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*Question & Answer Deicing*

Dear Bob

I am 65 years old and I just can't break up or shovel the ice and snow on my walkway. My snowplow man won't do it and there aren't any young kids looking to make some spending money. Can I some how hook up hot water to my faucet and melt the ice that way?

Dear DL

Sorry but I would not recommend spraying hot water on your icy walkway. It will only freeze again and possibly be more dangerous. Even a surface that typically offers fairly good traction such as brick or concrete will become incredibly slick when the temperatures drop and any accumulated moisture has the chance to freeze.

There are several methods to get rid of ice or, even better, prevent it from forming in the first place.

One solution is to melt the ice after it forms. Sodium chloride, or salt, is a popular and effective way to do this. The downside is that as the ice melts the salt will do damage to the mortar joints in a brick or stone walkway.

Another method is to create traction on surfaces where you could slip and fall such as steps, drives and walkways. Simply spread a liberal amount of sand or economy-grade kitty liter over the area. Both are abrasive enough to add that extra bite of traction under foot.

Pre-treatment of problematic areas can be done prior to bad weather to stop the problem before it starts. Use a regular pump-up garden sprayer to coat the area with a chemical de-icing solution. Typically this should be applied to the surface you want to protect about one to two hours in advance of inclement weather. The de-icing solution will prevent ice from forming or bonding on the surface.

If you miss the weather forecast and don't pre-treat you can still apply the solution directly to ice or snow and it will break the bond between the two surfaces. The coolest thing is that several manufacturers have created de-icing solutions that are completely biodegradable so they won't hurt the surrounding lawn or garden.

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