If you’re about to leave home on a snowy winter’s morning, be careful as you step onto your driveway. It could be covered with the same treacherous black ice that builds up in a thin layer over roads, and you could find your car or even yourself slipping over its surface, potentially getting injured or even sliding into the path of oncoming traffic.
Today we’re going to tell you how to remove black ice from your driveway so you can come and go safely on even the coldest winter days.
Salt or Another Deicer
The first line of defense against all ice – “black” or otherwise – is a deicer product. The most common one is simply sodium chloride, or salt. You can buy bags of salt specifically meant to melt ice and spread it over the icy surface. It’ll melt pretty quickly.
If you have a lot of ice, some more efficient deicers are calcium chloride and magnesium chloride, but these can harm concrete and plant life, so use with caution.
Sand
Once your ice is melted, sprinkle the surface with some sand if you can. Sand doesn’t have any effect on the ice at all, but it will give you and others some extra traction when walking.
Wait it Out
If you don’t have any salt on hand, a snow shovel can be used in a pinch to break up ice, but your best option may be just to wait it out. Black ice is typically very thin, and once the sun hits it, it tends to melt quickly.
If you have an icy issue and you just can’t deal with it alone, TalkLocal can help. Use our free concierge service to find a snow and ice removal professional in your local area today. We’ll connect you with up to three professionals in just minutes.
