TECHNICAL
RESOURCES
Rock salt is the principal de-icer because it’s the most readily available and cost-effective choice. It’s very coarse, and when broken into large granules, becomes easier to spread on roads and other surfaces. It’s the most common form of snow and ice melting.
When salt is applied to ice and snow, it creates a brine that has a lower freezing temperature than the surrounding ice or snow.
Because salt lowers the freezing point of water, the higher the concentration of salt, the lower the freezing point. Melting begins on contact and produces water, dissolving more salt and encouraging further thawing. The rate of melting depends on the surrounding air and ground temperatures. Other influences include the salt’s particle size and the amount of mixing, which is often caused by traffic.
De-icing chemicals remove ice from pavement by lowering the melting point of ice. Together, the de-icer and ice form a liquid brine that remains in liquid form at temperatures where pure water would typically freeze. The liquid brine seeps between the ice and pavement, breaking the bond and making it easier to plough. De-icers work faster and last longer than rock salt.
The following are some de-icing products and techniques used today:
Sodium Chloride: Also known as rock salt, this is the most inexpensive and commonly used de-icing product. Larger particle sizes are best for roadways, and progressively smaller particles perform well in areas like parking lots and sidewalks. It will work at -21 C; however, it’s most effective between -9 C and -12 C.
Calcium Chloride: Extreme cold is no match for calcium chloride! This product will work at -51 C; however, it’s most effective at approximately -31 C.
Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA): This product is an alternative de-icer with minimal corrosive properties.
All salt contains an anti-caking agent to help stop clumping. Most are clear or white; this particular salt manufacturer's product is blue for brand differentiation.
Even though salt freezes at -21 C, small amounts of moisture trapped inside particles can freeze at approximately -10 C, which causes clumping.
A small percentage of salt residue occurs in bulk road salt. This product is direct from the salt mine.
During extreme weather conditions, our team will issue an alert by 6:00 PM on our website notifying customers if we will be open overnight. Visit our homepage for up-to-date location hours. If you are experiencing any service difficulties, please contact Head Office at 416.798.7050. We appreciate your feedback.
Draglam Salt prides itself in delivering the highest level of customer service. By signing up for our Salt Card™, you can shorten your wait time at the scale house; especially during extreme snow events. You can also monitor the status of our locations by visiting our homepage. We appreciate your patience when the weather is unpredictable.
Our products are stored in a dry, quality-assured facility. However, moisture may occur during transportation or significant temperature fluctuations.
Multiple factors may cause this since the moisture and density of salt are always different, which can cause discrepancies. Each salt manufacturer mines their salt differently. We purchase from multiple manufacturers; therefore, variances will occur.
Please call Draglam Salt Head Office at 1.888.907.SALT (7258) or 416.798.7050 and ask to speak with a Sales Representative. They will be able to help you determine who your Account Manager is and answer any other questions that you may have.
Log in to your Salt Card™ Account and visit Load My Salt Card™. From here, you can view your current balance and add funds to your card online 24/7. If you forget to re-load your card and require salt, the list price will be charged to a valid credit card when you visit one of our locations. If you don’t have a Salt Card™, you can request one here.
If your Salt Card™ has been lost or stolen, please call your Account Manager at 416.798.7050 to deactivate it.
If you’ve forgotten your Salt Card™, you must provide an alternate form of identification at the scale house to pick up your salt load. Acceptable identification includes vehicle ownership, a driver’s license or plate number. We encourage you to keep your Salt Card™ in your wallet or vehicle since our program helps shorten wait times and eliminate billing errors.
Please contact our Credit Department and leave a message at 416.798.7050, ext. 202. A representative will return your call during regular business hours. If your account is on hold and you require salt during non-business hours, list price will be charged to a valid credit card when you visit one of our locations.
Click here to view all of our locations. Operating times and product availabilities are updated regularly on our website, especially during snow events. Follow us on Twitter @DraglamSalt or Instagram for additional updates.
Draglam Salt offers bulk salt returns as follows: Up to 2 tonnes (2,000 kg) of bulk salt, no dumping fee applies, but there will be no refund issued for the minimal quantity returned. You may return bulk salt exceeding 2 tonnes (2,000 kg) for a 25% restocking fee. The remaining value of the bulk salt returned (75%) will be credited to your account. Bulk salt returns are subject to inspection and any poor quality salt or salt that contains debris will not be refunded, regardless of quantity.
These Draglam Salt locations accept bulk salt returns:
Please call 1.888.907.SALT (7258) for return inquiries.