/EINPresswire.com/ As Cold Weather Plan stakeholders stock up on rock salt in preparation, some homeowners and businesses are doing the same. However, Icethaw has issued a warning that customers should not try and make their budgets and their de-icers go further by mixing it with sand.
As Cold Weather Plan stakeholders stock up on rock salt in preparation, some homeowners and businesses are doing the same.
However, Icethaw has issued a warning that customers should not try and make their budgets and their de-icers go further by mixing it with sand.
Barry Dearing, a director of Icethaw, the oldest independent rock salt supplier in the country, said:
“Some people have the idea that mixing sand with rock salt will make it go further. This isn’t the case – it dilutes the natural effectiveness of our rock salt, which has a stringent British Standard quality mark and for good reason.”
Sand leaves a residue that can linger for weeks, a potential liability for clogging drains; there have also been reports of it making roads perilous for motorbikes and cyclists.
“The Highways Agency itself doesn’t use sand for de-icing, so that should tell you something,” added Mr Dearing.
“If people are worried about their rock salt stocks they need to mix it with a specially developed mineral like Black Icethaw, which also has a British Standard and mimics rock salt so effectively that it can be used in gritting equipment with no problem at all.”
BS 3247: 1991 is the industry standard for rock salt used as winter road grit – traditional brown rock salt. This British Standard demands very high standards – a less than 4% moisture content and a grain size of around 6.3mm.
Dryness of rock salt and its granular size is important for efficiency and effectiveness of gritting – wet rock salt will clump (and may have had its quality diluted by run-off), while the grain size ensures its correct flow density and spreading capability through the gritting equipment.
“There are some unscrupulous traders who will encourage you to buy rock salt and sand mixed but it’s a false economy and could even encourage dangerous driving conditions for some road users,” Mr Dearing said. “Winter safety shouldn’t be scrimped on – though there is no need to do this if you buy rock salt online at competitive prices.”
Icethaw is dedicated to offering customers the most competitive prices for rock salt and have in place a price guarantee for the most unbeatable prices for traditional brown rock salt, also known as road grit.
Icethaw is the oldest independent rock salt supplier in the country. Its head office is in Lancashire, with a bagging plant in Cheshire and distribution centres located around the UK. For further information contact Lesley Hopkins at Icethaw on 01254 396660 or see http://www.icethaw.co.uk.
Media Contact:
Lesley Hopkins
Icethaw
01254 396660
http://www.icethaw.co.uk
PR courtesy of Online PR Media.
