Right about now, you might be arming yourself with rakes and yard waste bags in preparation for the onslaught of fall leaves, but we all know what comes next - winter’s snow and ice is just around the corner. 

If you are depended upon to keep roads and walkways clear and safe during unpredictable winter weather, yet also keep to a budget, it’s not surprising you’d look for ways to reduce costs without losing reliability. One way to do this is to opt for a deicer blend - a product that combines properties of high-performing ice melt chemicals with rock salt or other relatively low cost, low performing substances. This can definitely be more budget-friendly, but beware: not all blends are created equal.

In some cases, these products may claim high performance in low temperatures, but actually contain such a low amount of high-performing product that ice melt performance is not elevated by it at all. The result? You pay more for a blend that doesn’t deliver. You have to apply it more frequently, costing more money, as well as costing time and money for crews and equipment. Before you know it, there goes your budget.

Don’t be misled!

There are plenty of blends out there with misleading performance claims when in actuality, they are little more than repackaged rock salt with insignificant amounts of high-performance deicing ingredients. You can avoid the problem by asking the manufacturer or distributor the precise product ingredients by percentage. In blends of calcium chloride and rock salt, their answer should be at least 20% CaCl2 if you want to see an appreciable increase in performance over rock salt alone. If the blend doesn’t have at least 20% calcium chloride, save yourself the time, money and aggravation by contacting OxyChem. 

Reduce costs, not reliability

Even blends containing a minimum of 20% calcium chloride can’t compare to the unique composition of our products which are proven to be high-performing, economical alternatives.

• COMBOTHERM™ Commercial Strength Blended Deicer contains a minimum of 70% CaCl2.

• DOWFLAKE™ Xtra contains 83-87% calcium chloride, 10% more than conventional CaCl2 flake products, providing pound-for-pound performance in snow and ice control.

• PELADOW™ Premier Snow & Ice Melter is at least 90% CaCl2 and one of the most effective, fastest-acting snow melt product for sidewalks, steps and driveways.

• LIQUIDOW™ Technical Grade –calcium chloride aqueous solution for anti-icing spray applications or prewetting solid deicers.

Deicer blends can be a great way to keep roads and sidewalks safe while also keeping your budget intact, however, it’s important to know not only what your blend is composed of, but also how much of each ingredient it actually contains. The more you know, the better choice you can make. 

For more information on deicer blends or any other products and tips for snow and ice, contact OxyChem Calcium Chloride. We can help you make the best choice to fit your needs.