# De icer recomendations



## Eager Beaver (Jul 27, 2000)

Would like to get your opinions on salt/deicer products used on cement/ near landscape/yards etc. I have quite a few commercial acounts that have paving brick walkways with very expensive landscapes and want to keep salting /sand applications damage to a minimum if none at all . Any suggestions on what products that have worked for you? Any help would be greatly appreciated


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## Aspen Snow (Aug 6, 2000)

I can't believe NY snowpro's or plowking 35 has not jumped on this one yet, well I will. The product to use is Magic Salt. It won't harm concrete or damage shrub. It also works very well.


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## Diceman (Jan 12, 2000)

*Magic Salt*

Like Aspen said, the stuff to use is Magic Salt. Talk with John Parker ([email protected]) or Dino Tudisca ([email protected]). Dino has some stuff on his website also http://www.thehousedoktor.com

We started using Magic Salt last year and were very impressed with the results. It's a great anti-icing product, put it down before the snow begins to fall, it prevents the bond between the snow and the asphalt. We've used it on a lot and had two inches of snow fall, and never had to plow the lot. Wonder stuff.

It comes in 25# and 50# bags or you can spray your salt pile directly. You get a better concentration of magic when you spray your piles. 8 gallons a ton compared with 4 gallons a ton with the bag product.

Brian
Exterior Solutions

[Edited by Diceman on 09-13-2000 at 02:47 AM]


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## n y snow pros (Jan 3, 2000)

*MAGIC*

Magic is a product that has several benifits 
1) It neutralizes the corrosive nature of salt
2) It eats rust
3) Lowers the freezing point of water to 35 below zero
4) Wont hurt plants,cocrete,asphalt,carpet,linolium,grass
5) where you might have spread 2 yards of straight salt you 
will only use 1 yard or less to cover the same area
6)Your lots will be bare 2 to 5 hours before anyone else
7)you cant gat black ice because the Magic goes into the 
pavement
These are just a few benifits


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## Eager Beaver (Jul 27, 2000)

Just want to say "Thank You" for all of the information that I have gotten over this topic and to everyone invloved. This format sure beats the normal trial and error that everyone usually has to go threw in every day business life. I have also been in contact with John Parker and he has been very helpful with information on "Magic" 
Eager Beaver Services LLC.


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## Ed Altheide (Sep 13, 2000)

*deicing*

we have been using red potash. The product works well, does not track in, it spreads easy. We use a Western Pro Flow with the gate opening opened 1/2 way to the 1st opening. Any wider will waste material. Red potash is very corrosive and keep it dry. Hope this helps.


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## J.Henderson (Feb 11, 2001)

*Re: MAGIC*



> _Originally posted by n y snow pros _
> *Magic is a product that has several benifits
> 1) It neutralizes the corrosive nature of salt
> 2) It eats rust
> ...


What about on new concrete?


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## EIB (Oct 30, 2002)

Where would I get it in my area?


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## SIPLOWGUY (Mar 21, 2002)

I've heard of this stuff. I'd like to try it this year. Where do I find it in Staten Island?


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## bdsean (Dec 5, 2002)

we use this stuff we call calcium im not exactly sure wats in it but you can fing it at lesco wont kill grass or harm concrete


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## SDlawndawg (Oct 9, 2002)

I'm gonna have to try some of this "Magic" stuff.


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## OriginalSnowman (Feb 6, 2002)

Check the guidelines at the American Concrete Institute. On concrete under two years old, most warranties are voided if you use anything except sodium formate which is hard to find and not particularly easy to use.

Magnesium chloride is the least damaging to cured concrete according to Federal Highway Administations SHRP report. Magic salt is still salt. The problem with damage to concrete is not corrosion, it's chemical attack and freeze/thaw spalling damage.

Anything that changes the freezing point will potentially damage concrete since it can lower the freeze point, run into the voids in the concrete and then when it becomes dilute and the freeze point rises it refreezes and expands blowing away chunks of concrete.

Do your homework before you apply any deicers. Know the age of the concrete and whether or not its covered under warranty and then get a statement from the warranty holder that what you plan to use is acceptable.


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## Wilburn Parks (May 16, 2001)

What does this Magic Salt cost?


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## jeffl (Nov 2, 2002)

*Question*

I got a question since I am just getting accounts on my own this year.
Say I got 3" of snow and laid the Magic Salt down before the snow. It worked well enough that I did not have to plow. How do you charge your customer if you just laid the magic salt down but did not have to plow.
Jeff


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## PINEISLAND1 (Dec 21, 1999)

We have many seasonal customers, who have seasonal plowing but per time salting. In the case of these it doesn't matter, if it can be melted with magic, they are charged for the salting, and we have one less plowing to do. We typically would always salt these customers after plowing anyway, so they are charged the same either way its done, and we saved ourselves considerable time.

If its a customer who is per plow and per salt charging, and we get 1.5 inches or less, we may be able to melt it all curb to curb, charge them only for a salt, and not for a plow. This saves us the time of the plowing, and saves them a little money occasionallly. However , if its 2 inches or more, even if the magic melts a lot or most of the snow, you still need to come in for a good scraping and cleanup, tucking corners, moving drifts, scraping slush, etc. This is charged as both a salting and a plowing then, the only difference is your plowing can get done in about half the time you would have spent without preapplying.


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