Every NJ resident finds themselves in need of ice melt throughout the winter months. Despite knowing that they’re going to rely on these types of materials throughout the season, though, many people fail to plan ahead correctly.
You’d be amazed by the number of NJ home and business owners that have no idea how much ice melt or rock salt to purchase and are therefore unable to properly stock up or take advantage of bulk savings by purchasing ice melt by the pallet.
Don’t become another startling statistic! Our aim with this post is to educate readers like you on how to accurately calculate your property’s rock salt needs, how to determine whether you’d benefit from buying ice melt by the pallet and how to store your winter stockpile.
The Importance of Planning Ahead
You may think that you have all the time in the world to get ready for winter, but the fact is that it’s just around the corner. Being ready to protect your property against the threat of snow and ice before the first storm of the season hits, will make your life a lot simpler.
After all, do you really want to go out and fight the crowds for rock salt and ice melt on a frigidly cold day when the snow is falling heavily? And what if you brave those conditions only to find that all of the local stores are sold out of ice melting materials?
It’s safer and more convenient to know what you need in advance and have it on hand during your hour of need. This doesn’t mean that you should just go out and purchase a random quantity of ice melt, based off of what you “think” you might need.
Buying too much or too little ice melt could create even bigger headaches. Obviously, having too much rock salt on hand will cause you to overspend on materials and may even create problems with inadequate storage.
Purchasing too little material, on the other hand, will leave you skimping on the amount of ice melt that you spread across your property, thus decreasing effectiveness. You will end up running out of material before the season is through and will either have to order an additional supply, or deal with the consequences of the stores having run out of ice melt.
You could even end up overspending by missing out on the opportunity to get everything you need all at once, thus taking advantage of bulk prices by purchasing ice melt by the pallet. Knowing what you need ahead of time, then, is the key to having the most positive experience with ice melt this winter.
Calculating Your Ice Melt Needs
Figuring out exactly how much rock salt or ice melt to purchase for your property is not as complicated as you may think. You’ll need to start off by measuring the length and width of your driveway, sidewalk, patio, or other coverage area in feet.
By multiplying the length and width of the coverage area, you’ll see how many square feet of ground will need to be covered with an ice melting product. Although you’ll find that the numbers may vary by manufacturer and brand, the average amount of ice melt that should be applied to a surface per square foot is 3.1 pounds.
Therefore, you’ll need to multiply the square feet of your coverage area by 3.1 in order to reveal the total number of pounds of ice melt needed for your property. Because most bags of rock salt contain 50 pounds, you’ll then need to divide the total number of pounds required by 50. This will tell you how many bags of ice melt to buy.
As an example, let’s say you have a 200 square foot driveway. 200 x 3.1 pounds of ice melt = 620 pounds of rock salt required. 620 pounds / 50 pound bags = 12.4 bags of ice melt needed.
Keep in mind that this equation is set to determine how much ice melt you’ll need per snowfall or winter storm. You’ll need to look at the average days of precipitation that occur in your area throughout the winter months in previous years, as well as consult the forecast for the coming season in order to determine how this will affect your total purchase order.
If, for example, your area typically experiences 10 days of precipitation during the winter, you’ll need to multiply the number of bags required by 10. In the case of our previous example, you’d take 12.4 bags x 10 = 124 bags of ice melt needed for the season.
Should You Buy Ice Melt by the Pallet?
Once you know how many bags of ice melt you’ll need, you should be able to accurately determine whether or not buying ice melt by the pallet is the right move for you. Although the numbers may vary based upon the brand or the supplier, you’ll find that, as a rule, a pallet of ice melt is comprised of 49 individual bags.
Obviously, if you require fewer bags than this in order to accommodate your needs, there’s no need to make a pallet order. If you’re pretty close to the cusp, though, you might want to give some thought to talking with your neighbors.
By making the decision to go in on a bulk order together, you’ll both be able to take advantage of significantly reduced prices. Depending on the brand, you could end up saving a few dollars per bag which can really add up.
Properly Storing Ice Melt by the Pallet
Buying ice melt by the pallet and stocking up in advance won’t do you any good if you don’t store the materials properly. When exposed to extreme cold, the ice melt will tend to clump together and become ineffective.
When exposed to water or moisture, the ice melt will activate, rendering it useless for future events. It’s important, then, that you take measures to ensure that your ice melting materials will be stored in a space that will remain at or above freezing temperatures.
Make sure that the materials are kept off of the floors. We also recommend that you consider keeping the ice melt in sealed containers, or covered with a water-resistant tarp for added protection.
Buying Ice Melt by the Pallet in NJ
If you’ve got big ice melting needs, Braen Supply has you covered. As the leading supplier of ice melting products throughout NJ and surrounding areas, we sell a wide variety of ice melt by the pallet.
You’ll find products that are designed to melt snow and ice extremely fast, be safer for pets, children, the environment and prevent damage to concrete. Our team of experts is happy to discuss your specific needs and help you find the ice melt that’s right for you.
We offer fair and competitive pricing on ice melt by the pallet so that you can get through the winter on a budget you can afford. We also sell multiple pallets by the truckload. Talk to an expert about picking up a pallet of ice melt or having a bulk order delivered to locations throughout parts of NJ, NY, NYC and PA.
