# How much salt for 30000 sf



## CAMP Lawncare (Aug 21, 2006)

How much salt should i use for 30000sf


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## shamp (Jul 4, 2006)

your looking to use 10-15lbs per 1,000 sqf or 300lbs for 30,000. you have to go heavier in an ice storm or freezing rain.also keep an eye on the over night low temp that will tell you how heavy or light the salting will be for that event. hope this helps!


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

What kind of pavement? Is it north facing or south? Is it shaded or full sun? Is it sloped or flat? What time of year? Mid January or the end of March? What type of snow has fallen, high moisture or lake effect? 

You need a heck of a lot more info than just how much can cover it. It could be anywhere from 100#'s to close to 3/4 of a ton.


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## CAMP Lawncare (Aug 21, 2006)

ok Mark i understand i was just trying to get an idea why does it matter whether it faces north or south thanks for the help to all.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Sunlight makes a huge difference in how much UV rays hit the pavement. South sloping pavement will receive a lot more UV radiation which heats the pavement which will melt more snow. Opposite for north facing\shaded areas. 

I hadn't read your other post about being your second year, so if I came off sounding harsh, I apologize. 

I would figure an average of about 1000#'s per acre. This is over the entire season, so you would be at about 750#'s per application. There are others that will say you can get acceptable results with 400#'s per acre, but this is in a perfect world, with optimum temps, optimum amount of time for salt to become brine and melt all snow\ice on the lot before opening\employees arrive\etc., no continued precipitation to dilute the application, you get the idea. 

There are a multitude of ways of determining price, though. Per ton and per application would be the most frequently used. 

If you have any other questions that I can help with, let me know, I'll try to be nicer.


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## CAMP Lawncare (Aug 21, 2006)

I here to learn thank you Mark


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## PaleRider (Nov 30, 2005)

*How do you sell, 1000 lbs of salt / acre?*

:waving: Happy Camper,
The rule of thumb in my area is 800 lbs per acre. An acre is 44,000 sf. So, if you bid on a lot that's 20,000 sf you'd need 400 lbs of salt and so on  thought I'd pass this thought it may help a little 

Palerider


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

Mark Oomkes said:


> There are a multitude of ways of determining price, though. Per ton and per application would be the most frequently used.


I feel per application is the best route. You nor your customer have anyway of determining "1 ton" unless you"re doing bags and that's a expensive way to buy salt for that large an area. Then you factor in the other points Mark made so well, conditions location, etc. the amounts needed can vary.

I pre-apply everything I plow before it snows. Then re-apply to the shaded areas, north face hills, entrances, and intersections as needed after plowing. I found not letting ice form takes less material then making it go away. My salt application cost are consistent, they are billed for one application for every snow event regardless of depth. If they request additional applications they are billed based on either "complete" application (doing the entire area again) or "partial" application(only the trouble spots), partial applications are *always at least* half the total application charges. Salt really is cheap, it's the travel that is time consuming so that's the costly part of the application.,

I normally apply 1/2 yard (appox.500lbs of dry material) per acre, then double up on problem areas. But I have to admit it's quite often a "seat of the pants" decision. Rising temps predicted, thinner application, very cold before the storm heavier coating. I feel my Per application every time it snows balances over the year for the amount of material used.

Just my 2 cents.


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## Plow Meister (Oct 16, 2001)

Camp,

As you've seen, there are a lot of different factors involved when calculating for salt. As PaleRider said, a rule of thumb of 500 pounds per acre is a good starting point. Then, as Mark said, the sun, temperature, amount of packed snow / ice are all variables that need to be taken into consideration every event. Another factor to consider is what the temperature will be for the next few days. If it's going to get ass puckering cold for the next few days you may want to apply heavier. However, salt effectiveness lowers as temperature decreases.

You might think that pre-treating uses more salt but it can actually work out to use less salt in some cases.

In short, salt application uses both science as well as EXPERIENCE. Each event will be different. Each application will be different. Once you apply to your lots a few times you'll discover any problem spots, etc. The ultimate goal is not to under-apply. It's OK to over apply but that will ultimately cost you more money in the end and may upset some environmentalists LOL.


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