With newer technologies and methods, it’s time to revise the way you are de-icing. Liquid de-icers are a fantastic alternative to traditional rock salt for many reasons, here’s what you need to know about them.
Liquid de-icers and rock salt are designed to perform the same task. Rock salt is the solid form of the chemicals found in liquid de-icers. When rock salt is spread, it slowly dissolves into the surrounding water and then begins to melt the snow. The downfall to this is that it can take some time depending on the temperature; at -10 degrees Celsius and lower it takes so long that rock salt is unusable. This isn’t an issue with liquid de-icers as they begin melting snow and ice as soon as they come into contact, this also makes them effective at all temperatures.
In public areas, rock salt can be unsightly. After spreading rock salt there is often an oily or powdery residue left behind, brown rock salt can even stain. With liquid de-icer, there is no residue left behind and it’s invisible when it’s been spread; this is perfect for entrances to buildings where appearance is key.
Anti-icing is a popular method for preventing snow and ice from forming. Liquid de-icers work very well with this method as they create a thin layer between the ground and the ice, stopping them from bonding. From here it’s easy to remove any build up using simple methods such as snow shovelling.
Another great way to use liquid de-icers is to pre-wet the ground you will be gritting. Covering the ground with liquid de-icer first can help kick-start the melting process and reduce the amount of salt you need by 30%. This simple trick will save you both time and money!
With increasing concern over the environment, swapping to liquid de-icers is the best choice. One of the biggest issues with rock salt is that it’s very corrosive to metals. Liquid de-icers are often produced with non-toxic ingredients, meaning they can be used without any negative effects on the surrounding environment.
See our range of liquid de-icers by clicking here.
If you’d like to find out more about the winter products we have available, please contact our sales team on 01777 802213 or email sales@gritbins.net.
