5 Ways to De-Ice Your Driveway This Winter

Allowing ice to remain unchecked on your driveway can create a safety hazard for you and your family. Ice, of course, is slippery. With its smooth surface, you won't be able to get traction when walking on ice. While you can't prevent ice from developing on your driveway, though, there are ways to remove it. Below are five easy ways to de-ice your driveway during the winter.

#1) Shovel Snow

Shoveling snow off your driveway to discourage ice from developing. During the daytime, snow will typically melt. It will turn to water, which then freezes once the sun goes down. By shoveling snow before it has a chance to melt and freeze, you can protect your driveway from ice.

#2) Apply Rock Salt

Applying rock salt is an easy and effective way to de-ice a frozen driveway. Rock salt is a naturally occurring mineral that's formed from sodium chloride. When applied to your driveway, it will lower the freezing point of it by roughly 7 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit. Rather than freezing at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, for instance, your driveway will freeze at 24 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

#3) Apply Firewood Ash

It may sound unusual, but firewood ash can de-ice a frozen driveway as well. It contains potassium salt that, like rock salt, can lower the freezing point of your driveway. And just like rock salt, firewood ash can help you get traction when walking on your driveway. If you have some firewood ash sitting in your fireplace, you can use it to de-ice your driveway. Just sprinkle the ash in the path that you typically use when walking on your driveway.

#4) Pour Lukewarm Water

You can pour lukewarm water to de-ice your driveway. It's recommended that you mix the water with vinegar. Using one part water and one part vinegar will result in a lower melting point. You should also avoid heating it too much. Just use lukewarm, vinegar-diluted water. If it's too hot, it may cause your driveway to crack open -- and damage such as this is difficult to repair.

#5) Installed Heated Mats

Another solution is to install heated mats. If your driveway regularly develops ice during the winter, heated mats might be worth the investment. They are electrically powered mats that are installed beneath your driveway (you can install them beneath the sidewalk as well). When the temperature begins to drop, they'll activate automatically. Electrically will flow through the heated mats so that ice can't form on the paved surfaces above them.