Ice control questions

[chtucker]

After a storm come through I salt my grocery lot heavy with Iceslicer (a treated salt) it immediately begins to work and with the sun's energy all the snow/ice melts that did not come up with the plow.

Problem is the lot still stays wet. By an hour after sundown the lot turns to black ice in spots. Temps are dipping to the -5 to + 5 range when the sun goes down to mid 20s during the day, plus we have solar energy that is 40% greater here at 10,000 feet.

More salt? Sand the black ice? I am probably not going to get much melting action out of the ice melt at those temps.

Got any ideas?

[snowjoker]

If they dont mind sand on the lot you could use that.. But either salting heavier or just come back and spot salting is what i'd do.

[Alan]

Are you getting puddling of melt water which then refreezes at night? If so I would try salting it heavier so there will be a more concentrated brine in those places. That might keep it from freezing before it can evaporate. If you're getting a thin ice film everywhere I'd salt it again as soon as the ice is forming. If Ice Slicer is anything like Magic it will work at those temps to remove the film.

I deal with a diner yard here that is notorious for refreezing. Water oozes down from another lot and covers a big strip with black ice. They open at 6 and if I hit it with treated salt at 4:30 it's usually bare and wet by then, even at subzero temps.

Experiment with it and see what happens. Sand only as a last resort, IMO.

[chtucker]

Its the thin ice film, almost covering the whole lot.

Howard

[szorno]

boy Howard, you've got a tough one there. I would just hit it harder right near sunset with Iceslicer. either that or upgrade the iceslicer. Last time I knew there were a couple different varieties. Let us know what you get to work.

[Lawngodfather]

Refreezing add a line about it to you contract.

Apply a new salt app.

You can't control or predict ice. You manage it.