Publication date: 01/01/2005

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Don't slip up: Ice melters could sell out with next big snowfall

It's time for you to get hopping and go ice melter shopping. The word on the street is that ice melters will soon be in short supply.

If you remember the last two winters, major shortages developed for calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and even rock salt.

Last January, shortages were so severe that even the road commissions were on allocation.

Gibraltar National Corp., (800) 442-7258, is one of the big regional packagers and distributors of ice melters. I had Steve Klochko, president of Gibraltar, on my radio show a couple of weeks ago.

The raw materials suppliers have already alerted Klochko that demand was so high last year that their inventory is depleted and even a normal winter will overtax the system.

Larry Marshke, Gibraltar's sales manager, summed up the situation very succinctly: "Calcium chloride is in short supply. Much of the magnesium chloride that comes from overseas has dried up because of a shipping scarcity. Salt mines can only make a specific amount of product, and then they are done regardless of demand."

The building boom that has kept the economy running over the past few years has aggravated the situation, according to Marshke.

"Most ice melters are basically salts, he said. "Salt production is much like oil production. They haven't built any new production facilities in 20 or more years. Production is already at the maximum, so it can't be ramped up to meet demand.

"Every time I drive through a new subdivision, I worry. We are delighted to sell the concrete but those additional roads, driveways and sidewalks increase demand on an already over-stressed industry," he said.

If Klochko's staff and suppliers are correct, folks who wait until we get really bad storms will probably be out of luck.

The problem is not confined to local weather conditions. If the temperature in Michigan is above freezing, but there are storms on the East and West coasts, inventory will be diverted to the affected areas.

An ice storm in New York can cause shortages in Detroit and vice versa.

You have to know what to look for when shopping for ice melters. All ice melters are not created equal. Some need relatively warm temperatures to be effective. Others create chemical heat and are effective at very low temperatures. Some can be harmful to pets, plants and people. Some are benign.

According to Klochko, the effectiveness of ice melters can be ranked as follows:

Calcium chloride (the best, effective to 25 degrees below zero).

Magnesium chloride, sodium acetate and calcium magnesium acetate (effective to 5 degrees).

Potassium chloride (effective to 12 degrees).

Urea (effective to 15 degrees).

Sodium chloride (rock salt -- only effective to 20 degrees).

Rock salt is the least expensive, but it does nothing when it's really cold. When it's below 19-degrees, rock salt just lays on the road or sidewalk until traffic crushes it into a fine dust. The dust gets whipped up into the air and becomes a mist doing great damage to foliage and water ways. Magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and urea are basically fertilizers that also melt ice. They are safer for pets and good around sensitive shrubs.

Calcium chloride creates its own heat. It is the fastest, most powerful, melter. The product is available in two shapes: pellets and flakes. Pellets last longer than flakes.

The most effective ice melters are also the most expensive. In an effort to bring down the expense and make the products more cost-effective, some makers blend ice melters. A salt and calcium chloride mix, for instance, creates a product that will still function at very cold temperatures.

Since calcium chloride creates heat, it actually warms the rock salt and makes it effective at a lower temperature.

In our market, Gibraltar National, (800) 442-7258, packages calcium chloride pellets under the name Pelladow Pellets. Its flakes are Dow Flakes. Magnesium chloride pellets are called Mag Pellets.

Two of the company's blended products are Gibraltar Ice Devil Blended Deicer (sodium chloride, calcium chloride and potassium chloride mix) and Ice Devil EF (sodium chloride and potassium chloride).

The company also makes Safe Thaw (coated urea) for use on decks and around pets and plants.

Another local source of urea is Anti Skid by Suretrack Melt Inc., (717) 661-7179. It also contains limestone chips for traction. Many IGA supermarkets carry it.

Safe Paw, another pet-safe product, is made from a crystalline amide core infused with glycols. It is available at Petco and many independent pet stores as well as Stop & Shop, CVS and Kroger.

Remember, an ice melter only breaks the bond between ice and the under surface. Spread it like chicken feed; let it work for a half-hour, then shovel. Before you call it quits, shovel around down spouts to make sure melting water has a clear path.

If ice dams develop on your roof, put calcium chloride pellets in the legs of panty hose and place them in the gutter in the affected area.

Note: This article was accurate at the date of publication. However, information contained in it may have changed. If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.

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