How to Use Sand to Deice Driveway

Driveways can be downright danger zones in the winter whether they are on a slope or on level ground. Many accidents occur on slick and slippery driveways including severe head trauma, back trauma and spinal cord injuries. To prevent such a scenario from happening to a member of your family or a visiting neighbor, maintaining your driveway is an important chore during the snowy months. The following article will instruct you on how to use sand to de-ice your driveway.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sand
• Shovel

Buy Sand to De-ice Your Driveway

1. Wear the right clothes: Non-slip soled boots are needed to work with the sand when you arrive home to avoid slip and fall accidents from occurring. Wear work-gloves to prevent blisters forming on your hands from all the shoveling and hard work that you are about to embark upon. FYI: Using sand to de-ice your driveway will not hurt trees, plants or shrubs, pets or the environment, so it is a good choice for the job.

2. Purchase the sand. Buy the sand from your local hardware store for de-icing your driveway; either haul it home yourself or have it delivered.

3. Stack the sandbags: Stack the bags in the driveway and split them open using the end of your shovel; as you are doing so dig in and get the first shovelful of sand and toss it over the icy driveway. Repeat action until you have finished using all the sand in the first sandbag; grab a second bag, split it open and start scattering shovelfuls of sand all over the rest of the driveway.

4. Gather empty sandbags: Gather and discard the empty sandbags. The sand will take a short time to melt the ice. Be cautious about walking on the icy driveway even after sanding as accidents happen when we least expect them.

Tips & Warnings

• If your driveway faces south, then you will experience a vast decrease in the amount of time it takes to melt the ice in your driveway.