Salt Is Cheap. Your Property Isn't.
Every winter, millions of tonnes of rock salt get dumped on Canadian roads, driveways, walkways, and parking lots. It melts ice. It's cheap. And it systematically destroys everything it touches.
Monster Plowing Company made the decision years ago to stop using traditional road salt entirely. Every property we service — residential, commercial, condo — gets treated with ClearLane Enhanced Deicer by Cargill. It costs more. We use it anyway. Here's why.
What Rock Salt Actually Does to Your Property
Concrete Damage
Salt accelerates freeze-thaw cycles in concrete. Water seeps into pores, salt lowers the freezing point unevenly, and the repeated expansion and contraction causes spalling — that flaking, pitting surface damage you see on driveways, sidewalks, and garage floors every spring. Over time, salt can cut the lifespan of concrete surfaces in half.
Plant and Turf Damage
Salt-laden meltwater runs off hardscapes and pools along lawn edges, garden beds, and tree bases. Sodium chloride draws moisture out of plant cells, burns roots, and changes soil chemistry. The brown, dead strips of grass you see along sidewalks every spring? That's salt damage. The shrubs that mysteriously die on the side facing the driveway? Salt.
Waterway Contamination
Toronto's storm drains don't go to a treatment plant. They go directly to Lake Ontario. Every grain of salt applied to a parking lot or sidewalk eventually washes into the same water system the city drinks from. Environment Canada has classified road salt as toxic to aquatic ecosystems. It's not a theoretical concern — chloride levels in Toronto-area waterways have been rising for decades.
Metal Corrosion
Railings, door frames, vehicle undercarriages, building infrastructure — salt corrodes all of it. The rust streaks running down concrete walls from metal railings? Salt. The accelerated undercarriage rot on vehicles parked in salted lots? Salt. It's a compounding cost that most property managers don't attribute correctly because the damage is slow and diffuse.
What Monster Uses Instead
Monster Plowing Company uses ClearLane Enhanced Deicer by Cargill — an EPA-designated Safer Choice product. It's a treated deicer that delivers the same ice-melting performance as rock salt with dramatically less damage.
- 84% less corrosive than standard rock salt
- Pre-wetted formulation — activates faster, works at lower temperatures
- Less scatter — stays where it's applied instead of bouncing off hardscapes
- Reduced application rates — less product needed per square foot
- EPA Safer Choice — independently verified for reduced environmental impact
It's not a gimmick product. ClearLane is used by municipalities, airports, and commercial operators across North America. It works.
How It's Applied
ClearLane is applied automatically after every snow clearing and for all freezing events — including freezing rain, ice storms, and overnight freeze cycles where no snow falls but surfaces become dangerous.
- After every plow/clearing — standard post-service application
- Freezing events without snowfall — proactive treatment for black ice and freezing rain
- Included in flat-rate packages — unlimited applications, no per-visit surcharges
You don't get a surprise bill because it iced over three times in one week. The deicer is part of the service.
The Cost Difference
ClearLane costs more than rock salt. Significantly more. Monster absorbs that cost because the alternative — using cheap salt and watching clients' concrete, landscaping, and infrastructure deteriorate — isn't a business we want to run.
Think of it this way: a bag of rock salt is cheap. Replacing a spalled concrete walkway is $5,000 to $15,000. Replanting salt-burned landscaping is $2,000 to $8,000. The math isn't close.
700+ Clients. 85% Renewal Rate.
Monster Plowing services over 700 seasonal clients across the GTA with an 85% renewal rate. Clients stay because Monster protects their properties — not just clears them. Eco-friendly deicing is one of the reasons, but it's part of a bigger commitment: do the job right, use the right materials, and treat client properties like your own.
Already a Monster Property Services Summer Client?
If Monster already maintains your property in the summer, adding winter coverage is seamless. Same account, same portal, same team that knows your property. Ask about bundled summer + winter pricing — many clients save by consolidating with one provider year-round.
Winter service is provided through Monster Plowing Company (monsterplow.ca), our winter operations brand.
Ready to protect your property this winter? Request a winter quote or call (647) 749-0091.