Five Reasons to Choose Traction Sand

Old Man Winter will be here in full swing before we know it. Now is the time to have all winter essentials ready before the first big storm comes. This includes having winter tires on your car, a snow shovel on hand, and making sure you can get a grip on icy surfaces with traction sand.

Here are five great reasons to choose traction sand to get a grip this winter:

Add ballast weight to your vehicle

A great choice for ballast is traction sand because you can add or remove it as you please. Ballast is generally most appropriate for trucks, and the bags can easily be placed above the rear wheels. The extra weight will help you gain traction in winter conditions.

Conquer icy surfaces

A report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information states that in 2016-2017, over 8,800 Canadians were hospitalized for falls on ice. One way to help prevent a fall is to make sure there is something on top of the ice to provide traction.

Traction sand will not melt ice. Salt melts ice, but it begins to lose its effectiveness to melt ice at around -9 C, according to an article on HowStuffWorks. You can conquer icy surfaces in any temperature by using traction sand in various areas around your home, such as your driveway, walkways and steps.

Environmentally-friendly

Sand is a natural product, free from chlorides and other harmful chemicals. It will not contaminate or pollute our rivers, lakes or groundwater and drinking water. It also will not damage your landscaping, gardens or stain carpets if tracked inside your homes or cars.

Safe to use around children and pets

Some products that are used to melt ice around your home can harm your children and pets if they ingest it. While we do not recommend that your children or pets should consume traction sand, the odds of it making them sick are relatively low. We recommend that you wipe off pets paws after they come in from outside so that sand is not carried throughout your home.

Made from local materials

Sand suppliers are quite often regional so local materials are generally being used. At Shaw Resources, our high quality traction sand is sourced locally in Hants County, Nova Scotia. Our 18 kg traction sand is a non-dried product, and our 22 kg traction sand is dried. Our traction sand is also available in bulk.

As long as traction sand is spread over ice or packed snow, it will provide the necessary traction needed to help prevent a slip. These products are available at select building supply stores and gas stations throughout Atlantic Canada.

Have a safe winter from all of us at Shaw Resources.