Ice melt products help keep roads and sidewalks safe from freezing temperatures, but if handled incorrectly they can become hazardous. Learn how to safely apply ice melt with a spreader.
Different ice melt products are designed for specific climates and temperatures. Be sure to read your product’s application instructions prior to any storm in order to use it effectively.
Pellets
Pellet fuels are compressed biomass products that transform waste into renewable energy sources. Pellet manufacturers convert various raw materials (such as wood waste, agricultural by-products, food scraps or untreated lumber) into pencil-sized pellets of uniform size, shape and moisture content for pelletization. Because pellet fuels have higher densities than green biomass material they burn faster in engines or furnaces.
Pellets are produced by heating and pressing sawdust, shredded bark or other wood fragments under high pressure. The process requires both art and science, with trial runs necessary in order to find an optimal combination of feedstock, heat source, operating parameters and other factors that produce consistent, quality pellets.
Rock salt (sodium chloride) can be detrimental to plants and trees, leading to dehydration and wilting. Too much can also cause expensive damage to concrete surfaces if applied too liberally; when using ice melt as a preventive measure, always follow instructions and use either handheld or walk-behind spreaders for consistent distribution.
Flakes
Flakes of calcium chloride possess a special profile that allows them to remain on surfaces which slope or are exposed to wind without rolling off or scattering like pellets do. Furthermore, these flat forms pass easily through ice melt spreaders and equipment and make an excellent choice for areas requiring controlled spreaders.
Flakes are also ideal for areas with compacted snow or densely packed ice as they penetrate more effectively to loosen bonds between snow particles and ice, breaking them up more efficiently and breaking free of them altogether. Plus, unlike many ice melt products they are noncorrosive and won’t damage high quality concrete surfaces!
Magnesium Chloride has a lower toxicity level and lower chloride runoff than traditional salt products, helping minimize their impact on plants and waterways. Environmentally friendly, it’s safe for use on bluestone walkways, tile entrances and granite steps without impacting either negatively. Magnesium Chloride works slowly compared to harsh chemical deicers when not needed for an extended period.
Chips or Crystals
Ice melt chips are a top pick among snow contractors, thanks to being composed of magnesium chloride – an effective chemical capable of melting snow at relatively low temperatures – making them suitable for cold weather conditions and less damaging to concrete and vegetation than other ice melt products.
No matter which deicing material is selected, it is critical that it be applied evenly across pavement surfaces. This can be accomplished by selecting an appropriate spreader and product dosage depending on variables like pavement surface temperature, eutectic temperature and effective temperature.
Ice melt chemicals work by lowering the freezing point of water and increasing its number of freeze-thaw cycles in an ice layer, thus decreasing its thickness. Due to this action, they should not be applied on porous materials like uncured concrete, precast concrete less than one year old and mortar joints as these would not support its proper function.
Road Salt
Road salt (aka sodium chloride or table salt) works on the principle of freezing point depression. By lowering the freezing point of water, road salt causes it to melt ice even at temperatures lower than its 32 degree freezing point and ultimately dissolving it with its molecules.
Unfortunately, road salt has many adverse side effects. It is corrosive to cars, trucks and concrete surfaces while it poses serious threats to freshwater ecosystems – high levels of sodium in lakes and rivers can kill fish, make oxygen difficult for aquatic plants to access and lead to dead zones; furthermore it harms amphibians by interfering with how frogs regulate body fluids while drawing in more deer and moose onto roads that increases risk for car accidents.
Choose an eco-friendly ice melt product with an efficient production process and that avoids clumping when dispensing. Consider using sand or kitty litter to improve traction and reduce road salt usage.