What to sprinkle ice on the sidewalk?

In winter, it is very dangerous on an icy pavement surface. One careless step can result in a broken leg or other injuries. Polish law imposes an obligation to remove snow and ice from walking routes, passages and paths. What to sprinkle sidewalks in winter ? Here are some tips.

What to cover sidewalks in winter? Overview of available funds

You can now find a variety of agents for spreading or de-icing roads and sidewalks in stores and online. The most popular of them are:

• road salt (sodium chloride),
• Magnesium chloride,
• calcium chloride,
• road sand,
• mixture of road salt and road sand.

In the past, ashes from hearths were used on a massive scale for sprinkling pavements. Currently, this method is unacceptable in Poland, which results from Art. 145 of the Code of Offenses. Sprinkling combustion products on roads and sidewalks means littering public space and is punishable by a fine.

Road salt - action

How to quickly and effectively get rid of the growing layer of ice on the pavement? Just sprinkle it with road salt. It is a finished product, sold in powdered form. Sodium chloride remains one of the most popular commercially available de-icing agents. It is a highly hygroscopic substance that absorbs moisture from the environment very intensively, dissolves ice blocks and turns them into mud.

Private individuals and road users willingly reach for road salt - how does it work on an icy pavement? Upon contact with water, the powder begins to dissolve rapidly and breaks down into sodium and chlorine atoms. During this reaction, significant amounts of energy are released, which affects the water molecules contained in snow and ice. So the salt gradually breaks down the structure of the ice. However, it is worth remembering that on the road its byproduct is the already mentioned mud, which damages the car body and makes maneuvering difficult.

Road salt: operating temperature and composition

Road salt, available in most stores and warehouses, works effectively at low temperatures down to -6°C or -7°C. At lower temperatures of -10°C or -20°C, the powder may prove ineffective and then you should reach for road brines or mixtures enriched with calcium chloride and sand.

Each road salt available on the Polish market must meet the standards of the PN-86/C-84081/02 standard. A properly prepared mixture contains the following components:

• at least 90% pure sodium chloride,
• not more than 8% of water-insoluble substances,
• not more than 3% water,
• 20 mg/kg anti-caking additive in the form of potassium ferrocyanide.

The water content is different for each type of road salt. Road mixes are available in two forms: loose and wet.

Is road salt harmful?

Road salt is undoubtedly one of the most frequently chosen remedies for frozen sidewalks and streets. Is it safe and how does it affect the natural environment? Unfortunately, sodium chloride definitely does not fall into the category of organic products. It is salt that weakens roadside vegetation and harms animals. Inappropriately or excessively used powder can also cause contamination of local groundwater.

Splashes of mud containing sodium chloride, not removed in time, create unsightly pits on vehicle bodies over time. Metal corrosion is hard to stop without the intervention of an experienced painter. Water-soluble road salt also leaves characteristic white stains on shoes. Stains are difficult to remove and they damage footwear, which becomes dull and begins to absorb moisture.

Ecological road salt - what is it?

Are there proven and ecological substitutes for sodium chloride? Of course. One such product is magnesium chloride, also known as magnesium salt. Technical magnesium chloride works similarly to sodium road salt. It is a powder that quickly dissolves ice and snow, but does not cause corrosion and does not have a negative impact on the environment.

Road magnesium salt works well at temperatures lower than -6 ° C. When the winter season ends, salt residues penetrate the ground, becoming a natural mineral fertilizer. Magnesium salt can also be combined with sand - a great solution when low temperatures persist for many days and a new layer of ice is constantly appearing on the pavement.

Calcium chloride and road sand: advantages and disadvantages of both

Calcium chloride (CaCl ₂ ) is another agent used to remove frozen ice and snow from roads. It is a salt of hydrochloric acid and calcium, often added to road sand instead of sodium chloride. The compound has the advantage of operating at the lowest temperatures of -20°C or -30°C. Its main disadvantage is that it costs much more than road salt with sodium chloride.

Sand has also been used in road construction for centuries. It has been observed that on slippery surfaces it greatly facilitates friction and safe movement of various objects. Sand as a mixture of aggregate with different fractions stays on the roadway for a long time, providing traction to vehicle wheels and a stable footing for pedestrians. However, this product leaves mud and dirt in the road lane, which, if not removed in time, make it difficult to move on the road and sidewalks in the spring.