What this service is
Plowing removes snow. It doesn’t remove ice, and it can’t do anything about the thin refrozen layer that forms after the sun hits a wet lot and the temperature drops back through freezing. That layer is what people fall on and cars slide on, and you often can’t see it.
De-icing is a materials problem, and in Bismarck the material matters more than it does further south. Rock salt is the industry workhorse and it’s cost-effective down to somewhere around 15-20°F. Below that its melting action slows sharply, and spreading more of it is mostly spending money to put grit on the ground. A North Dakota winter spends a great deal of time below that line.
So we use brine-washed salt sand rather than straight salt. The sand gives immediate traction that doesn’t depend on temperature at all. It works at minus twenty the same as it works at thirty. The salt mixed through it goes on working at the ice underneath on warmer, sunnier days. It’s the combination that holds up across a whole Bismarck winter rather than only the mild end of it.
Our process
We apply after every plow. On a full-service contract, salt sand goes down on the lot each time we clear it. Ice control isn’t a separate call-out you have to think about.
We read pavement temperature, not just air temperature. Asphalt holds and loses heat differently than the air above it, and it’s the pavement that decides whether product works.
We apply at the rate conditions call for. Over-applying costs money, tracks into the building and is hard on landscaping. Under-applying leaves you with an icy lot and no benefit.
We target what ices first - entrances, drive lanes, slopes, drainage paths, and the shaded strips along the north side of buildings that stay frozen after everything else clears.
What affects the price
- Area treated and how much of the lot is in what’s included
- Number of applications - a freeze-thaw winter takes more than a steady cold one
- Whether it’s bundled into a full-service seasonal contract or billed per application
- Slopes and drainage - water that runs and freeze agains needs repeat treatment in the same spots
When to schedule it
Alongside plowing, on the same contract. Ice control is not an optional extra in North Dakota. A lot that’s plowed but never treated will still ice up, and you’ll have paid for snow removal and kept the liability.
Questions
Questions we get asked
Short, plain answers. If yours isn’t here, call or text (701) 390-0630 and just ask.
Does salt still work in a Bismarck cold snap?
Plain salt mostly stops melting ice below about 15-20°F, and Bismarck gets a lot colder than that. So we use salt sand instead. The sand grips right away no matter how cold it is, and the salt keeps working on the ice underneath once it warms up.
Why sand rather than just salt?
Because grip shouldn’t depend on the weather being warm enough for salt to work. Sand grips at any temperature.
How often will my lot be treated?
On a full-service contract, after every plow.
Will it damage my pavement or landscaping?
Used heavily, any ice melt is hard on concrete, on the grass beside a lot, and on vehicles. We put down the right amount rather than the most, which is most of the answer.
Get a free estimate
Tell us about your property and we’ll get back to you. Serving Bismarck, Mandan and Lincoln.