Even with talk of global warming, the winters in the Mid-Atlantic don’t seem to be letting up. Year after year we get dumped on with massive amounts of snow and ice. That may mean more significant business for ice melt or rock salt suppliers, but it also means endeavoring to keep up with the new level of demand. Not all types of ice melt chemicals will handle the job for all kinds of weather conditions. This is undoubtedly the case when the temperature goes below freezing.
In the mid-Atlantic region, that can happen; even though the summers are hot and humid at times, the winters are brutal and cold. Washington, DC, and Baltimore can quickly freeze up during the winter season, and it’s essential to work with suppliers for commercial businesses and government agencies to ensure that their staff is safe and sound with the right type of deicing product for the subzero temperatures.
This is especially true for industrial companies that want to protect their worker safety and keep the sites working to ensure they’re still producing a substantial output. Working with the right supplier who knows their ice melt chemicals and products is the first step.
The science behind ice melt products
To get to those subzero temperatures, you’re going to forego common rock salt, road salt, and other types of bulk salt and go straight for ice melt containing Calcium Chloride. This is one of the most robust salts out there and, although not toxic, shouldn’t be sampled.
Calcium Chloride should be used only when the temperatures have surpassed 15 degrees Fahrenheit and the ice isn’t thawing with other solutions such as rock salt or magnesium chloride-based products.
These are fast-acting solutions that are the best deicers for the situation and again, keep in mind to use as much as is needed and no more, as they can cause damage to the underlying road. The damage is relative to the damage caused by Icey roads that refuse to melt for weeks during the winter.
What types of ice melt products should you use?
The first choice on the market is Calcium Chloride This is a great starting point as it contains 70% Calcium Chloride and generates heat to have it one of the fastest options on the ice melt market. They’ll turn a greenish hue to indicate they’re working, and once the job is done, the color goes, along with the ice and the dangers caused by it.
If you’re looking for something more robust, then look no further than Calcium Chloride Flakes. This mix increases the calcium content by 10% to have a 77% Calcium Chloride concentration. These also are flatter than the ComboTherm™ solution and will spread its heat generation a bit better.
You can also combine this with other products for a two-sided attack or mix it to make it a liquid for a spraying solution perfect for anyone who needs an on-the-go deicing solution.
If the above two aren’t enough for your snow removal needs and your snow & ice management business, then look no further than the Calcium Chloride Peladow™. These are your final resort ice melt products with a calcium chloride concentration of 90%.
You’ll see results within the hour, as this scientifically engineered product will test the limits of ice formation as it generates the highest level of heat and thaws that ice perfectly for the most potent option in your snow & Ice management repertoire.
When looking for a supplier for these snow removal tools, it’s always a good idea to keep a variation of this. This is especially the case if the mid-Atlantic area has been handling successive snowstorms battering down the region.
If these ice melt chemicals don’t do the job, there’s little else that can be done in a safe and nontoxic matter, as this is the strongest type of road salt possible out there. These three are already up to seven times stronger than the following type of ice melt chemicals down the line, usually potassium chloride-based.
What else can be done to melt ice in extreme temperatures?
Anyone doing proper snow & ice management for commercial business manufacturing companies or government facilities knows that its never one solution that will cut it. Of course, calcium chloride-based ice melt is a must-have, but it’s also essential to help it out as much as possible.
That means don’t forget to have the supplier of snow removal tools show their latest offering to ensure that the snow itself is being removed fast enough or that the proper ice melt dispensing means is used instead of using gloved hands in the freezing cold. In addition, the correct type of dispensing machine will evenly distribute the Calcium Chloride-based products consistently instead of simply throwing them at random spots.
When it comes to prevention and support of deicing, don’t forget the unsung hero known as liquid brine. Don’t wait for the snow to fall and do nothing about it. Instead, layer down the area with liquid brine to immediately reduce the temperature needed to melt the ice, even before it hits.
As the snow falls, it’ll immediately melt down to water with liquid brine and stay at a temperature that will continue melting new snowfall.
This support will only enhance the most challenging options being used to combat the ice and should be part of a professional snow removal regiment. Covering the beginning and the end of the snow & ice management process will help push the best results and outcomes and ultimately will lead to safer roads during the harsh winter season.
In the end
Stick with a broad mix of ice melt products for various temperatures. You only want to use Calcium Chloride based products when the weather demands it, and subzero temperatures are in the forecast.
These products will last all the way down to -25 degrees Fahrenheit, and it’s uncommon it’ll ever go below that temperature, so it should be enough. Other solutions will work down to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, so save the powerhouses for when they’re needed. Contact snowicesalt.com for more information or a quote. We’re open 24/7 before, during and after the storm!