JAN

03

ROCK SALT VS. ROAD SALT

DATE: January 03, 2017

Salt seems like such a simple thing. But when you have specialized in the stuff for more than twenty-five years you start to learn the finer points. At Draglam Salt we have committed ourselves to providing high quality salt products. We’d like to share a little of our expertise with you, so you can feel confident in selecting the best product for your business. We find many of our customers are unaware of the differences between rock salt and road salt, but the differences are important to know before you place your order.

Rock Salt

The variety of de-icing salt that you are likely most familiar with, rock salt is the same compound you have on your kitchen table. Rock salt’s coarse texture and particle size distinguishes it from table salt and inspired its name. We provide rock salt in both bulk and bagged varieties. It is the cheapest and most commonly used de-icing product.

The benefits of rock salt include:

• Availability: because this form of salt is common and mined all over the world there is an ample supply

• Cost: its abundance makes rock salt the cheapest de-icing compound (buying in bulk maximizes the cost savings)

• Safe: rock salt is relatively harmless to skin and clothing

• Easy application: the large particles make it easy to see what ground you have covered when spreading it

Road Salt

You probably have seen rock salt on roads. But when we talk about road salt, we have something else in mind. Recently many regions have moved towards a calcium chloride salt brine. Brine is simply a solution of salt and is also known as sodium chloride or magnesium chloride brine.

Applying calcium chloride salt as a brine has some key advantages over rock salt, including:

• Fast acting: applied in this form the salt works very quickly

• Environmentally stable: it leaves no residue and is environmentally friendly

• Cost effective: calcium chloride is initially more expensive, but when applied as a brine may prove more cost effective. The immediate impact means you’ll need to use less salt overall to achieve the same result. Also, applying road salt in the form of brine extends the longevity of road surfaces

• Less corrosive: road salt is less corrosive than rock salt

• Cold weather effectiveness: rock salt is effective down to negative twelve degrees Celsius whereas calcium chloride road salt is effective down to negative twenty-five degrees Celsius.

Draglam Salt has pick-up locations and delivery throughout the GTA to serve your need for bagged,  bulk and liquid salt. Contact us if you have any questions or are looking for advice on which type of salt best meets your needs, or how much you should order.

Our website helpfully displays which locations are currently open and the different products we carry in case you wish to pick up your salt order. However, our delivery service and our salt supply and spread service are designed to make your life easier. If your trucks have broken down or are getting serviced, we have you covered.