Using De-Icers Safely and Effectively

Winter can be a treacherous time of year. Freezing temperatures, white-out blizzards, icy roads and walkways. Icy roads cause millions of dollars in accidents and damage every year. It’s important for snow clearing businesses to have the proper tools and resources to ensure projects are completed quickly and efficiently. To do this, you’ll need to use de-icers, which are chemicals that help to break or prevent a bond between the ice and concrete, making it easier to shovel and plow. Here’s how to safely and effectively use de-icers:

De-icing Options

1. The best choice is calcium magnesium acetate (CMA). It melts ice and is no more damaging than tap water.
2. Magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, or calcium chloride are other options; however, they can corrode metal, damage walkways and stain carpets.
3. Rock salt is a quick and effective way to rid sidewalks, driveways, and roads of slippery ice.

For areas large and small, we’d love to work with you to determine and supply the needed de-icier for your job!

De-icing Steps and Walkways

1. Apply de-icer according to package instructions to steps and walkways before the snow or sleet comes down. De-icer acts like cooking oil under the ice and keeps anything from sticking.
2. After a few inches of snow have fallen, shovel the walkway. If more snow is predicted, apply another layer of de-icer.
3. To remove ice, carefully chip away with a snow shovel or ice pick. Start at edges and work in.
4. For stubborn ice, melt using boiled water and mop up immediately. Leftover water will freeze. Wear gloves to avoid scalding your skin.
5. Store the de-icer and snow shovel in a safe and easy to reach place. You don’t want to walk over a slippery walkway to get to your tools.

If you need to stock up on ice-melting rock salt, come to Lafarge Fox River Decorative Stone! We have untreated and treated salt in bulk and a variety of bagged offerings including ProSlicer and Rocket Ice Melt. Both are high performance, treated de-icers and are available in 50-pound bags. And for snow removal jobs that can’t be tackled by ice melt alone, we also carry snow shovels. Contact us today!