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When ice and
snow cover the sidewalks and
streets during the cold winter
months, removal is necessary
to protect both pedestrians
and vehicles. Safety is the
main reason for using an ice-melt
product. As we make the situation
safer for people and cars, how
will this affect pets, plants,
the life of our walkways and
our pocketbooks? With so many
deicers available on the market
it may be confusing to choose
the product that is right for
you. Many brand name ice-melt
products are made from a combination
of some basic de-icers. We would
like to give you a general description
of these de-icers and the brand
name products that we carry
so that you may make an informed
decision when choosing which
is best for your purpose.
DE-ICING PRODUCTS
Sodium
Chloride: Sodium chloride,
or rock salt, is the most common
ice-melt product on the market.
Its popularity is based on the
fact that it is very inexpensive
compared to other products.
Sodium chloride is not effective
in temperatures below 20 degrees
Fahrenheit. It is corrosive
to steel and concrete. Salt
is toxic to vegetation and can
build up in the soil; care should
be taken when using this product
near plants. This product can
burn pet paw pads and will leave
behind a powdery residue on
the surface where it is used.
Calcium
Chloride: Calcium chloride
is available in both flakes
and pellets. Calcium chloride
absorbs moisture from the air,
and therefore, it must be stored
in a very dry place. This product
works quickly and at the lowest
temperature of all other de-ices,
down to -25 degrees Fahrenheit.
This product is not quite as
harmful to plants as rock salt
but is very harmful to concrete.
People complain that calcium
chloride is hard to clean if
tracked in on carpets. Calcium
is one of the most expensive
ice-melt products on the market;
however, you will use 15% less
calcium chloride than rock salt
to do the same size area and
it works in much lower temperatures.
Primex also carries Safer than
Salt: a blend of calcium chloride
and sodium chloride that combines
the benefits of both of these
products.
Magnesium
Chloride: Magnesium
chloride flakes will melt at
temperatures lower than rock
salt but not as low as calcium
chloride. Magnesium will melt
in temperatures as low as 5
degrees Fahrenheit. Like calcium
chloride, Magnesium chloride
works fast and is safer for
vegetation than rock salt. This
product also considered less
corrosive and safer for use
on concrete. Price is about
the same as calcium chloride;
however, it must be used at
a higher rate. Keep in mind
that flakes do not bounce or
roll as pellets tend to do.
Potassium
Chloride: Potassium
chloride is sold under the name
Ice Melter. This is a natural
material that is used as a fertilizer
and is effective as an ice-melt
product down to 12 degrees Fahrenheit.
Damage to vegetation is low
and it is non-corrosive to steel,
however, it will damage concrete
and is slow acting compared
to calcium and magnesium chloride.
Urea: Urea is a synthetic fertilizer
that is most commonly used as
a nitrogen source for plants.
Keep in mind that fertilizer
is good for plants but in high
concentrations it can prove
to be fatal. Urea does not contain
chlorides so it is less corrosive
than many other ice-melters.
This product will melt ice down
to 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
CMA
CMA, calcium magnesium
acetate, is sold under the name
Majestic Melt, which is CMA
in a pelletized form. Majestic
Melt is effective at 15 degrees
Fahrenheit. CMA is non-corrosive
to metal, safe to use around
plants and pets and harmless
to concrete. This is the product
that is usually used to deice
airport runways and metal bridges.
Ice
Enemy Liquid De-icer:
Pre-wetting an area with a liquid
de-icer, such as Ice Enemy Liquid
De-icer, increases the speed
and effectiveness of solid ice-melt
products. Ice Enemy is effective
to -25 degrees Fahrenheit and
may also be used alone to melt
ice and snow after it has formed.
Ice Enemy will not harm plants
when used as directed. Because
it is a liquid, it will not
lodge in pet paws and in non-corrosive
to metal.
Ice-melt products
work by attracting moisture
and forming a liquid. When temperatures
are very low moisture is not
available and ice melting is
slowed or stopped. Ice-melt
products are most effective
when applied before ice forms
on a surface. If conditions
are very dry or if ice has already
formed, pre-wetting the surface
with water and immediately applying
your ice-melt product may be
necessary to initiate the melting
process. Pre-wetting also reduces
the likelihood of pellets bouncing,
rolling or blowing away.
Check your
supplies early in the season
before the threat of a winter
weather event. Sand is great
to have on hand to provide traction.
Keep a small container of both
sand and an ice-melter in your
trunk just incase you get into
a bind when leaving your parking
spot. Take inventory, also,
of your snow removal shovels,
ice scrapers, and gloves. Remember,
at Primex we are always well
stocked with a variety of ice-melt
and snow removal products and
the information necessary to
meet your winter needs.
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