facility focus Act Now And Purchasing ice-melt products in the off-season ensures you are prepared and can help keep costs down. By: Amanda Martini-Hughes, assistant editor Reap The Benefits Later E Even though summer is in full swing, Mother Nature will soon be knocking down our doors and custodians and grounds care professionals will once again be tasked with keeping sidewalks and parking lots free from snow and ice. Oftentimes, snow and ice-melt products are not purchased until they are required, which could be detrimental if you come to find your distributor’s supply is low. Purchasing winter products early ensures that you will have an ample supply and allows you to put a preventative plan in place before the winter weather hits. The middle of summer might seem too early to start thinking about winter supplies, but whether you face the seemingly end-less winters of the Northeast or the freak snowstorms and flurries of the South, mak-ing sure to get your supply early is a must. Purchasing your ice-melt products well in advance of winter’s first big storm, or even surprise flurry, can be financially beneficial. Many suppliers offer some kind of pre-season discount for those who are proac-tive about their winter needs. If your facility has storage space for the amount of product you will need, this can save a considerable amount of money dur-ing the season. The Best Chemical While all ice-melters offer varying levels of melting potential, there are a few general rules that are inherent to all chemical types. Before a solid deicing chemical can do any melting, it has to take on moisture and turn into a brine: You are actually melting snow and ice with a liquid. Applying ice-melt ahead of a storm can prevent accumulation and significantly reduce snow and ice removal efforts. Images courtesy of Ossian Inc. 36 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • August 2010
CMM – Archives Aug 2010: 36
