To Salt or not to Salt

Some things are cut and dry; like when it rains, bring an umbrella; when it's cold, put on a jacket. And some things, are not. Like when we are asked how we determine if a salt treatment is needed.

There are actually many different factors that come into play when making the call if a salt treatment is necessary, or not. A few of them being:

• First and foremost, we focus on safety, quality, and efficiency throughout all operations of our business. We insist that these values are echoed in every decision made; big or small.
• We spend a lot of time monitoring different weather forecasting tools. We speak with NOAA, our on-call meteorologists at WeatherWorks, and with various members of the “Snow Fighters Community”. While also monitoring the local weather stations’ predictions. The hourly temperatures can greatly alter the need for a salt treatment. For example, if temperatures are expected to be low around sundown, precipitation is more likely to freeze, whereas if temperatures are expected to rise the following morning, melting can occur.
• We have invested in ground temperature probes. This software allows us to monitor ground temperatures at sites throughout the Northshore, and better predict whether the precipitation is likely to stick to the ground, accumulate, or melt.
• We take into consideration what type of business is conducted at said properties, for example, 24 hour facilities require more frequent maintenance.
• Our decision is made typically on the side of caution. Relating back to echoing safety throughout all operations
• While we choose to use the best option available for the environment, salting products do have an environmental impact, and we keep that in mind
• We strive to promote employee wellness by scheduling field technicians in rotating shifts, as to not wear anyone out during active winters