Winter weather brings a lot of changes to our daily lives. And here in Grande Prairie, the impact of those changes can extend for a long duration. Extended periods of cold and dark make people spend more time indoors, as road safety can be a problem. But we all still need to go about and get our business done.
While our city government has effective procedures in place for the maintenance of our roads, improving safety and continued traffic efficiency, this work gets done on a strict schedule, and roads such as major arterials receive priority. If you own commercial property, especially in a residential or rural area, then heavy snowfall might pose a major disruption to your business.
Here are some solutions you can deploy to manage snow and ice around your property.
Snow removal
The pile-up of snow outside your establishment can be a major nuisance with unpleasant effects on your business – and those of any tenants you may have. No one likes to walk for long in the snow, and passersby will naturally avoid the areas with heavy build-up. Parking spaces can be rendered completely unusable. None of this is good for business.
Your employees may be able to remove snow using the tried-and-tested method of shoveling manually. But if this is a frequent issue, it could be well worth the savings in time and effort to employ the services of a commercial snow plow or blower. Winters are long here in Grande Prairie, and you’ll be thankful for the cleanup on multiple occasions each year.
Salt and brine
The application of road salt is a common form of ice control, and part of our local government’s safety methods as well. When you take your vehicle out on the road in winter, moisture from previous rain, fog, or snow can freeze onto the pavement. This greatly reduces traction and leads to skidding and a high risk of accidents. But the frozen layer of ice can also be difficult to remove.
Salt mixes with water to lower the freezing point. A solution of salt in the water of around 23% by weight creates brine. When applied to frozen roads, this breaks down into a slushy mix of ice and brine, which facilitates removal. For a proactive approach, you can try to apply salt on the paved surfaces outside your establishment, including parking lots, before an expected storm. This keeps the surface free of ice and safe to traverse for a longer time, and any ice formed will be easier to remove as well.
Abrasives
Several materials can be spread as abrasives, giving better traction over a short period. Materials such as rough sand, crushed gravel or rock, chips, sawdust, and the like, all work as abrasives and may be easily available as byproducts of local businesses. Applying abrasives can be a perfect short term solution if your area has low usage and isn’t on the priority list for the city’s snow cleanup service.
Dealing with snow and ice here in Grande Prairie is something we all grow accustomed to, even in our homes. But sometimes, as a business owner, you do have to take matters into your hands to ensure the safety of your area, and these methods are easy and cost-effective solutions when you need them.
