Old Man Winter: He's A-Comin'. Are you Ready?

Yeah. I know. It’s only September. However, like mama bear grizzly, preparation for the long winter is key to winter survival.

Ice Melter:

Take advantage of pre-season ice melter sales. Secure your product before the snow flies or ice storms hit. There’s always talk about shortages. Sometimes they’re real. Other times, they’re all marketing or industry hype. Regardless, being prepared means being proactive. Get your product onsite to avoid the panic of “I need it now!” and then you find out that everyone else procrastinated too.

Some Ice Melter facts:

  1. Application Rates (amount of ice melt per square foot) Matters
    1. You will find an application rate on your product. Do your best to apply per the suggested rate. Overuse of ice melter is detrimental to the landscape and building materials.
  2. Melting Temperature Matters
    1. Read marketing material carefully. Sly fox tricksters love to confuse Celsius and Fahrenheit.
    2. Select the best melting temperature for your geographical location
  3. Applying Ice Melt is not a replacement for Snow Removal
    1. Pre-Application can work well when snow is wet and heavy. However, as temperatures plummet, the brine will refreeze. Now you have a layer of ice under the snow. Can anyone say, “Slip & Fall”? Avoid slip & falls by using ice melter correctly and removing the accumulation of snow.
  4. Damage to concrete is often misunderstood.
    1. The ice melter itself is rarely the cause. It’s not the “salt eating away at the concrete”. Damage to concrete is a result of the natural effects of freeze/thaw cycles, not the chemical attacking the concrete.
    2. To help reduce damage, apply ice melter at recommended application rate & remove slush and water prior to refreezing.
  5. Use a Spreader!
    1. “C’mon, man!”, you say. “I can hand toss ice melt with the best of ‘em”.
    2. Sure you can. Get honest with yourself. No matter how hard you try, you will overuse/over apply ice melter when you toss by hand. Get a spreader. You’ll reduce usage, save money, and be more effective.

Mama Grizzly Bear is making her move, preparing for the onslaught of winter. Can you say the same? Nichols has industry experts who will help you select the correct ice melter for your geographical location. Contact Nichols today.

“Procrastination is like a credit card: It’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.” – Christopher Parker