Use Rock Salt for Safer Surfaces
Prior to being battered by Storm Isha and Storm Jocelyn, which generated super-strong winds of up to 97 miles per hour, much of the UK was brought to a standstill by heavy snowfall. As well as causing serious disruption to transport networks, the snow was responsible for thousands of accidents and injuries as it made roads and walking surfaces slippery and dangerous to use.
As the weather is obviously out of human control, the incidence of such accidents can only be reduced by treating the surfaces on which snow, ice and frost occur. By far the most effective way to do this is by applying rock salt, which is commonly referred to by the term 'grit'. Deceptively simple, the process is so reliable it has become de rigueur on a global scale since its discovery over eight decades ago in 1938.
Rock salt takes advantage of an effect known to science as 'freezing-point depression'. Immediately on contact with moisture, the rock salt reacts to form a brine solution; this mixture of water and salt has a freezing point that is much lower than plain water, resulting in snow or ice being melted.
The melting effect produced by rock salt allows it to be used to quickly clear affected surfaces of snow and ice, restoring the stability of the vehicles and pedestrians that use such surfaces. In addition to this application, grit can also be used in a preventative manner, by being applied to surfaces when periods of cold weather have been predicted.
Rock salt of a brown colour is the most cost-effective type and therefore is widely used in municipal and industrial sectors where aesthetic appeal is of little concern. Where appearance is a factor that must be considered, such as in commercial and domestic environments where this brown colour can mark or even stain flooring, white rock salt is the preferred option.
Rock salt in both brown and white formats is available to purchase from Greengates Builders Merchants and we have large supplies in stock. We offer this crucial winter product in medium or bulk size to suit different requirements and, as is true of each and every product in our extensive collection, a highly-competitive price is absolutely guaranteed.
Please visit the relevant product pages on our website to place your order and do not hesitate to contact our expert technical team if you have any questions or require authoritative advice and guidance on how to use rock salt for optimal results.