It’s 15° F and snowing and it feels like the salt you just put down took a vacation. Salt is the least expensive and most abundant deicing material on the market. On a cost-benefit analysis salt is difficult to beat when considered against alternative materials. The performance of salt in its practical operating range above […]
Read More »By Rob English Originally featured in Snow Magazine When spring arrives, the snow fighter faces a large workload of preparing the winter maintenance equipment for a long summer’s nap, cleaning up any winter kill, and, responding to a series of questions and complaints from the property owners on the efforts put forth over the winter […]
Read More »No regulatory oversight in “green claims” make buying an environmentally appropriate ice melt the commercial equivalent of buying liver pills at a carnival. The desire to “go green” continues to gain momentum in ice melt products. The lack of any rules governing label claims complicates decision making. The growing desire to achieve environmentally compliant certifications […]
Read More »MAG is less irritating to the skin. MAG, unlike calcium chloride, is not noticeably exothermic (generates heat) when it first comes in contact with moisture. Magnesium chloride is unlikely to irritate the skin or burn the skin when it contacts moist skin surfaces. MAG corrodes metal surfaces less. Tests show MAG to be significantly less […]
Read More »Getting Started There are an infinite variety of blends of footing materials that are used in indoor equestrian riding arenas. The common problem in all footings is that they start out great but over time quickly develop nuisance dust because the footing is pulverized by the hoof action of constant riding and pounding. Footing compositions […]
Read More »FACT: BEET JUICE DOES NOT IMPROVE SALT BRINE PERFORMANCE A key reason road maintenance professionals turn to salt brine additives is to increase the deicing performance of salt brine at lower temperatures. Pure salt brine used for deicing is 77% water/23% salt. It freezes when road temperatures reach -6°F/-21°C and is generally applied at road […]
Read More »What you might like to know Concrete, Brick and Paver Efflorescence Download PDF Version In snow country, we utilize many landscape features that might be impacted by the use of chemical deicers. Understanding how chemical deicers can cause efflorescence in concrete, brick and pavers is an important first step to managing complaints about this topic. […]
Read More »by Rob English “Environmentally friendly” is a term that is applied with a spatula in today’s products’ labels in ever increasing numbers. What does it mean? Does it mean it’s better for nature, people, pets, or for the profit line of the company offering it? In the industry and elsewhere, we see a marked increase […]
Read More »On Various Surfaces and Materials of Construction Download PDF of article “What’s the best deicer to use?” We hear that question virtually every day and our answer is always the same; it depends on the surface you are trying to manage. Building materials have taken some quantum leaps in recent decades and the surfaces that […]
Read More »Insurance to Keep Liquid Deicers Honest Download PDF of article Hydrometers are widely used to measure specific gravity, or density, of liquid materials. Most people have used a form of hydrometer to check the level of glycol antifreeze in their car radiator or the battery acid strength in the car battery. Those types typically employ […]
Read More »We get a lot of calls asking about what deicer to use. What are the best products to melt the ice and snow on city streets, parking garages, hospital entry-ways, sidewalks, and driveways? What about the daycare center where children crawl and they pick up deicers on their hands and then potentially taste them? How about the canine kennel where pets are exposed? Frequently that question comes in the broad form; “What’s your best ice-melter?” Our answer is always the same: It depends on your situation.
Read More »The winter of 2008-2009 has seen a return an old nemesis of building owners: ice dams. Heavy snowfall throughout New England has brought a rash of calls to our offices this season regarding how to melt ice dams that have formed on roofs and eves. Which deicer should I use?
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