Salt vs. ice melt: what should be on your commercial walkways?
On a commercial property, de-icing isn't about being tidy — it's about not having someone fall on a walkway you're responsible for. Which product you use matters, and so does when you put it down.
Here's the plain version of salt versus ice melt, and how we decide what goes on a lot.
Rock salt: cheap, effective, has a limit
Plain rock salt (sodium chloride) is the workhorse. It's inexpensive and works well for most Ontario winter days. Its catch is temperature — below roughly -10°C it stops doing much, so on the coldest nights it can leave you with ice it can't melt.
Ice melt: works colder, costs more
'Ice melt' usually means a blend with calcium chloride or magnesium chloride mixed in. Those work at much lower temperatures than plain salt, which is why they're used on the coldest days and on surfaces where you can't afford any ice. They cost more, so they're used where it counts rather than everywhere.
Timing beats product
The bigger lever is when it goes down. Pre-treating a walkway before the storm stops ice from bonding to the surface in the first place, which is far more effective than trying to melt a sheet of it after it's formed. When the forecast allows, we treat ahead of the storm rather than after.
Keep the records
For a commercial property, every application should be logged. If there's ever a slip-and-fall claim, a record of what was applied and when is what protects you. We keep application logs for exactly this reason.
Common questions
Neither is 'better' outright — it's about temperature and the surface. Rock salt handles most days affordably; ice-melt blends work when it's very cold or where you can't risk any ice. We use the right one for the conditions rather than one product for everything.
When the forecast allows, yes. Treating ahead of the storm keeps ice from bonding to the surface and is more effective than de-icing after the fact. We keep application logs either way for your liability records.
Salting and de-icing are usually billed per application, separately from plowing, because ice years vary so much. We show it as a line item so you always know what you're paying for.
