What is pre-treatment or brine, and is it worth it?
Pre-treatment is putting salt brine or treated salt on the pavement before a storm so snow and ice do not bond to it. It makes plowing cleaner and usually takes less material than melting ice after it forms.
Brine is salt dissolved in water, most effective at about 23.3% concentration. It works in the same temperature range as rock salt, so it is not a cold-weather fix.
It is worth it most before ice events and at the start of storms that begin as rain or near freezing. It is less useful when the pavement is already very cold.
Go deeper
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More on salt & ice
- At what temperature does rock salt stop working?
- Why is my parking lot icy even though it was salted?
- Why did my contractor salt when it didn't snow?
- Is sand better than salt for ice?
- Does salt damage concrete sidewalks?
- What is the difference between rock salt, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride?
- What ice melt is safe for pavers and natural stone?
- Is ice melt safe for pets and landscaping?
From JRW Services LLC, commercial snow and ice management across Sussex, Passaic, Bergen, Morris and Warren counties, NJ. All answers
Need this handled at your property?
Call (973) 459-0074 or send the form, and we will walk the site and put it in writing before the first storm.
