How much De-icing salt do you need this winter?

You can never be too prepared for a drop in temperature in the UK. With gritters on 24-hour standby between October and April, it’s time to start thinking about what you can do to keep your premises safe for staff and visitors. Fortunately, we have all the equipment you’ll need this winter, from de-icing salt to bins and shovels. Keep people safe and on their feet rather than sliding around dangerous puddles of ice and snow.

Why Rock Salt and Grit? 

Rock salt is common in the UK and is the most common form of ‘grit’. It is used on our roads and pathways to help prevent frost from forming on the surface, helping prevent accidents.

Rock salt is the most common ‘rock salt’ used on UK roads and pathways. Spreading rock salt onto roads, pathways and other public areas will prevent ice from taking hold. When water gets salty, it has a much lower freezing point than clean water.

Having said that, it’s not perfect. At temperatures between -5 and -9 celsius, it is significantly less effective, and it has zero effect below -10.

Types of Salt?

There are two types of rock salt- brown and white.

• Brown: cheaper than white rock salt; however, it has a far lower carbon footprint because it hasn’t been refined, so has dirt and other impurities in it. Brown rock salt can leave stains and dirt behind.
• White: a refined rock salt that has been treated to remove contaminants. It is generally used in public areas such as retail units and shopping centres, mostly because of the lack of staining that it leaves behind.

How much should you use?

You don’t want to be in a situation where you don’t have enough salt to go round. A good rule of thumb is to use between 10 to 15 grams of rock salt per square metre in moderate weather. However, if weather conditions become more severe, it’s recommended that you use between 20 to 24 grams.

When should you use?

For the most accurate weather predictions, we use the Met Office to determine when we should apply rock salt.

Ideally, you want to spread salt before any freezing temperatures are forecasted. It’s worth keeping in mind ground temperature as well as air temperature. Also, be mindful of rainfall which can wash away rock salt before freezing. In situations like that, using a bit more salt can help protect the ground from ice.

Where can you buy rock salt?

At Manutan UK we have a huge range of de-icing salt, grit bins, snow shovels, spreaders and other winter essentials. If there’s anything that you need help or advice with ahead of the winter period you can get in touch with our customer service team on 0800 652 6000