Project details
Skill
3 out of 5ModerateEven a little snow shoveling and ice scraping can be exhausting
Cost
About $5 and up
Estimated Time
60 to 90 minutes
In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shares tips for clearing a concrete walkway after a snowstorm.
Steps:
- The best strategy is to always shovel snow off of walkway before it gets trampled and packed down.
- Throw the snow far enough away from the walk, so that when it melts, it doesn’t drain back onto the walkway and freeze into ice sheets.
- If the snow is packed tight, use an ice chipper to break up the snow and ice and scrape it off the walkway.
- To melt ice, try sprinkling the surface with rock salt, which is effective down to 15F. However, be aware that rock salt can damage lawns and plants.
- Calcium chloride pellets can melt snow in temperatures down to minus-20F. But again, this product can damage lawns and plants.
- Urea is a fertilizer that can also be used to melt ice, and is safe for lawns and plants.
- Sand won’t melt ice, but when sprinkled over packed snow and ice, it does provide excellent traction.
- Use a broadcast spreader to sparingly apply the deicer.
- Once the ice starts to melt, scrape the surface clean to prevent the deicer from damaging the concrete walkway.
- When entering the house, be sure to remove your shoes or boots to prevent tracking the deicer or sand indoors.
Tools
Tools & Materials
- Snow shovel
- Ice chipper
- Broadcast spreader