Ice Melter Use

The ice and snow will soon be upon us. Here are a few tips from James
our resident contractor on the use and application of the Ice
Melter
compound that is provided to each cul-de-sac.

A few facts about Ice Melter

The application of Ice Melter increases the number of freeze/thaw
cycles. This increases the possibility of damage to concrete
especially if your walk has any cracks, etc.

Ice Melter is not recommended on the following surfaces:

  • Concrete that is less than 1 year old.
  • Patterned and/or coloured concrete.
  • Stone or brick masonry (including flagstone)
  • Precast concrete (steps or paving stones).
  • Exposed aggregate.

Of course the above should be weighed against the risks and hazards of
slippery walks.

Ice Melter on carpets and flooring

One of the main ingredients in Ice Melter is potassium chloride. It
melts into the snow and creates brine. If the concentration is great
enough a dry white residue may be left after evaporation. These
residues are water soluble and are normally easy to remove. Staining
or residue is greatly increased by over application.

Pets

Ice melters are relatively safe to pets when applied correctly. In
today’s age of green, packaging can be misleading. Just because the
bag is green and there are two children and a dog on the bag doesn’t
mean the product is any different than other ice melters.

The main ingredient is potassium chloride.

Often the product is coloured (green). This can lead you to believe
that it’s an environmentally 100 % safe product. The true purpose of
colouring the product is so you can see where you have tossed it.

Plants

All ice melters that contain chlorides release salts as they form a
brine solution. Damage can be caused by direct or indirect contact.
Damage usually results from shovelling snow containing ice melter onto
vegetation. Damage is not usually evident until spring.

Application

The recommended application is:

  1. If you know you have an area that requires Ice Melter and you
    apply a light application before it freezes this will cut down on the
    freeze/thaw cycles.
  2. Remove excess snow before application.
  3. The recommended spread rate is ¼ to ½ cup per square
    yard, or 50 to 100 grams per square metre.

SEASON’S GREETINGS, James