How to Remove Ice on a Driveway

Not knowing the proper methods of removing ice from your driveway can ruin the day of even the most winter-hardy soul. Stock up on salt prior to the onslaught of your snow and ice season. Purchase calcium chloride for temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Hire a teen to help you with ice removal to avoid physical strain and novice mistakes

1. Grab a shovel and pour road salt onto your driveway. Cover the entire iced area with the salt soon after the ice freezes to your driveway and it is safe to do so. Look for thin patches of ice. You will see that these sheets break apart rather quickly. Shovel the ice once it breaks apart. Move on to the thicker ice patches after you removed all of the finer sheets. Your can work shoveling the heavier pieces at this point. Repeat the shovel and salt procedure until all the ice is gone. Apply salt in temperatures above 20 degrees Fahrenheit; otherwise, the salt won't melt the ice. At this point, another product such as calcium chloride might work better.


2. Keep calcium chloride handy for temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the chloride onto your driveway. Leave alone and let the product melt your ice from 0 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit.


3. Install an electric heating device to de-ice your driveway before you pave, or complete the installation while re-paving an older one. You or an expert electrician can lay down the wires underneath the cement, allowing the heat to travel upwards to surface where the snow and ice form.


4. Hire someone knowledgeable in ice removal. Neighborhood teens sometimes seek extra money this way during the winter months. This method is especially helpful when you can't preform certain physical talks or you just moved to an area that receives ice from a warmer location.