What do I do about ice on the sidewalk in front of my house. The salt ruins the cement.?

Question

I've tried the salt and it was a big mistake. Someone said to pour hot waer which is ridiculous. It freezes a few minutes later and then I have more ice.

Answer 1

There are several possible approaches for sidewalk ice:
1) You are fighting a continueous and losing battle with ice if you don't have proper drainage. This you have to do during the fall, If puddles form on the sidewalk during a rain, water will get there in the winter and form ice. You may have to change the grade around the sidewalk to assure drainage away from the sidewalk, either on to the street or into the lawn.

2) Prevent slipping by using sand. A small amount of salt in the sand will help set the sand in the ice. This obviously doesn't get rid of the ice but the real problem is the potential for slipping on the ice, not the ice itself.

3) If you did your work during the fall and have good drainage from the sidewalk and still have ice, than melting the ice with a special blowtorch made for melting ice is a possibility. I have also found that an old clothes Iron will melt ice. What you want to do is at least cut a drainage path for the water so that when it melts, the water drains away.

Avoid heavy chopping of the ice as that can also spall the concrete.

Good Luck

Answer 2

Table salt dont last, rock salt is messy if u get it into the house as wll as sand,create a way that water will not build up on the sidewalk, overhead gutter, clearing the snow past the edge of the sidewalk so it is not melting on th concrete. Good cured concrete will not be ruined if rocksalt is used sparinly and a good doormat to wipe feet.

Answer 3

I have no experience with that, since I live in the desert where I have to shovel six feet of sunshine out of my driveway every morning. But I do know that trains and trucks carry a mixture of sand and cinders for that purpose. Your city street department can advise you about that. I would expect the people at the local hardware store to know a few things too.

Answer 4

Some alternates to salt for ice are sand and fertilizer. You can also get one of those torches to melt the ice.

Answer 5

Use calcium chloride or potassium chloride
Get the pellets . Don't use the flake it's a waste .


Home cheapo or lowes has it

Answer 6

clean it and after the fresh fall sprinkle only few salt over it

Answer 7

kitty litter works good, or see much sand is ,go to your township office and see if they'll sell a pail or wo and mix it with kitty litter to make it go farther

Answer 8

try driveway heat or safe step. there are many types of ice melter's out there, see which is best for your needs.