The winter season is looming and while in many parts of the country it’s too cold to maintain a vibrant lawn or ornamentals, that doesn’t mean the landscaping business falls into a deep freeze.
Instead, many contractors switch their maintenance services to anti-icing, de-icing and snow removals, but what does these winter services involve?
Anti-Icing
Preparing for that first snowstorm takes more than winterizing an irrigation system. While preparing your customers’ yards for the winter, you can also offer a proactive application of ice melt. This serves as an anti-icer and can be applied before the weather begins to freeze and helps prevent ice from forming on walkways and driveways. Anti-icing helps make the rest of the winter season a bit easier since it’ll limit the bonding of the ice and snow to the surface, making it easier to remove them in the height of the season.
De-Icing and Snow Removal
If that first storm snuck up on you, de-icing walkways is important to maintain a safe area throughout the winter season. You can apply an ice melt directly to the ice and snow.
Most ice melts are a blend of minerals and salt that have a lower freezing point than water. When applied to an area with snow and ice, the ice melts seep in between the surface area and the ice to make it easier to shovel up the frozen effects of winter.
What you’ll need
You’ll want a quality product that will make the removing of the snow and ice much easier for you and your crews. It’s also important to take into consideration the surface you’ll applying the ice melt.
Some chemical blends could damage concrete, asphalt or vegetation, which is something to consider if you’re applying over a dormant lawn. The idea of using an ice melt is to make your jobs easier, not add to your workload come spring with damage control.
If you aren’t sure which ice melt to pick up, share with your local Ewing representative details on the area you are trying to manage ice and snow so they can help direct you to some options.
