He’s coming. There’s no stopping him. Every year, like clockwork, Jack Frost arrives just in time for the holiday season. His aim? To cover your walkways in a wintery mix of ice, slush, and snow. He wants Grandma to slip and fall, but you’ll be there to stop him…won’t you? This two-phase do-it-yourself snow and ice removal procedure will help save Grandma and make you a hero. So long, Jack. There’s a new icemaster in town.
Before the Snow Falls
As we all know, many things can happen when winter precipitation occurs. Differences in air temperature, humidity and ground temperature can result in very different on-ground effects. Regardless of the type of precipitation, whether powder, slush, or ice, the goal of preventative ice management is to stop a bond from being formed between the ground and what falls from the sky. That’s what brine is for.
Brine is simply a mixture of salt and water that can be applied to paved areas to proactively prevent snow and ice from becoming more difficult to remove later. You can make your own by mixing any form of salt with hot water at a 3 to 1 ratio and stirring until fully dissolved. (Curiously enough, pickle juice works just as well!)
For small areas, you can apply the solution with a simple cup, jug, or pump sprayer. To cover large areas like driveways, you may need to use an attachment like our 25 gallon tank sprayer.
Post-snow Plan
After the snow has stopped falling, you’ll want to pull out the big guns before Grandma arrives. If the precipitation is very icy, you’ll definitely be glad you applied the brine earlier since it will form a layer of liquid between the concrete and the ice. If this is the case, you can use a snow shovel to pry up the ice and remove it completely.
If you can’t get under the ice or if there isn’t enough snow to warrant a shovel at all, an additional application of brine or granular ice melt will attack the slippery substance from both sides. For small areas, ice melt can be spread with a cup or hand spreader. A walk-behind spreader will cover large areas quickly, just be sure to clean off the residue afterwards to prevent corrosion damage.
