Skip to content

Rock salt guide: Prepare for winter with Hills Quarry Products

Share to:

When temperatures drop and frost begins to bite, keeping driveways, car parks, paths, and public spaces safe becomes a top priority.

At Hills Quarry Products, we supply high-quality white and brown de-icing rock salt to help businesses, local authorities, and homeowners stay winter-ready with confidence.

Whether you’re stocking up for seasonal maintenance or responding to sudden cold snaps, understanding which rock salt to choose, and why, can make all the difference.

Below is your complete guide to rock salt, its benefits, and why it’s essential for effective winter safety management.

Snow rock salt
Hills Quarry Product, Rock salt

Stay winter-ready. Order your rock salt today.

Don’t wait for frost to strike. Prepare now with the right de-icing materials and ensure your premises stay safe, accessible and fully operational throughout the colder months.

Contact Hills Quarry Products today for competitive pricing and fast delivery of white or brown rock salt.

Types of rock salt: White vs brown

Choosing between white and brown rock salt depends on where and how you plan to use it. Both offer excellent de-icing performance but serve slightly different purposes.

Brown rock salt (traditional road grit)

Brown rock salt is the UK’s most widely used de-icer, particularly on roads and highways.

Because brown salt contains natural impurities, it leaves a small residue, often welcomed for added grip but less suitable for areas where cleanliness matters.

Key features:

  • Conforms to BS3247:2011, the British Standard for de-icing salt
  • Contains 5–8% naturally occurring grit particles, helping to improve tyre and foot traction
  • Treated with an anti-caking agent for easy spreading
  • Cost-effective and ideal for large, outdoor areas
Brown rock salt

Best for…

Roads

Motorways

Car parks

Industrial yards

White rock salt

White rock salt (clean & high-purity de-icing salt)

White rock salt is cleaner, brighter, and almost 100% pure sodium chloride, harvested sustainably from marine sources around the Mediterranean Sea.

White salt is the preferred choice when aesthetics and cleanliness are important, with no muddy residue left behind.

Benefits of white de-icing salt:

  • Leaves minimal residue, keeping walkways and entrances clean
  • Free-flowing and ideal for use in spreaders
  • Contains graded particle sizes for even coverage
  • Conforms to BS3247:2011
  • Each particle contributes directly to rapid ice melting due to high purity

Best for…

Schools

Hospitals

Retail parks

Footpaths

Product spotlight: Tarmac meltaway rock salt

For fast-acting winter protection, Tarmac meltaway rock salt delivers reliable performance:

Features & benefits:

  • Quickly dissolves ice and snow for instant grip and safety
  • Effective in sub-zero temperatures
  • Perfect for driveways, paths, steps, and car parks
  • Simple to scatter by hand or spreader system

This makes it an excellent all-round solution for households and commercial premises looking to improve winter resilience.

Tarmac meltaway rock salt
Hills Shorncote Filming 15 May-13

Why choose Hills Quarry Products?

  • Reliable winter stock availability
  • Bulk bags, loose loads, and smaller quantities to suit any requirement
  • High-quality, BS3247-compliant white and brown rock salt
  • Trusted by local authorities, developers, facilities managers and homeowners
  • Fast delivery across the region

Whether de-icing a small pathway or maintaining a busy commercial estate, Hills Quarry Products has the right rock salt to keep your site safe all winter

Stay winter-ready. Order your rock salt today.

Don’t wait for frost to strike. Prepare now with the right de-icing materials and ensure your premises stay safe, accessible and fully operational throughout the colder months.

Contact Hills Quarry Products today for competitive pricing and fast delivery of white or brown rock salt.

Other News

Sign up for news updates

Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox.


Hills Quarry Truck
Contact Us

Monday to Friday: 07:00 – 17:00 

Head Office 

Hills Quarry Products Limited,
Wiltshire House, County Park Business Centre
Shrivenham Road, Swindon
SN1 2NR

© 2025 Hills Group