How to Dissolve Ice on a Porch

Keep friends and family safe by keeping ice off your porch.

It is easy to remove ice from a porch using basic tools and ice-melt chemicals. Smaller patches of ice are usually easier to remove than large sheets, so clearing a porch will be a smaller chore than clearing a driveway. Choose your porch-clearing methods carefully. Wooden porches can be damaged by heavy blows from shovels. Concrete surfaces can be damaged by ice-melt chemicals, particularly rock salt. When tools or ice-melt aren't available, a layer of sand will add traction without damaging your porch.

Things You'll Need

• English-style shovel (flat edged, rectangular blade)
• Snow shovel
• Rock salt or other ice-melt chemical
• Coarse sand

Instructions

1. Carefully remove the snow with the snow shovel if the porch is covered by snow. Snow on top of ice is more dangerous than ice alone. Also, snow will reduce the effects of any ice-melt that is applied.

2. Follow the instructions on the package and apply the ice-melt evenly over the ice, starting at one end of the porch. Allow the ice-melt to work for five to ten minutes.

3. Use the English shovel to chop at the edges of the ice and work your way in. Use quick, short chops to break the ice into small chunks.

4. Shovel the ice chunks off the porch after chopping the ice into chunks. Avoid damaging wooden surfaces, door mats or other items on the porch.

5. Spread sand on the cleared area to increase traction once the porch is clear. Sand will not melt the ice, but it won't damage concrete or wood and can be rinsed away after a thaw.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use rock salt or other ice-melt chemicals on new or damaged concrete. These products increase the frequency of the thaw-freeze cycle that can break up concrete. New installations are particularly vulnerable to this damage.

• Sturdy shoes or boots with good traction are essential. Landing a misplaced chop on your foot will smart, but slipping and falling down stairs can be deadly.

• Chopping with a metal blade, such as a shovel, can damage a wooden floor. Ice-melt and sand will do the job and can be easily rinsed off later.

References

• Ask the Builder; Deicing Salts and Concrete; Tim Carter
• The Organic Gardener; What Makes Your Garden Spade Do More Work
• City of Philadelphia; Salting Tips