Why does black ice keep forming on Ajax driveways?
Ajax winters are built for ice. The east GTA typically sees 105-120 cm of snow across roughly 15-25 plowable events, and between those events the temperature crosses zero again and again. Snow melts in the afternoon sun, water runs across your driveway, and it refreezes after dark as a thin, nearly invisible glaze.
That is black ice, and it forms in predictable places: the shaded side of the driveway, the apron where the plow windrow melted during the day, and the front steps where dripping eaves refreeze overnight. A perfectly cleared driveway can still be a skating rink by 6am if nobody treats it.
What do we apply, and where?
We use a pet-safe, kid-safe calcium chloride blend on every walking surface: the driveway, your front walkway, and the steps. Calcium chloride keeps melting well below minus 25 C, while regular rock salt loses most of its punch around minus 7 C, which matters during a Durham Region cold snap.
It also works at lower application rates than straight rock salt, so there is less residue on boots, paws, and interlock. If you have a dog that crosses the driveway ten times a day, our pet-safe ice melt guide explains what to look for on any product label.
No steel blades, measured salt
Driveways are cleared with a commercial two-stage snow blower on adjustable skid shoes, never a steel truck-plow blade, and de-icer goes down at measured rates rather than by the bucketful. Your interlock and asphalt come through winter the way they went in.
When do we salt?
Salt clients get a de-icing application after every snow event, immediately after the driveway is cleared. Ice does not wait for snow, though, so we also come out on freezing-rain days and ice-only days when there is nothing to shovel at all.
Our route is capped at roughly 30-35 driveways, so ice-day visits happen before the morning commute, not after it. Here is how an ice-only day works.
- Watch.We track Environment Canada freezing rain warnings and overnight refreeze conditions across North Ajax.
- Treat.The calcium chloride blend goes down on your driveway, walkway, and steps before the morning rush.
- Prove.A time-stamped photo lands on your phone after every visit, ice days included.
Which ice events call for which response?
Not all ice is the same, and treating every event the same way either wastes product or leaves you exposed. Here is how we match the response to the conditions.
| Ice event | What you see | Our response |
|---|---|---|
| Freezing rain | A glaze coats the driveway, car, and steps with no snow to clear | Salt-only visit for salt clients, even at 0 cm of snowfall |
| Overnight refreeze | Daytime meltwater turns to black ice at the apron and shaded edges | De-icer applied ahead of the freeze, with extra passes under Total Winter Care |
| Snap freeze after snow | Cleared pavement flash-freezes as temperatures crash | Calcium chloride down right after clearing, effective below minus 25 C |
| Drifting snow | Wind redeposits snow that packs into ice underfoot | Return pass, with multiple same-day passes in blizzard conditions around 20 cm |
What is the risk of leaving ice untreated?
Under Ontario's Occupiers' Liability Act, homeowners owe visitors reasonable care, and visitors include delivery drivers, letter carriers, and the neighbour dropping off a parcel. Since 2021, anyone injured in a snow or ice fall generally must give written notice of a claim within 60 days, but claims still happen, and an untreated sheet of ice on your walkway is a hard thing to defend.
We are not lawyers and will not pretend to be. What we can do is keep your walking surfaces treated all winter and hand you a record: we are insured, with every visit photo-documented, so there is a time-stamped trail showing the surface was cleared and salted.
How much does de-icing cost in Ajax?
The most popular option is the Driveway + Salt seasonal package at $849, which pairs unlimited clearing at a 5 cm trigger with salting after every event and coverage on ice-only days, Nov 1 to Mar 31. Total Winter Care at $1,199 upgrades that to unlimited de-icing, so long freeze-thaw stretches get extra applications at no charge, plus sidewalk and boulevard treatment and first-on-route priority.
Already on the base Driveway Clear package? Add salting for $150 for the season, or request it visit by visit at $35 per application when freezing rain is in the forecast. Full numbers are in the pricing section, and our Ajax snow removal cost guide breaks down what each option covers.
Book before Oct 15 and the $75 early-bird discount applies, with your rate locked in for next winter. If you are weighing a full-season commitment, our seasonal contract guide explains how the Nov 1 to Mar 31 term works and what every package includes.
Questions about salting & de-icing
Is the de-icer you use safe for pets and kids?
Yes. We apply a pet-safe, kid-safe calcium chloride blend on every walking surface we treat: driveway, front walkway, and steps. It works at lower application rates than straight rock salt, which means less residue on paws and boots. As with any de-icer, wiping your dog's paws after a walk is still a good habit, and our pet-safe ice melt guide covers what to check on any product you buy yourself.
Do you salt on days when it does not snow?
For salt clients, yes. Freezing rain and overnight refreezes create ice without a single flake falling, so Driveway + Salt and Total Winter Care clients get treated on ice-only days, not just after snowfalls. Clearing visits are triggered at 5 cm of snow, but ice response runs on the weather, not a ruler. You still get a time-stamped photo after every ice-day visit.
Will de-icer damage my interlock or asphalt driveway?
Calcium chloride is gentler on hard surfaces than heavy applications of regular rock salt, and we apply it at measured rates rather than dumping it. We also never run steel truck-plow blades on residential driveways; clearing is done with a two-stage snow blower on adjustable skid shoes, with steps finished by hand. If you have concrete poured within the last year, mention it when booking, since new concrete is sensitive to any de-icer.
How much does driveway salting cost in Ajax?
A single salt application is $35 per visit. If you are on the base Driveway Clear package, a full season of salting can be added for $150. The Driveway + Salt package is $849 for Nov 1 to Mar 31 and includes salting after every event plus ice-day coverage, and Total Winter Care at $1,199 includes unlimited de-icing along with sidewalk and boulevard treatment.
What temperature does calcium chloride work down to?
Our calcium chloride blend keeps melting ice well below minus 25 C, and it starts working on contact because it releases heat as it dissolves. Regular rock salt slows dramatically around minus 7 C, which is exactly the range Ajax hits during a January cold snap. That gap is the main reason we chose calcium chloride for driveways and walkways instead of plain road salt.
Am I liable if someone slips on ice on my property?
Ontario's Occupiers' Liability Act expects homeowners to take reasonable care so that visitors, including delivery drivers and letter carriers, are reasonably safe. Since 2021, injured people generally must give written notice of a snow or ice claim within 60 days. We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice, but keeping walkways treated and keeping a photo record of each visit is a sensible layer of protection.