Iced drive

[jpm]

How do others deal with iced drives? I was reading one member used their power rake to break up his ice, has anyone used a pulverizer to break ice? I have used a box blade with the rippers down and it chipped some but it bounced slot also . Or has anyone tried a tiller?

 

[RNeumann]

I have a heavier box and use the rippers. The snow melt doesn’t really work below about 25°f. I’ve spread a bit of driveway material (5/8” minus) that I keep stockpiled. That works well too.

In the spring I’ll put ice melt on in the morning and rip in the afternoon. The surface is still frozen but it seems to be melted between the road and ice on top.

 

[PILOON]

Welcome to the real winter world.
Chains, salt and or small crushed stone are your friends, that or patience and spring will soon come.

 

[oosik]

I have a mile long gravel driveway. Occasionally a big field of snow will melt - drain down on the driveway and freeze. It's on the down slope into the only valley on the driveway. I've used sand or gravel or wood chips or wood pellets. All work pretty well on this 100 foot section. Usually the driveway ditch handles this melt water - sometimes not so much.

 

[jpm]

Oh I have all the normal stuff ,studded snows ,studded chains ,plows ,blowers ECT . I'm talking freezing rain on zero degree frozen ground back to zero three inch thick stuff. You can't even walk on it stuff .The sand is under all frozen so life sucks type of ice.

 

[Thomas]

If ice soft I rough it up with tire chains,if not heavy layer sandy grit.

 

[PILOON]

Oh I have all the normal stuff ,studded snows ,studded chains ,plows ,blowers ECT . I'm talking freezing rain on zero degree frozen ground back to zero three inch thick stuff. You can't even walk on it stuff .The sand is under all frozen so life sucks type of ice.

That's why I prefer small crushed stone as it protrudes that ice coating and won't wash away on slopes.
The road contractors also keep a stash 4 those freezing rain events.

Also some box stores offer crushed smelter slag that is in the 1/4 or so size in 20 lb sacks.
That is the best of the best and worth every $ they get.
Generally 1 bag or 2 last me the winter as you spread it like salt and pepper eg very sparingly.

I also keep an approximately 1 gal in my car all winter 'just in case'. (along with booster cables and a tow line)
I'm that 'good Samaritan' as I seem to rescue a 1/2 dz every winter here in the back roads.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Our road is to long to sand so it stays bare. I drive up hill on an iced road like a bottle in my wife's CRV or my P/U with 4WD and studded tires all around no problem. It is generally only like that for a couple days. Running over that type of ice with my tractor chains to rough it up and make some chips which act like sand helps a lot to.

EDIT: sand is the real answer if you already use it but there will always be times it is getting covered over with freezing rain quicker than it can be spread. Keep a pair of ice micro-spikes for your boots in the car so you can park the car and walk up the drive home.
gg

 

[Reb954]

Sand for the driveway and sidewalks when needed.

A sealed container of kitty litter in each vehicle during the winter.

Wife has the slip on spikes for her walks.

 

[LouNY]

My driveway gets iced up at times from wet snows or freezing rain.
My tractors have excellent chains, the old plow/sander truck has 2 link spaced square link chains,
and the pickup and other 4wd or awd vehicles run studded tires.
I have seen times when the studs were inadequate on the highway vehicles,
that usually happens during a freezing rain storm when it also becomes quite difficult to even walk up the driveway.
I have been able to make it up on foot most times walking in my ditches with difficulty, The other alternative
is I call my brother with a chained truck or tractor or my nephews with a snowmobile with a studded track.
Once I get to the top my sand pile is accessible, I keep a good sized pile of treated sand (salted) under a plastic cover
for winter use.


In this picture I'm actually loading coal ash from my coal insert to spread on the driveway.