep their parking lots, sidewalks and driveways safe for students to walk on; however, excessive use of salt pollutes groundwater supplies and is harmful to plants and animals.
Applying anti-icing treatments before snow and ice accumulation reduces the amount of salt necessary after storms, which saves both money and reduces their impact on infrastructure. Commercial snow removal services know how and when to apply the proper anti-icing treatments.
Liquids
Rock salt — also known as sodium chloride, calcium chloride or magnesium chloride — has long been considered an effective and cost-efficient deicing solution. It works on surfaces where snow or ice has already formed while it won’t melt if applied directly on top of surfaces that are already cold or have recently snowfallen.
Liquid deicing solutions work by breaking the bond between ice and pavement, and can be applied prior to precipitation starting – this prevents further formation of ice while giving snowplow operators time to clear away snow before it freezes over.
Some liquid ice melt products contain organic additives like corn molasses, beet juice or urea to increase performance and decrease corrosion. Liquid ice melts are safer for surrounding plant life and waterways than salts; additionally they’re easier to store and transport because no special tanks are necessary; but to be most effective they must be applied before precipitation begins (including freezing rain) occurs.
Spreaders
Parking lots commonly rely on deicers to combat slippery conditions, yet the sodium and chlorides emitted into waterways and groundwater may pose significant harm to aquatic life as well as becoming costly for property owners who become responsible for slip-and-fall injuries.
Proper deicing requires meticulous calculations, proactive methods and an ongoing analysis of weather forecasts. Rock salt works best against existing ice when applied after snow plowing but prior to freezing rain. Applying it before or during a storm increases corrosion rates and diminishes its effectiveness.
To reduce costs and environmental impacts associated with salt spreaders, equipping them with technology that reduces overspreading (particularly outside of designated snow management areas) is one way. You should also sweep up extra salt grains so they do not blow into plantings or waterways, cover storage areas with rain-gardens to protect from runoff and store them downhill from drainage routes to reduce runoff into stormwater systems, pretreat granular salts with liquid deicers (like brine) at spinner treatments can enhance performance as well as prevent corrosion.
Pre-treatment
Winter snow and ice present hazardous conditions for drivers, pedestrians, businesses and their assets. Poorly maintained icy surfaces can lead to debilitating falls, car accidents and costly liability lawsuits for all parties involved.
Pre-treating before snowfall can be an efficient and cost-effective way to decrease salt usage. Pre-treatment uses liquid brine that doesn’t freeze to pavement and can be removed as snow melts; additionally, pre-treatiung helps avoid bonding of sodium chloride to pavement surfaces.
Plant salt-resistant grasses and shrubs along walks, driveways, parking areas and roads to minimize salt spray reaching nearby plants and waterways. Furthermore, snow should be stored downhill from salt storage units in order to minimize contamination of soils and waters by brine runoff.
Post-treatment
Salt is an indispensable tool in commercial snow removal contractors’ arsenals; however, it should not be the sole one used for de-icing operations. There are other tools which may reduce salt usage overall while protecting customers’ facilities and having less of an environmental impact.
Anti-icing techniques and calibrated spreaders can help control deicing costs while protecting the environment and providing safe conditions for parking lot visitors. This involves creating brines with your deicer prior to application, sweeping up excess salt afterward and covering any extra piles in springtime.
One of the best ways to protect our waterways is limiting how much deicing salt washes or blows off site into storm sewer systems, natural bodies of water or on-site plantings. Deicing salt contains chlorides in high quantities that can pollute surface and groundwater supplies as well as interfere with oxygen levels and hinder natural mixing between lakes and rivers; additionally it corrodes concrete, asphalt and natural stone surfaces and harm plants.