FAQ

Our polyethylene ice melt bags are recyclable. Scotwood Industries, Inc. is a member of How2Recycle®. For bags with the How2Recycle emblem on the back, you can visit www.how2recycle.info for detailed information.

Ice melters work by lowering the freezing point of snow and ice below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This creates a brine that is capable of melting the snow and ice.

In making your selection, there are several comparatives to consider. First, is your climate. Every area has its own levels of atmospheric moisture, snowfall averages, temperature extremes, etc. Second, is your budget and the amount of surface area you need to treat. Third, you must consider safety and environmental factors. Is simply melting the ice enough? Is traction or a color indicator important?

Concrete is porous and absorbs moisture. When you apply ice melt to concrete, the snow and ice melts, and the water is absorbed into the concrete. If the slush is not cleared away promptly, the slush can refreeze. This freeze/thaw cycle is a naturally occurring event that can put added pressure on concrete. To reduce freeze/thaw cycles and the risk of flaking, quickly remove the slush that results from the melted ice and snow. It is also important to note that each product has application instructions on the back of the packaging that should be read before use.

The effects of ice melters on the environment are a key concern for Scotwood Industries. We consistently review independent studies that focus on ensuring the safety of the environment and determining the proper chemical balance and safe use of all our products. That said, all of Scotwood Industries’ ice melters are safe to use around vegetation when the directions on the bag are followed.
Scotwood Industries’ Green Scapes is a good option for those who are concerned with the environment. It is composed of natural ingredients and has been proven to be gentler on vegetation.

The main purpose of a de-icer is to penetrate through the ice and snow and break the “bond” with the pavement. Pellets come in contact with a very small area of ice so it quickly bores downward to the surface. Flakes, on the other hand have a larger surface area, and penetrate more slowly due to the flatter surface.

Ice melt should not be applied to concrete that is less than one year old.

Planalytics Inc. is the singular global source of Business Weather Intelligence – providing companies with forecasting information they need to understand and optimize the impact of weather on their business. Scotwood Industries partners with Planalytics to ensure our customers the highest level of support both prior to, and during, the winter season.

Dust Control is a process where a liquid product is applied to an existing unpaved gravel or dirt road surface to reduce the amount of dust that becomes airborne from passing vehicles, wind erosion and aggregate loss. Road dust is made up of fine particles that are important to the stability of the road. These fines are small enough to pass through a No. 200 sieve and feel like powder when rubbed between your fingers. When fines blow away, the gravel road begins to break down and you can watch it “escape” in the form of dust. Traffic then scatters the coarser aggregate, causing potholes, ruts, washboards, loss of profile, loss of ditch lines, and other problems. Wetting the road surface helps to keep dust-related problems in check. Moisture helps fines adhere to each other and to aggregates, allowing for optimum compaction. Our product helps keep the fines from escaping, thereby holding the materials together and ON the road.

We use a chloride based (salt) brine. It is a water-based, odorless, colorless, non-flammable, non-toxic, environmentally friendly product. This product works by drawing and holding moisture from the air into the treated road surface, thereby reducing airborne dust. The moisture retained keeps the surface plastic enough so fines can migrate into gaps formed between aggregates under the varying pressure of car and truck traffic. In short, our product does the following:

• reduces the amount of gravel needed in construction and maintenance
• extends the service life of the gravel-wearing course, decreasing blading and shaping
• controls dust and reinforces stabilization
• helps improve roads when used over time.

Our spray trucks all employ a computerized, speed-controlled spray bar unit mounted on the rear of an 18- wheeler tanker truck that can spray the full width of your road at the appropriate application rate in a single pass. If your road/property cannot accommodate an 18-wheeler, please let us know when calling for your quote. Are there sharp curves or narrow intersections? Are there any side or overhead obstructions such as low hanging tree limbs or power lines to get in the way?

There are many variables in determining how long one application will last. They include: preparation of the road, application rate of the product, weather conditions, the type & quality of aggregate material on the road, traffic volume and general maintenance of the road. On a normally-traveled, unpaved road with good aggregate and good preparation (grading & watering), one application should last several weeks to several months and may last up to a full year. Treating the same area year after year, you will notice even better dust suppression due to the residual effects from the year before combined with the new treatment on the top surface.

There are many variables here as well. When this solution is first applied, the majority of dust will be suppressed. Depending on traffic flow and weather conditions, you may later notice some dust begin to kick up behind vehicles, but still significantly less than on an untreated road. “Dust” from a treated road is heavier and will fall back onto the surface of the road rather than hang in the air. Spraying your road down with even the garden hose will replace moisture in the road surface and will “reconstitute” the initial treatment for continued dust suppression.

Yes! Call the City, County, Township or Road Department that maintains your road, and tell them you plan to have dust control applied on your road and make sure you have permission to do so.

Make sure that the product(s) mentioned here are approved by the county for use on your public road.

And request that they prep your road prior to treatment and make sure you understand what their procedures are for maintaining the road after treatment. It is ideal if the road crews do not grade over the treatment, but please make sure you ask what their policies & procedures are.

You do not need to obtain permission or product approval for dust control treatment on private property or roads.

First, you are responsible for measuring the length & width of the portion of your road that you want treated. It is important to accurately measure both the width and length so your quote and treatment is appropriate for the actual area you want treated.

Second, you are responsible for marking your start and stop points clearly with flags and/or fluorescent paint. (Marker flags can be found at your local hardware store). NOTE: Some counties will put their own signage up to keep their graders from grading over your treatment later in the season; the county’s signs will be your markers when our driver comes to spray, so please make sure these signs are placed correctly for the distance you want.

Third, you are responsible for getting the designated area prepared by having it graded. Watering your road is also helpful.

• If the county/township/road dept. will be grading and/or watering, you are responsible for ensuring they will do this prior to treatment. We will notify the county of who is registered to coordinate scheduling for prep, but the request to the county/township/roads dept. needs to come from you, the resident.
• If you cannot get the City, County, Township or Road Department to do all or part of the preparation work, or if you are on a private road, you may need to hire someone to do all or part of the preparation work. Ideally, you will want to have your road graded & watered (watering is optional) within a 24-36 hour period prior to the dust control product being delivered and applied.

Depending on the condition of your road, it can make a little difference or a big difference. The smoother the road is when treatment is applied, the more evenly and deeply the product will absorb into the aggregate and the longer it will last

Not grading to smooth out the road can limit the effectiveness of the product and severely shorten the life span of the dust control treatment, especially if there are divots, potholes or similar unevenness

Not watering the road can slow the absorption process, especially in very dry conditions; but if there is enough moisture already in the ground from rainfall, pre-wetting may not always be critical. Some counties do not pre-wet roads before we apply dust control. You will want to discuss this with your county/township/road department if you have concerns.

We do require a minimum continuous spray length of 300 feet, but you may need to treat more depending on how much road frontage you want to control the dust on

Property owners who live on the same road will sometimes join together to form a group and treat longer distances on one registration form. For instance, if you have 200’ of frontage and your neighbor has an additional 200’, you may combine your registration so that the minimum requirement is met.

• If you are able to form a group of property owners on your road, please appoint one person to be your group spokesperson and our contact person to help coordinate preparation work, scheduling of a delivery date, collection of all monies and making payment to Scotwood.

Please email bross@scotwoodindustries.com or call us for a quote prior to sending in your application and payment. The width of your road (or the width you want treated) will determine your running foot price and the running foot length will determine your total cost. We do add tax as required for your county and the price we quote for this year will include said tax.
Please also note, payment and registration must be received before the deadline to guarantee your placement on a truck for dust control treatment. If received after that date, you may be placed on a waiting list. If we still have availability on a truck going to your area, we will notify you and process payment as normal. If we do not have availability, we will return your payment to you. The best way to make sure you get a spot on the truck is to send your payment and registration well before your county deadline.

We accept Visa, MasterCard & American Express. Checks should be made payable to Scotwood Industries LLC.

Please mail payment WITH YOUR REGISTRATION FORM to:

Scotwood Industries LLC

12980 Metcalf Ave., Suite 240

Overland Park, KS 66213

If requested, a receipt will be mailed to you for your records after your road has been treated.

Our goal is to apply your dust control as early as we are able. Typically, treatment of roads begins in the first part of June. This can be earlier or later depending on several factors. Your treatment will be scheduled according to your county’s requested notice for preparation, spray truck availability, and weather conditions. We will contact you via email or phone to advise you when your treatment is scheduled as the carrier dates become available

Rain CAN delay us at the “last minute”. We don’t want to spray when there is standing or running water on the surface we are treating. The ground being damp/moist IS a big plus for product absorption, however. Standing or running water will carry the product OFF the road surface during application and/or until absorbed into the road. Please know that we do keep a close eye on the weather and forecasts and our carriers are trained to know when the rain is too much for application to absorb correctly. In this case, we will need to hold the truck for better conditions.

Please call us to obtain a quote for this year’s order. Once received, please be sure to fill out completely, read and initial each point on the application, and provide any special instructions that our carrier needs to be aware of when he begins to apply your dust control.

When registration ends, we will begin building the individual trucks for each area. Once we have your property scheduled, we will contact you via email or phone to advise you of the date

You may also call the Liquid Division at 800-844-2022 or 573-303-7711 or email: bross@scotwoodindustries.com.

Call 800-844-2022 for a list of locations in your area.

Yes, SWI can adjust to any formula used in the industry.

No, SWI has the ability to produce 2000# totes or make bulk deliveries.

Feel free to call 800-844-2022 and ask for Aaron Bowers. Or email Aaron at abowers@scotwoodindustries.com