Effective Salting

Salt is the most cost-effective de-icer available. In order to ensure roads, pavements and walkways are safe in all weather conditions, you can use salt to add grip to the surface to reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls. Both plain and treated rock salt it used as one of the most common forms of gritting as it can prevent ice forming on the surface and can also cause existing ice and snow to melt.

Gritting should be carried out when there is a risk of ice and snow, so keeping an eye on the weather forecast can be helpful. Salt needs time to melt ice and snow, early mornings or early evenings are the best times to grit.

To ensure you’re getting the best results, follow these tips for effective salt spreading.

Salt, otherwise known as sodium chloride, has properties which make it an effective de-icer.

Salt is hygroscopic which means it actively attracts moisture from the surrounding air, absorbing and retaining it.

Once the salt has absorbed water from the air it will start to melt the ice. Salt solutions have a lower freezing temperature than pure water which makes them much less likely to freeze or re-freeze, and reduces the risk of slippery conditions from developing. The greater the quantity of salt added to the water or ice, the stronger the salt solution and the lower the temperature required to freeze.

De-icing salt is more of the most effective ways to mitigate the risk of extreme weather. However, for the salt to effective melt snow and ice, there are two conditions which must be just right - moisture and concentration.

Moisture

As the temperature drops below freezing, the level of atmospheric humidity starts to fall.

When temperatures reach -5˚C, the effectiveness of de-icing salt is reduced by almost 70%.

Concentration

The greater the quantity of salt added to the snow or ice, the stronger the salt solution and the lower the re-freezing temperature. Use the suggested application rates below to ensure you are using the optimal amount of de-icing salt.

Suggested De-icing Salt Spread Rates (per m²)

The correct concentration of salt is one of two factors which determine how well it works as a de-icer. Use these tips to ensure you are salt spreading evenly and effectively, for the best de-icing results:

Storing de-icing salt under cover is strongly recommended by the Environment Agency. This ensures that your material is kept in prime condition, as well as reducing its impact on the environment. Furthermore, the type of surface is very important as salt is corrosive and can corrode certain materials.

De-icing rock salt should be stored away from moisture and air. If salt is kept dry, it can last a long time and is also more effective when spreading. If the bag of salt is unopened then it should be okay for the next season. If the bag is opened, then it is best to move the salt into an air-tight container to avoid the product hardening or clumping.

When storing salt in bulk, it is also important to leave enough room to manoeuvre for when you can have salt delivered. Grit bins are ideal for storing salt if you do not need to have large quantities on hand. They provide heavy-duty, weather-resistant storage space.