Liquid Deicer vs Salt | What’s the Difference?

Liquid Deicer vs Salt

For years and years, the country relied solely on salt to treat roads during winter weather. However, as salt supply becomes more and more limited, some people are starting to turn to an alternative: liquid deicer. How does liquid deicer compare to the traditional road salt? Below, we’ll outline some of the key differences between liquid deicer vs salt along with some benefits and drawbacks of each.

liquid deicer vs salt

Liquid Deicer

It’s clear that liquid deicer isn’t the go-to when it comes to treating unsafe roads in the winter, but it’s becoming increasingly popular. Liquid deicer can be applied to surfaces before snow accumulation, or it can be applied to surfaces that are already covered in snow. So, it works as both an anti-icing product and a de-icing product.

Advantages

  • Liquid deicer tends to stick to roads better than salt, meaning that it embeds into the icy surface and results in less bounce and scatter. It also remains effective for a longer period of time.
  • Overall, it takes fewer people to apply liquid deicer than it does salt. This is a huge benefit for those who are concerned about labor costs.
  • Liquid deicer is kinder to the environment. Since it can be applied with precision, liquid deicer causes less damage to roads and foliage than bulk salt.

Disadvantages

  • When it comes to actually melting ice, liquid deicer takes longer to work than salt does. For this reason, it’s used more often as an anti-icing product than a de-icing one, and it’s not very effective for use on thick ice or packed-down snow.
  • Liquid deicer costs more to transport than salt.
  • Liquid materials require knowledge and experience to use. While it may be easy for anyone to apply salt, this isn’t the case for liquid deicer. If the product is used incorrectly, it won’t yield proper results.

Salt

Rock salt is the tried and true material for treating icy roadways, making it the most common option. Salt is extremely effective in breaking down and melting thick layers of ice and snow.

Advantages

  • Salt works faster than liquid deicer. Due to its composition, salt is much quicker at melting ice and snow that’s already on the ground.
  • Salt can be applied more quickly than liquid deicer. While it may take fewer people to apply liquid deicer, salt can generally be put down in a lot less time.
  • Salt is relatively easy to handle and store.

Disadvantages

  • Salt can easily bounce or be scattered by traffic, resulting in more potential waste. For this reason, it can’t be spread on roads too early because vehicles could displace it before the snow even starts.
  • Its price is unstable and based on supply and demand. There’s not an unlimited supply of salt in the world, so the price of it can vary depending on the amount of snowfall that occurs during a winter season.

When it comes to choosing liquid deicer vs salt, there isn’t one option that really outshines the other. Each has its benefits and drawbacks and are both effective in different situations. If you have any questions regarding liquid deicer vs salt, feel free to contact us! Also, don’t forget to check out some of our ice melt products!

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