Salting and ice control in Minneapolis
Ice stopped before it bonds, with the right material for the temperature.
Plowing moves snow. Salt is what gets you to bare pavement. Rock salt works well down to about 15 degrees, then slows to a crawl. Below that we switch to treated salt or calcium chloride, which keeps melting well below zero. Plain salt on a 5-degree lot is mostly wasted.
Timing matters as much as the material. A light application before the storm keeps snow from bonding to the pavement, so the plow scrapes clean and it takes less salt afterward. We also watch for refreeze. Piles that melt in the afternoon sun run across the lot and turn into black ice by evening.
What's included
- Pre-treating before a storm
- Salting after each plow
- Treated salt or calcium chloride in deep cold
- Refreeze checks where meltwater runs
- Sand for traction when it's too cold to melt
Call us when
- Freezing rain or sleet is in the forecast
- Your lot is plowed but still white and slick
- Meltwater from the piles freezes across the lot at night
- A shaded ramp or north-side walk never clears
Questions people ask
Don't see yours? Call (612) 555-0171.
Why is there still ice after you salted?
Salt needs time, moisture and some warmth to work, and it slows down a lot in the low teens. When it's that cold we use a different material. If ice is still there after it's had time to work, call (612) 555-0171 and we'll come back and look.
Can you use less salt?
Yes, and we try to. Pre-treating, a calibrated spreader and the right material for the temperature all cut how much goes down. Less salt is easier on your concrete, your plantings and the storm drains.