Ueli Knobel, graduate engineer/specialist journalist BR, in conversation with the long-serving road warden of the municipality of Muotathal.
For over ten years, Franz Schmidig has been using SNO-N-ICE in addition to road salt and grit to ensure that the village population and visitors can walk safely on snow and ice.
In summer and winter, you have to maintain 35 kilometres of roads and paths as well as a large number of squares and steps. What methods do you use to combat ice?
For our roads and paths, we use de-icing salt and grit - for exposed and heavily used pedestrian areas such as church and school squares, steps, but also for the path to the convent, we apply SNO-N-ICE.
How long have you been using SNO-N-ICE?
(After a moment's thought) It's been a good ten years now. Before that, we used the "flaking agent" (calcium chloride) at low temperatures, but it was aggressive and kept attacking the concrete.
Franz Schmidig
How did you find out about SNO-N-ICE?
Well, it was quite a long time ago now and I don't remember every detail. At some point, a salesman drew my attention to a "new type of de-icing agent" and I must have been a little sceptical about him and the "new type of de-icing agent". He then left a sample behind - and I finally tried it out.
...and had a positive experience with it?
Yes, I was pleasantly surprised by the product and was soon completely convinced. In particular, because I received positive feedback from the saint of the church and the school caretaker that no more "dirt" was being carried into the houses. In the past, road salt always left "white marks" - this was now a thing of the past. And what I also noticed was that the new product no longer attacked the concrete.
Which concrete are you talking about?
I'm talking about our "little walls" and cemetery steps. In the past, the concrete used to "flake off" due to the use of de-icing agents. Today we have peace and quiet thanks to SNO-N-ICE.
Are there any other reasons for switching to SNO-N-ICE?
We often have low temperatures in the valley, around -10° Celsius, and we have icing. This is because the sun doesn't shine in our village for over two months. The rear part of the valley is even in the shade for up to four months. This means that icing occurs again and again. For example, in front of the school building or the church. We had to do something about it. The risk of icing could only be eliminated unsatisfactorily with grit. An open space is of course better.
Is SNO-N-ICE also used for carriageways and paths?
As already mentioned, many of our roads are in the shade and are therefore prone to icing. And because normal road salt only remains reasonably effective down to around -10 °C, we mix the road salt with SNON-ICE. One bag of SNO-N-ICE is added to three bags of road salt, which is very effective. In our experience, SNO-N-ICE has a much greater long-term effect than conventional de-icing salt. This is also very convenient for us in manual gritting, as we have to go out less often.
Were there any reactions from the public to the pink de-icing agent?
Of course, people initially asked: "What's that? That's not salt, is it?" But they soon realised for themselves what advantages this "new type of product" has to offer. Today, many commercial and private customers also "swear by" SNO-NICE.
In which distribution do you use SNO-N-ICE?
We buy SNO-N-ICE in 25 kg bags, by the pallet. I know that you can also buy SNON-ICE loose. But this is not (yet) an issue for us.
Have you already recommended SNO-N-ICE to colleagues in other municipalities?
As I am convinced of the product myself, I have already recommended it several times. And I will continue to do so. The quality of the product is undisputed. It does what it promises. And we all wouldn't want to be without it.
Thank you very much for the interview.
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