According to the Farmers’ Almanac, our area should have a winter that is overall warmer than normal with near normal snowfall. It is predicted the first chance for snow is around Thanksgiving, so now is a good time to stock up on ice melt products.
There are a few steps you can take to make sure your use of ice melt is most effective:
- More isn’t better. Use only the amount of ice melting compound needed to do the job according to the manufacturer’s directions. In general, 2-4 ounces of ice melt is adequate per square yard.
- Use a hand-held or walk-behind fertilizer spreader to apply ice melt compound. It provides consistent coverage.
- Pretreat surfaces with ice melt before the storm at about half the normal rate. Or, use an appropriate liquid anti-icing agent. This prevents the ice from bonding to surfaces, making ice removal easier from the get-go.
- Store open bags of ice melt in airtight containers and away from moisture, air and sunlight.
- If ice melt becomes clumped, dropping the bag on the ground can break it up. It should still be effective.
- For walkways which border landscaping, consider erecting a burlap screen or snow fence during the winter months to minimize salt damage to plants.
- Make sure you have proper “3-mat” entrance matting to minimize the amount of residue tracked into your facility.
View our line of ice melt products
The ice melt products we carry are ideal for our weather conditions. Our temperatures are overall higher than other parts of the country, so we stock products with formulations designed for fast results in our environmental conditions.
As an example, our popular Safe Step Pro Series 960 is a Safer Choice recognized product, made with a combination of four different ingredients to deliver results in a wide range of temperatures.
ICE MELT COMPARISON CHART
Chart: Consumer Reports. 2014 with product additions by Cavalier, Inc.
Still wondering which is best for your facility? Give Cavalier a call at 888.569.0066 for expert guidance!
