The Winter Parking Lot and Sidewalk Maintenance manual identifies cost savings tips with the following alert box.

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Below is a list of cost savings tips found in the winter parking lot and sidewalk maintenance manual.

  • Reduce liability. Establish a maintenance policy and follow it.
  • Surfaces such as pervious asphalt, pervious concrete, and pervious pavers do not experience refreeze. All melted snow and ice travel to the storage layer below the surface. Salt is generally not needed on these surfaces and sand should be avoided.
  • Anti-icing is quick. It is possible to treat a parking lot in a matter of minutes. It is an excellent strategy for saving time. *Charging by the hour is not a desired practice when changing to anti-icing.
  • There is no management of what is not measured.
  • Certification in Smart Salting is a good reflection on the professional and the organization
  • Covering the stockpile protects the salt from wind, rain and snow and reduces waste.
  • Do not use dry road salt below 15º F. This wastes money and time.
  • Following Best Practices and documenting actions will help prove the professional is doing the best job possible and may reduce liability.
  • Generally it is possible to use 1/3 less material when using a pre-wet or pretreat, and it works faster than dry salt!
  • Handheld spreaders and shakers, not scoops, should be used to apply deicer to steps and building entrances. This will save at least 50% of the salt normally used per winter without reducing the level of safety.
  • Knowing the pavement temperature allows the application of the proper amount of material for each situation.
  • Salt only needs to melt 1/16 inch to prevent the bond between the pavement and the ice. Save money by applying salt before the ice bonds to the surface it doesn’t need to melt through the ice.
  • Using 50/50 salt/sand mix is generally half right or half wrong. Using a salt/sand mix leads to over application of both materials.
  • Calibration allows accurate deicer use
  • Using the right amount of material at the right time, will save time and money


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