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Welcome to The Big Chill Blueprint, a commercial complex with a variety of different walking, driving, and parking surfaces. Our Snow and Ice Removal experts have created this hypothetical environment to offer real and comprehensive product recommendations, maintenance strategies, and pro-tips to help you navigate any icy challenge winter can dish out.
1
Driveway / Roadway / Parking Lot
Things to Consider
It's a best practice to pretreat these heavy traffic areas before a storm with a brine. This will help with snow removal and clean-up during and after a winter event.
Product Recommendations
Pro Tip
Wetting your rock salt with liquid calcium chloride at the spinner will give you the extra boost needed to melt in cold temperatures, which will then break the bond between ice and pavement for cleaner, faster clearing.
2
Sidewalk / Entryway
Things to Consider
Push the snow to the curb for the parking lot crew to remove, which optimizes the snow removal process.
Product Recommendations
- Ventrac SSV
- Yo-Ho - PolarTuff Pusher Shovel
- Structron - Poly Snow Pusher Shovel
- Earthway - 36" Push Drop Spreader
- Reinders - Meteor Melt™
- Spring Valley - SuperMelt with Defrost®
- Secure - Ally-G with Entry
Pro Tip
Calibrate your spreaders prior to the season and once during the season to minimize the waste of product, which will save you money.
3
"Fancy" Entryway
Things to Consider
Winter-related repair costs can average $50 per 1000 sq. ft. at main entrance areas and lobbies due to chloride damage. Use non-chloride ice melters, like KF50+ to prevent costly damage.
Product Recommendations
- Secure - Entry Liquid Deicer
- KF50+ Potassium Formate with Corrosion Inhibitor
- SnowEx - Walk-Behind Liquid Sprayer
- Flowzone - Cyclone 3 Battery Backpack Sprayer
- Cryotech - NAAC Commercial De-Icer
- Structron - Scoop Shovel
Pro Tip
Shovel first, and then apply liquid ice melters. If there's pending precipitation or ice build-up, use a solid de-icer.
4
Parking Structure
Things to Consider
In order to protect the structural integrity of the building, minimize the use of de-icing products that contain corrosive chlorides.
Product Recommendations
- Cryotech - CMA
- Cryotech - CF7 Clear Non-Chloride RTU Liquid
- KF50+ Potassium Formate with Corrosion Inhibitor
Pro Tip
Use a fan tip nozzle to get better coverage with your liquid ice melters and less product overuse/waste.
5
Inter-Complex Sidewalks
Things to Consider
Sidewalks and parking lots are the main arteries of a complex, so it is important to have them thoroughly cleared to allow safe entry into buildings. Scraping to the pavement and applying a small amount of granular or liquid ice melt won't allow for tracking product into buildings while preventing the dangerous accumulation of ice for slip and falls.
Product Recommendations
- Yo-Ho - PolarTuff Pusher Shovel
- Structron - Poly Snow Pusher Shovel
- Flowzone - Cyclone 3 Battery Backpack Sprayer
- Spring Valley - SuperMelt with Defrost®
Pro Tip
It is important to clear your sidewalk from edge to edge in every storm. One incomplete pass will allow hard pack to build up, narrowing your walking path with each additional event.
6
North Side of building vs South Side
Things to Consider
Air and ground temperatures can vary when you are treating snow and ice on the north side of a building versus the south. Daytime sun will help heat up your south parking lot and allow for rock salt to work. On the northside in shade products such as calcium chloride might be needed as they melt at lower temps.
Product Recommendations
- Ventrac SSV
- OxyChem - Peladow™ Calcium Chloride Pellets
- Liquid Calcium Chloride
- Seymour - Super Scraper with 54" Handle
Pro Tip
It is key to remove all snow and ice in a north-facing lot, the lack of sun will keep refreezing the snow and ice and creating hazards for pedestrians. This is a time when using a low-effective temperature working product such as calcium chloride is recommended.