Winter is always a challenge for Utah drivers. Every year, wintertime slick alters and magnifies all aspects of driving—particularly braking and steering—making ice-related crashes and accidents an inevitable obstacle for the season. Road salt remains a viable product for preventing serious winter driving hazards and ensuring your safety.

Taking Advantage of the Lower Melting Point 

While there are a variety of de-icers that are better used for areas like driveways and walkways, salting icy roads not only melts the ice, but can prevent further ice from forming. Ice forms when the temperature of water reaches 32 degrees Fahrenheit. When salt is added to the equation, the freezing temperature drops significantly. On the road, salt will melt hazardous ice quickly while retaining a lower freezing point, thereby neutralizing any ice that may form in the immediate future.

Use Responsibly

Dangerous snowy road in the forest

Since the 1940’s, salt has been the dominant method of de-icing roads in America, but has taken a back seat to other de-icers in recent years as environmental concerns have become a bigger factor. At Asphalt Materials, we provide dynamic, effective road salt that should be used with caution and environmental responsibility. When using salt to melt ice on the road, you should avoid putting it on snow as much as possible. Shovel your icy road area thoroughly so you’ll have to use less salt, and avoid snow runoff so you don’t inadvertently pollute lakes, streams, or nearby vegetation.

Though road salt can have some negative impacts on the environment, there are conditions in which it can be effectively and safely used with minimal environmental impact. Don’t hesitate to Contact Us for your road salt needs, or with any questions about how and when you should use road salt.

What Should I Use:

  • For Asphalt Surfaces, We recommend Type C Road Salt, Red Road Salt Ice Slicer, Both are in Bulk for larger Salt Spreaders or Ice Bomb works well and its available in Bags. Melts ice down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • For Concrete Surfaces, We recommend Purple Heat Ice Melt. Melts ice down to -15 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • For Contractors using small tailgate salt spreaders, we recommend using the bagged products, Ice Bomb or Purple Heat, as it will flow more easily through the spreader.
  • Do not use snow or ice melt products on concrete surfaces that are less than 1 year old.