Ice Melters: what a pain!

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Ice Melters: what a pain!
Topic Started: Jan 3 2017, 01:55 PM (380 Views)
Tipacanoe	Jan 3 2017, 01:55 PM Post #1
Blue Star Member Posts: 1,255 Group: Member Member #758 Joined: May 9, 2010	http://mark-cullen.blogspot.ca/2011/01/salt-alternatives.html We have been using Alaskan Premium from CostCo for a couple years. My wife curses it cuz it tracks in like crazy. Altho it works fast, it doesn't last eg over night. Salt may be best for us. But I have a huge bag of Alaskan to use up. Tomorrow, it will rain like crazy. Then we get more ice! Dreaming of the Carolinas!



Calm	Jan 3 2017, 02:37 PM Post #2
Small Star Member Posts: 738 Group: Member Member #1,386 Joined: December 19, 2016	The big hassle I got is that my hundred foot driveway is covered in some very small rocks. When I chip ice away or remove frozen snow, the small rocks stick to the bottom of the snow/ice. After the snow melts, I got a huge pile of gravel rocks all along my lawn surface next to the driveway because that is where I shoveled the snow/ice to. Calm Edited by Calm, Jan 3 2017, 02:39 PM.



Dialtone	Jan 3 2017, 02:58 PM Post #3
Gold Star Member Posts: 7,190 Group: Member Member #721 Joined: April 1, 2010	3 Halloweens ago, we had freezing rain warnings and it arrived just as the kids were coming. I rushed out and bought a couple large jugs of ice melter from Home Hardware . I put it on our walkways and it did the trick pretty quick, unfortunately it also caused the cement to scale off in small pieces wherever it was spread. I should have read the fine print, which said to sweep off surfaces after use as it can damage the cement. Lesson learned.



wildie	Jan 3 2017, 03:26 PM Post #4
Veteran Member Posts: 12,173 Group: Member Member #442 Joined: October 11, 2006	Calm Jan 3 2017, 02:37 PM The big hassle I got is that my hundred foot driveway is covered in some very small rocks. When I chip ice away or remove frozen snow, the small rocks stick to the bottom of the snow/ice. After the snow melts, I got a huge pile of gravel rocks all along my lawn surface next to the driveway because that is where I shoveled the snow/ice to. Calm When I lived at Grand Bend in a rural area, I had the same problem. The solution was to have the drive paved!



Trotsky	Jan 4 2017, 02:16 AM Post #5
Big City Boy Posts: 38,319 Group: Member Member #79 Joined: September 8, 2005	I hate these "ice melters" <first time I ever heard them called that.> Nearly all of them are primarily Calcium Chloride (although many salts act the same way) which is both hygroscopic and deliquescent. So you throw the stuff on a pavement and it melts ice but it continues to dilute itself by absorbing water from moist air. The surface remains wet and salty for DAYS until the crap is washed away. Not only does it remain a slop to walk in but days later a really big temperature drop causes the wet area (which would long ago have dried naturally) to freeze into ice again. ANd yes, they destroy shoes, car undercarriages, concrete, and kill city trees and even destroy doggie foot pads. Whoever invented this stupid idea should have pounds of the stuff rammed into all his orifices until he explodes. We are having gentle rain for the last two days and temperatures in the 40's. No complaints. Edited by Trotsky, Jan 4 2017, 02:18 AM.



Olive Oil	Jan 4 2017, 04:25 AM Post #6
Gold Star Member Posts: 4,747 Group: Member Member #785 Joined: June 10, 2010	I buy bags of grit which seems safer for the environment and for my critters if any is tracked in. When the snow melts, it's easy just to sweep into the grass. Edited by Olive Oil, Jan 4 2017, 04:26 AM.



Dialtone	Jan 4 2017, 04:27 AM Post #7
Gold Star Member Posts: 7,190 Group: Member Member #721 Joined: April 1, 2010	Trotsky Jan 4 2017, 02:16 AM We are having gentle rain for the last two days and temperatures in the 40's. No complaints. If you want a change, come to the city of Red Deer AB north of me, the temperature is starting to rise, it was lower earlier on this morning. Check out the wind chills .. yikes. Attached to this post: red_deer_jan_3_2017.jpg (78.67 KB)



campy	Jan 6 2017, 04:17 AM Post #8
Handyman Extraordinaire Posts: 28,720 Group: no politics Member #204 Joined: February 2, 2006	Olive Oil Jan 4 2017, 04:25 AM I buy bags of grit which seems safer for the environment and for my critters if any is tracked in. When the snow melts, it's easy just to sweep into the grass. That's the proper way to go. As long as you can walk safely that's the ticket. You don't have to melt anything and if it does track in it's easy to vacuum up and doesn't do any damage to the rugs. I go to an industrial supplier and buy a bag of what is called Floor Dry. They use it for drying up oil spills. It's just grit mined from the Nevada desert. A diatomeceous earth. And it's very handy in the garden. The insects hate it.



Trotsky	Jan 6 2017, 06:02 AM Post #9
Big City Boy Posts: 38,319 Group: Member Member #79 Joined: September 8, 2005	As a kid when we had a coal boiler, there was always a steady supply of ashes to spread on ice. GOod for getting a car out too.



Delphi51	Jan 6 2017, 07:52 AM Post #10
Member title Posts: 13,967 Group: Administration Member #441 Joined: October 10, 2006	Thanks for the grit idea. I use sand quite a bit but it is not so nice when tracked into the house. Another idea is raking. If the walkway is raked in the evening as temperatures are falling below zero ice can be scratched into a rough surface with considerable traction. I read recently that there is an attempt to make boots with better traction popular. Apparently the only ones available now are ridiculously expensive. They use rubber from the winter tire industry or grit imbedded in the soles so the cost shouldn't be very high. Just a matter of persuading the (southern) makers of boots that there is demand for such a product.



campy	Jan 6 2017, 11:24 AM Post #11
Handyman Extraordinaire Posts: 28,720 Group: no politics Member #204 Joined: February 2, 2006	Try the grit idea I suggested. It absorbs moisture and sticks into place.



agate	Jan 6 2017, 12:25 PM Post #12
Posts: 21,864 Group: Administration Member #203 Joined: February 2, 2006	Quote: read recently that there is an attempt to make boots with better traction popular. Apparently the only ones available now are ridiculously expensive. They use rubber from the winter tire industry or grit imbedded in the soles so the cost shouldn't be very high. Just a matter of persuading the (southern) makers of boots that there is demand for such a product. Yes those boots are very expensive. I remember Ron had to buy them when he went to work in Norman Wells making ice roads. They had diamond grit and they did work well. Edited by agate, Jan 6 2017, 12:27 PM.



Calm	Jan 6 2017, 02:04 PM Post #13
Small Star Member Posts: 738 Group: Member Member #1,386 Joined: December 19, 2016	Hi! Delphi51 You were talking about winter boots. When I lived in the far North at Yellowknife NWT in the very early 70's, I really liked these exact type of boots. http://www.hotboots.com/bootinfo/mukluk2.jpg And Trotsky: I too grew up in a house with coal as heat. No trouble finding some black stuff to paint your faces dirty on holloween. It was me and my twins job to take the can of ashes to the street on garbage collection days. I always forgot as I was running out the door. My Dad had to move the can right in front of the door, so door could not be opened without noticing it. And a few times, I even forgot then. The ashes were very good for adding traction to the driveway. But in the spring, it kinda looked pretty awful. Calm Edited by Calm, Jan 6 2017, 02:08 PM.



Trotsky	Jan 7 2017, 01:31 AM Post #14
Big City Boy Posts: 38,319 Group: Member Member #79 Joined: September 8, 2005	Quote: It was me and my twins job to take the can of ashes to the street on garbage collection days. Garbage wouldn't take ours. Everybody contracted with "ashmen" who went into basements/cellars and carted the big ashcans out, for a set fee per full can. What a mess the whole coal heat process was. Remember shaking the grates a couple times a day? Quote: But in the spring, it kinda looked pretty awful. THat's why the gods invented April Showers. Edited by Trotsky, Jan 7 2017, 01:32 AM.



Calm	Jan 7 2017, 03:58 AM Post #15
Small Star Member Posts: 738 Group: Member Member #1,386 Joined: December 19, 2016	For my Mom, the coal heating furnace was a God Send. With six kids, she needed a place to burn off all the discarded clothes and toys. She had many a huge bonfire inside our coal furnace, with huge sooty smoke leaving the chimney and soiling the clean laundry hung on clothes lines across several yards. Calm



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