Ice Melt products for improving Winter Safety: choosing the right product for your property
In the winter season, having the right ice melt product can make all the difference to ensuring the safety of visitors & residents at your property, as well as avoiding damage to landscaping. This article contains a summary of the information our property management team shares with clients ranging from commercial building owners & lease holders through to strata councils & residents of condominiums and homes. Read on to get the information you need to select the right ice melt product for a safe winter season.
Ice Melt vs. Rock Salt
Ice melt is a term used for all products that melt ice. The traditional ice melt product is rock salt or sodium chloride (chemical name NaCl) which, while low in cost and very effective at melting ice, can be extremely damaging to landscaping including vegetation as well as surfaces such as concrete. When brought into buildings on the boots of pedestrians, the rock salt acts as a strong corrosive causing damage to floors and finishes. Because of its nature to refreeze quickly, rock salt can do enormous damage to concrete by first being absorbed (with melting ice) and then by expanding. Rock salt is therefore only appropriate in circumstances such as open commercial asphalt parking lots located away from landscaping.
Alternative Ice Melt Choices
Alternate ice melt choices for walkway and driveway applications close to commercial and residential buildings are as follows, each having advantages and drawbacks.
- Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) is great for instant melting but, like rock salt, it is very damaging. Calcium Chloride is a strong corrosive and refreezes fast causing similar damage as described for rock salt. In addition, it is much more toxic that rock salt. Generally, you will want to stay away from using Calcium Chloride.
- Magnesium Chloride (MgCl2) is a slightly better choice for walkways and driveways. It has melting performance and chemical composition similar to calcium chloride; however, it is less toxic and less corrosive. Unfortunately, like Calcium Chloride it also refreezes quickly which results in damage to concrete. When tracked into buildings on the boots of pedestrians it can stain flooring and also leaves a residue that is difficult to remove.
- Potassium Chloride (KCl) is the best all-around choice as an ice melt product. It is one of the safest for landscaping and the environment with much lower toxicity than rock salt. The disadvantage of Potassium Chloride is that it only melts to -10°C, however, in a good blended ice melt product the effective ice melting point can be reduced further. By creating a blended product primarily of Potassium Chloride combined with a small amount of Magnesium Chloride or Sodium Chloride, the product can be made much more effective while avoiding the traditional damage of rock salt. Potassium Chloride is great in environments with less harsh winter conditions such as Vancouver and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.
- Acetates and Urea CO (Nh2)2 are high in cost and therefore not commonly available. Common acetates include Sodium Acetate (AAC), Potassium Acetate (KAC), and Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA). These products are both corrosion inhibiting as well as environmentally friendly. Despite the higher cost of these products, recently their popularity is growing as a coating for other ice melt compounds. Acetates are commonly used at airports where metal corrosion is a significant issue. If you can get Acetate or Urea coated products at a reasonable price it can be a great choice.
Protecting Landscaping & Concrete
Choosing a less harmful ice melt is certainly the first step in protecting your landscaping and especially your concrete surfaces. However, proactive maintenance goes a long way in reducing damage from the natural harshness winter imposes as well as the increased strain imposed by any ice melt product. Hard porous landscape surfacing such as brick, concrete and tile should be sealed with the appropriate sealant annually protecting against a variety of conditions including freezing, UV damage, and staining.
A special note if you have a new concrete installation less than 1 year old: special precautions need to be taken. The correct sealants for new concrete must be used and a specially selected ice melts tailored for new concrete should be chosen. If this applies to any of your properties, please ask a Kazawest property manager for advice. Or feel free to request our whitepaper on concrete maintenance.
In closing, knowing your options when it comes to ice melt can go a long way towards a safe winter season for you and your visitors. By choosing the correct product and taking the right maintenance steps, your ice melt will not cause damage to your property and will improve winter safety for occupants and visitors alike.
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Information Purposes Only
The above article is intended for information purposes only. Every property is unique and may have unique requirements. If you have a sizable property or have a significant investment in your landscaping, it is a good idea to seek the advice of a qualified property maintenance professional.
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Article courtesy of Kazawest Services Inc.
About the Author
Kazawest is a leading real estate management and development services firm. The company’s real estate management services include commercial, residential, and strata property management. Kazawest’s property development group provides full services to plan, design and execute real estate development projects. In addition, the firm’s commercial division is a full service brokerage specializing in commercial real estate transactions and leasing. Kazawest is based in Vancouver and has its head office in Burnaby, BC. Find out more about Kazawest and access additional informative articles at www.kazawest.com.
