Deicing Materials 
Deicing is the process of removing or preventing the formation of ice or snow on roads, sidewalks, driveways, and other surfaces to ensure safety and accessibility. At Fox Valley Brine, we specialize in manufacturing high-quality deicing materials that minimize hazards and enhance mobility.
Our solutions provide rapid melting capabilities to meet a diverse range of needs. With reliable performance and superior results, you can maintain safe and navigable surfaces.
Call (920) 939-1788 to learn more about our materials and how they can benefit your maintenance efforts.
What Is Deicing?
Ice accumulation can be unsafe in various settings, from transportation infrastructure to residential areas. To “deice” a surface means to apply a chemical solution that lowers the freezing point of water so that ice melts more easily and prevents reformation.
In aviation, for example, deicing is often required to remove ice buildup from plane wings and other critical surfaces, ensuring safe takeoff and flight. As ice can impact flight performance, it’s essential to not only remove it before takeoff but also prevent it during flight.
On the ground, deicing keeps your roads, sidewalks, and parking lots safe during winter months. For your businesses, proper deicing helps maintain accessibility for customers and employees, reduces liability risks associated with slips and falls, and ensures operations can continue without interruptions caused by hazardous conditions. If you’re a homeowner, you also benefit by protecting driveways, walkways, and steps from ice accumulation that could lead to accidents or surface damage.
What Are the Applications of Anti-Icing and Deicing?
The two most critical winter maintenance strategies are anti-icing and deicing, both designed to prevent ice formation and remove existing ice, ensuring safety and accessibility. Anti-icing and deicing are employed across various industries and individual applications to enhance safety and operational efficiency. While planes are one such example, other surfaces require treatment to prevent hazardous conditions.
Here are a few key areas:
What’s the Best Deicer for Sidewalks?
The best deicer for sidewalks depends on temperature conditions and surface durability, but calcium chloride is often considered the top choice.
Calcium chloride works effectively at much lower temperatures (down to -25°F) compared to traditional rock salt, making it reliable in extreme winter weather. It also acts quickly, melting ice faster and preventing it from bonding to the sidewalk surface. Calcium chloride also produces less damage to concrete than rock salt when used properly, reducing the risk of long-term deterioration.
At Fox Valley Brine, we use Turbo Melt Treated Salt, which has undergone treatment with a specialized solution. The treatment process makes the salt effective at temperatures as low as -45 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, this salt is better for the environment, works quickly, and is safer for pets.
The Benefits of Turbo Melt Treated Salt
At Fox Valley Brine, we use Turbo Melt Treated Salt, which offers a number of benefits.
These include:
What Types of Deicing Solutions Do We Offer?
At Fox Valley Brine, we provide a variety of deicing solutions tailored to your property’s needs, ensuring that your walkways, parking lots, and entryways remain safe throughout the winter months.
Here’s what we offer:
Should You Use Rock Salt for All Ice Removal and Deicing Assignments?
Rock salt is a popular and cost-effective choice for ice removal, but it’s not always the best solution for every situation. There are certain conditions where rock salt is ideal, but it may not be the best choice for all applications.
Ideal Applications for Rock Salt
Rock salt works well in temperatures above 15°F (-9°C), making it suitable for mild to moderately cold winter conditions. It's an effective option for deicing large, open areas such as parking lots, driveways, and roads where speed and cost-efficiency are priorities. It also helps to prevent ice from bonding to the surface, making it easier to clear away snow.
When Rock Salt Isn't Ideal
In extremely cold temperatures (below 15°F), rock salt becomes less effective, and its ability to melt ice diminishes. In these cases, other deicing options like calcium chloride or magnesium chloride are more effective because they can work in much lower temperatures.
Additionally, rock salt can be corrosive to concrete, asphalt, and vehicles, so it may not be the best option for delicate surfaces or areas where corrosion is a concern.
Fox Valley Brine’s High-Quality Deicing Solutions
Our deicing solutions are engineered for effectiveness and safety, ensuring optimal performance for your needs even in the harshest conditions.
Our solutions provide:
How Long Does Deicing Take?
The length of the deicing process depends on the type of surface, with square footage being a primary determining factor.
A walkway or a driveway typically won’t take as long. When you apply the solution, it starts to work as soon as it makes contact with the ice. This disrupts the bond between the surface and the ice, significantly lowering the effort required for removal.
How Does Deice Work to Prevent Ice Formation?
Deicing works by manipulating water's freezing point through a process called freezing point depression. When you deice your surface, the lower freezing point interferes with the water molecules’ ability to form ice.
Applying the solution preemptively, our deicers create a barrier between the surface and the water, inhibiting ice bonds to make it easier to remove snow and slush.
When Should You Lay Deicing Materials To Fight Ice Formation?
To effectively combat ice formation, the timing of laying down deicing materials is crucial. Ideally, deicing materials should be applied before or just as ice begins to form, especially during freezing rain or snowstorms.
Follow this general guideline:
Are You Responsible for Deicing as a Business Owner in Wisconsin?
As a business owner in Wisconsin, it’s your legal responsibility to ensure that your property is safe for your employees, customers, and visitors. This includes managing snow and ice hazards on your premises. You are required to monitor and maintain walkways, parking lots, and entrances to prevent accidents due to slippery conditions. If you fail to properly manage these areas, you could be held liable for any injuries caused by neglecting snow or ice removal.
To meet your responsibility, you should establish a deicing and snow removal plan. This involves applying deicing materials before and after snowfall, and regularly clearing walkways and entryways. By staying proactive, you can minimize the risk of accidents, protect the safety of everyone on your property, and reduce the likelihood of potential legal consequences.
Should You Deice Your Car?
Deicing your car is essential for safe winter driving, and using the right products can make the process faster and protect your vehicle from damage. Ice buildup on windshields, mirrors, and wipers obstructs visibility, while frozen locks and doors can make your car unusable.
When deicing your car, consider the following options:
Keep Your Surfaces Safe With Our Deicing Products
At Fox Valley Brine, our deicing products are formulated to provide reliable protection against ice formation on a variety of surfaces, ensuring safe travel and accessibility in below-freezing temperatures.
Keep your environment hazard-free—call (920) 939-1788 to find a solution that works for you.
Looking for deicing materials? Contact us at (920) 939-1788.