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HOMEOWNERS ARE LIABLE FOR ICE AND SNOW REMOVAL

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During the winter months, it’s a familiar site to see shopping centers and business owners clearing the ice and snow from pathways, parking lots and entrances. It’s a liability issue should someone slip and fall and injure themselves entering their business. Homeowners also face similar liabilities if they fail to take adequate steps to remove such slippery hazards from their property.

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Homeowners are responsible for limiting dangers on their property, and in some cases, this can also extend to public sidewalks abutting your home. In some localities, governments have given fines for homeowners who fail to clear the ice and snow. County and municipal agencies have written policies directing property owners to remove accumulated ice and snow “within 24 hours of the end of the snowstorm.” Penalties for property owners not complying can range from nominal tickets, to misdemeanours punishable by up to 90 days in jail, to fines of up to $500.

Shovelling snow is simple enough, but ice removal can be a tricky matter. Nothing works better to remove or prevent ice from forming than an Ice Melter containing Sodium Chloride, Salt. Ice Melters lower the water’s freezing point, the temperature at which it changes from a liquid to a solid and vice versa. Melting the ice and snow directly at the pavement is the most effective way to clear off the surface. This process, preventing water from freezing in the first place, is called anti-icing. It is best achieved by putting the Ice Melter down on the sidewalk when a freeze or a snowfall is expected. In contrast, melting water already frozen is called deicing and in this case an Ice Melter is applied once ice appears. It still works, but is less efficient than anti-icing.

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Laws regarding ice and snow clearing vary by region and from locality to locality, but most mandate some action must be taken within a reasonable time period, often 24 hours after it stops snowing.

 

Contact Kissner Milling Company Ltd. today for all of your Ice Melter needs.

148 Manitou Drive, Suite 301, Kitchener, ON N2C 1L3

Phone: 1-800-434-8248 | Fax: 1-877-434-8250

Email: info@kissner.com

Website: www.kissner.com

How Salt Can Keep You Safe

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Sodium Chloride (salt) is a major player in walkway safety. The Ice and snow build-up can cause dangerous safety conditions to your foot traffic area when it goes unchecked. Tens of thousands of Canadians slip on ice each year. Many of these slips are relatively inconsequential. However, slipping on ice can be more than an inconvenience. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information; a study showed that over the past five years Canadians have been hospitalized between 5,312 and 9,121 times annually, due to slipping on ice.

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Safety Starts with Salt

When uncomfortable cold winter weather conditions make for treacherous outside travel, salt can help. Using salt to maintain walkways and parking lots in response to winter snow and ice events will contribute to a dramatic reduction in slipping on ice.

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Kissner Milling Co. Ltd. is committed to providing winter safety across North America, and continues to pursue that goal by supporting sensible salting. Established over 130 years ago, Kissner Milling Co. Ltd. has evolved to become a trusted market leader known for providing reliable service to an impressive list of clientele throughout North America. We have the experience and resources to be your top supplier.

How Does Salt Work?

Studies show that implementing winter maintenance programs that consist of salt usage can help clear the way for safer winter foot travel. Salting your walkways and parking lots before a storm forms a layer of brine on the pavement, greatly decreasing the formation of ice on the surface.
Pre-treating allows home and business owners to use less salt and it also makes it easier to shovel the snow off of the surfaces safely since the snow is not frozen to the pavement.Applying salt after a winter storm can be beneficial as well if all the slush is not cleared. If there is water on the walkways there could be a chance of that water re-freezing.

This is how salt helps keep walkways clear and safer for travel so that you can keep moving despite the freeze.

Contact Kissner Milling Company Ltd. today for all of your Ice Melter needs.

148 Manitou Drive, Suite 301, Kitchener, ON N2C 1L3

Phone: 1-800-434-8248 | Fax: 1-877-434-8250

Email: info@kissner.com

Website: www.kissner.com

How to Apply Ice Melters

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When to Apply Ice Melters?

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Anti-Icing

Anti-Icing – Proactive application of ice melter to surfaces prior to a storm. Anti-icers are applied before precipitation begins to prevent the ice from building on walkways. By applying an ice melter before a snowfall event, you can prevent the ice/snow from bonding to the surface area and simplify removal of ice and snow.

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De-Icing

De-Icing – Apply ice melter to existing ice and snow. Deicers are made from a variety of mineral salts and work on the chemistry principle that salt water has a lower freezing point than fresh water. As the chemicals react they form a brine solution, which penetrates the ice and snow to form a barrier between the surface area. This allows for easier removal of ice and snow.

Applying Ice Melters

  • Too little ice melter will not control ice and snow as intended.
  • Too much ice melter is wasteful and potentially harmful to the environment, resulting in burnt vegetation and corroded hardscapes.
  • Some products can be toxic to both vegetation and applicator.
  • Always consult the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the product and use only as directed.

Application Rates

Application-Rate

Application Rate

For best results, apply ice melter using a push type or hand held spreader. It is very effective; a small amount will go a long way! Depending on the amount of ice and snow present, sprinkle the ice melter on ice and snow at the rate of 1 lb. to 4.5 lb. per 540 ft². Shovel off excess slush/water, and then reapply to the heavy areas of ice. Do not overspread. Apply evenly and avoid piling.

Ice Melter Granular Size

Small granules melt quickly, and a large amount of them can get the melting process off to a fast start.

Larger particles have a comparatively slower melting action. They will likely penetrate through an ice layer, but may not be completely dissolved into an underlying brine layer. The unused materials can reduce melting efficiency and increase cost.

The most effective ice melters use consistent, medium sized granules which can bore through the surface and maximize brine formation. This breaks the ice to surface bond, allowing easy removal of the remaining ice.

Before and After Application

Before-&-After

Granular Size

Helpful Tips When Applying

  • Wet/Heavy Snow: Apply as soon as wet/heavy snow begins falling to prevent ice from bonding. When more than 1 inch accumulates, shovel snow and reapply if necessary.
  • Sleet/Freezing Rain: Apply ice melter early to prevent ice build-up.
  • Dry Powdery Snow: Can be shoveled or swept, and may not require the use of ice melters.

Contact Kissner Group Inc. today for all of your Ice Melter needs.

32 Cherry Blossom Road, Cambridge, ON  N3H 4R7.

Phone: 1-800-434-8248 | Fax: 1-877-434-8250.

Email: info@kissner.com

Website: www.kissner.com