How-to Cures for Icy Driveways

Packed, melted snow or rain can cause icy, dangerous driveways.

The winter months bring cold temperatures, snow and ice. The ice may look pretty when it covers the bare tree branches. When it coats your driveways, though, it's not a pretty sight. The ice can make your vehicle slip and slide every time you drive in and out. Thick ice can prevent you from even getting in and out of your property. Springtime comes eventually; you want to make sure you get there safely.

Things You'll Need

• Gloves
• Rock salt
• Snow shovel
• Calcium chloride
• Potassium chloride
• Magnesium chloride
• Wood ash or sand

Instructions

1. Spread sodium chloride on the icy places in your driveway. Known more commonly as rock salt, It works in temperatures as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow the rock salt to set for 30 minutes. Clear the resulting slush away with a shovel.

2. Apply calcium chloride pellets, which thaws ice faster than rock salt. Calcium chloride works in temperatures well below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Choose potassium chloride as a cure for icy driveways when the temperature is 15 degrees Fahrenheit or above. While considered to be safer for pets and vegetation, potassium chloride is not as effective in melting ice as other chemicals you can use.

4. Spread magnesium chloride to melt driveways when the temperature is as low as 13 degrees below zero. The benefits of magnesium chloride are that It works more quickly than potassium chloride, and it is not as toxic as other chemicals.

5. Spread generous amounts of sand or cooled-down wood ash on ice. Neither actually melts ice, but both provide traction for vehicles or foot traffic. Wood ash and sand work in all temperatures.

Tips & Warnings

• Use chemical deicers sparingly. Using more than is needed doesn't speed up the thawing process.

• Wear thick waterproof gloves when applying deicers in order to protect your hands from harmful chemicals.

• Deicing salts can severely damage concrete that wasn't mixed, installed or finished properly. Avoid using deicing salts on concrete that's less than 1 year old.

• Rock salt releases the most chloride as it melts. Chloride can pollute waterways, damage grass and other vegetation, and corrode metal.

• Don't use fertilizers to thaw ice on driveways. Ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate can

• damage concrete.

• Check the warnings on deicer containers before you buy.

References

• Ask the Builder: Deicing Salts and Concrete
• Reader's Digest: De-Icing Your Driveway the Right Way