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Helpful Tips
DEICING CHEMICAL COMPARISON
Determining the best ice melting product depends on many factors:
1. What is your budget?
2. What is the temperature when you will be applying the ice melt? Is it sunny or cloudy? What is the humidity?
3. Do you need to worry about turf and ornamental plantings?
4. Are you concerned about tracking salt indoors?
As you can see, it is difficult to answer the question of what is the best product to use. Weather conditions play such an important part in the effectiveness of ice melting chemicals. At +20 F Urea will melt satisfactorily at about 500 pounds per acre; but lower the temperature to +10 F and put a blowing wind to it, and it may not melt at 700 to 800 pounds per acre.
Abrasives (sand, ash or cinders) are inexpensive and not harmful to trees and shrubs. However they will not melt ice, are not as effective as other products at preventing skids and must be removed from curb gutters each spring.
Sodium chloride (rock salt) melts to +5 F and is the lowest price. It comes in bulk truck deliveries of 22 to 25 tons, and down to 80- or 50 pound bags. However, this product is hard on plant material.
Magnesium chloride is effective to –25 F, melts faster than calcium chloride and is less corrosive than calcium chloride and sodium chloride. However, it costs twice as much as rock salt, may cause chloride toxicity and must be stored in a dry area.
Calcium chloride (pellets in 50-, 80- or 100 pound drums) will melt down to –25 F. The cost will be about four times as much as sodium chloride, but it also melts 35 degrees colder. There is no visible residue when dry and will not dry soil structure.
Calcium magnesium acetate is at the other end of the scale. It is biodegradable and not harmful to the environment, less corrosive than sodium chloride and can increase soil permeability. It does cost 15 times as much as rock salt.
Safest products for plant material? Potassium/magnesium chloride combos, Potassium chloride or Urea.
Indoor tracking? Any ice melting product will track indoors, however Potassium chloride will probably track less than others.
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