Hello everyone,
We have permeable paving, which means you shouldn't use rock salt in winter on ice and snow. In any case, salt should be avoided.
Has anyone gained experience with alternative options? The first thing that comes to mind is gravel. But there are other alternatives as well:
- De-icing material made from crushed limestone granulate. Just search for "gravel de-icing Bauhaus." I wonder whether this causes white stains due to the limestone. However, it is not very inexpensive.
- Lava-based de-icing material.
Gravel is easy to get and affordable. But is it really the best method? After all, you also have to clear snow frequently, and gravel could get in the way.
What do you use?
Thanks a lot for your experiences and opinions.
We have permeable paving, which means you shouldn't use rock salt in winter on ice and snow. In any case, salt should be avoided.
Has anyone gained experience with alternative options? The first thing that comes to mind is gravel. But there are other alternatives as well:
- De-icing material made from crushed limestone granulate. Just search for "gravel de-icing Bauhaus." I wonder whether this causes white stains due to the limestone. However, it is not very inexpensive.
- Lava-based de-icing material.
Gravel is easy to get and affordable. But is it really the best method? After all, you also have to clear snow frequently, and gravel could get in the way.
What do you use?
Thanks a lot for your experiences and opinions.
haydee schrieb:
Lava ash is good. They use that stuff in IcelandWell, they do have volcanoes there...
Vicky Pedia6 Jan 2020 19:18guckuck2 schrieb:
Defrosting is only possible with salt.@guckuck2 Hopefully Greta isn’t reading this, but that’s just how it is!H
hampshire7 Jan 2020 10:05I don’t take any special measures. If it’s icy, we simply act more cautiously – and since the driveway to the house is covered with gravel, severe ice conditions are inherently less likely. Because we don’t have a sidewalk in front of the property and the municipality clears the roads, we don’t need to worry about anyone else but ourselves. There is no one who has to walk up to the house, not even the mail carrier. This is a responsible approach. Heated cables powered by green energy were too uneconomical for us.
If possible, avoid using salt – it melts ice effectively but is harmful to the environment when overused.
If possible, avoid using salt – it melts ice effectively but is harmful to the environment when overused.
guckuck2 schrieb:
Sand?
Thawing only works with salt.Sand provides slip resistance and does not dissolve immediately when it rains.
haydee schrieb:
Sand provides slip resistance and doesn’t dissolve immediately when it rains.Exactly. You either use salt to melt ice, or double grain salt would also work. Otherwise, the only option is to wear down the ice, and for that we have always simply used sand. Public walkways around here are also treated with sand when salt isn’t necessary. It’s easy to sweep up afterwards, unlike ash, which I would be concerned about.