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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
(ARA) - Few things match the dreariness of waking up at the crack of dawn on a wintry day to shovel and plow your driveway and walkways. But, while shoveling might never become your winter activity of choice, keeping outdoor surfaces free of ice build-up doesn’t have to be a back-breaking chore. Here’s what you should know about selecting an effective ice-melt product to help you face even the fiercest snow storms.
Why Ice-Melt is Important
From mild flurries to powerful blizzards, snow and sleet can lead to icy conditions that create havoc and safety concerns for local traffic and pedestrians. While plows and shovels can remove large piles of snow, a thin, dangerous layer of ice often remains underneath and needs to be tackled separately. This is where your ice-melt product comes into play.
What You Should Know Before Buying Ice-Melt
A trip to the local store will probably bring you face to face with many ice-melt products, each with varying performance claims. So what’s the first thing you should know to choose a product that will best meet your needs?
Traditional, proven ice-melt formulations contain one, or a combination of, five key ingredients – calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, rock salt and urea. The properties and performance of each of these ingredients vary greatly, so make sure you know exactly what your ice-melt is made of and how it works in all winter conditions.
Qualities of a High-Performance Ice-Melt
The speed at which a product penetrates and melts ice is an important selection factor. A high-performance formulation will dissolve quickly upon contact with ice to form a brine solution which causes the ice to melt.
Ice-melt formulations also have different temperature ranges and weather conditions within which they are effective. The best ones will do the job over a wider range of temperatures, including extreme cold. This enables effective ice removal in all types of conditions with just one product.
One ice-melt product that has gained the trust of home-owners and facility managers alike is PELADOW calcium chloride pellets from The Dow Chemical Company. PELADOW pellets release heat as they dissolve, melting ice two to five times faster than other products, within the first 20 minutes of use. Their round shape allows them to penetrate ice faster than flat or crystal-shaped melters and quickly break the bond between ice and the pavement. And unlike products that need to draw heat from the environment to work, these pellets are more effective under a wider range of weather conditions.
So, while escaping the snow may not be an option for you, knowing how to choose the most effective ice-melt product might give you that extra 15 minutes in bed before you have to venture out and face the winter.
For more information, visit www.DowCalciumChloride.com.
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