How to Remove Ice on a Driveway

Walking in a winter wonderland is all well and good until we're confronted with the task of removing it from our driveways. Although snow can usually be shoveled away with relative ease (excluding the back pain that follows, of course), ice can be a little trickier to eliminate. Many options are available, but here are some tried-and-true ideas that continue to stand up to the cold.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Make your shovel more user-friendly by adding floor wax to it before starting on your ice-packed driveway. The slickness will help the shovel glide through snow and ice and prevent snow from adhering to the shovel.
2. Apply rock salt to your driveway for an inexpensive way to help melt away the ice.
3. Use calcium chloride pellets to melt ice at lower temperatures than rock salt.
4. Choose potassium chloride when it's not as frigid outdoors and temperatures are above 15 degrees F. It is less harmful than some of its fellow deicers.
5. Remove ice using another kind of deicing product known as magnesium chloride. It removes ice at extremely low temperatures and is better for the environment because it releases less chloride than other salt deicers. Additionally, it is less harmful to plants, concrete and other surfaces than some of the other options.
6. Melt away ice using a hand-held propane torch. These multifunctional units are also good for killing weeds and insects, so it will prove useful all year round.
7. Eliminate driveway ice in the luxury of your own home by having an electric driveway heating system installed. True, this option is the priciest yet, but it may be worth it to avoid the many cold hours spent outside shoveling snow and ice.

Tips & Warnings

• Prevent damaging ice build-up by applying a product called "Bare Ground" prior to a heavy snowfall or ice storm. This preventative treatment helps stop ice from forming on your driveway.
• Use sand to create traction on an icy driveway. Don't expect it to actually melt the ice, though.
• Rock salt and other chemical deicers can be damaging to metal and concrete and harmful to plants, so be cautious when using them for ice removal.
• Be careful when handling calcium chloride, since doing so can cause skin irritation.
• Magnesium chloride has been shown to corrode aluminum and steel over time, so use it with caution around these types of metal surfaces.
• Avoid using chemical deicers altogether if your driveway is comprised of new or poor-quality concrete. Try one of the chemical-free options instead.

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