Ice freezes on the paving slabs on the stairs in winter. A safe porch at any time of the year

If you want to be considerate of people and clear snow and ice from nearby sidewalks and public areas, this article will tell you how to do it easier. But know that it is important to arm yourself with a good shovel or other cleaning equipment for the job. Before you begin, it may also be helpful to familiarize yourself with local maintenance requirements for public areas adjacent to your property.

Steps

Remove snow and ice with a shovel

Use a quality snow shovel. The easiest way would be to use a shovel made of lightweight plastic or aluminum coated with a special coating that prevents snow from sticking.

• A quality shovel will make it easier for you to collect and shovel snow. You don't want a shovel that is too bulky or flimsy.
• If you choose a shovel with an S-shaped handle, you won't have to bend over too much.
• For light and fluffy snow, you can use a shovel with a C-shaped blade, the so-called scraper.
• The shovel can be treated with lubricant to make it slide more easily through the snow. Possible options I can be vegetable oil, WD-40, paraffin wax and other similar products. Before using them, you need to dry and warm the shovel. Reapply lubricant to the shovel as needed.

1. Shovel snow regularly . Don't wait until the snowfall ends - clean the snow right away, otherwise the snow and ice will stick to the sidewalk, making it difficult to remove later. In addition, you can always offer to earn a little extra money for your neighbor's child and ask him to clear the sidewalk in front of your house.

   • The key to success lies in starting snow removal work as soon as possible.
   • During snowfall, snow should be removed several times a day. Thin layer Snow is easier to remove than deeper accumulated snow, so break snow removal into steps. Don't shovel snow against the sides of buildings, where it could thaw and refreeze and cause further problems.
   • Shovel snow from the sidewalk to the base to allow sunlight to reach the asphalt, which will also help prevent ice from forming in these public areas. Another reason why it is necessary to immediately remove fallen snow is due to the fact that it is easily compacted under the feet of pedestrians and the wheels of vehicles.

2. Handle the shovel correctly to avoid injury. Shoveling snow can easily put stress on your back or knees. However, such consequences can be prevented. It is very important not to load the shovel more than necessary. Work with volumes of snow that are feasible for you. Whenever possible, focus more on pushing the snow away rather than moving it, and remember to take regular breaks from your work.

   Be thoughtful about storing snow. Throwing snow on the road or on your neighbor's property is a bad idea. Treat others with respect. In addition, you should also ensure that the stored snow does not block the gutters.

   • If you throw snow on the road, there is a high probability of causing traffic jams for motorists. And piling snow from your driveway onto a public sidewalk could violate local landscaping codes.
   • It is best to store snow from the sidewalk directly in your yard or garden. You won't be using this area anyway. winter time. When you remove snow, the main thing is not to create a danger to others.
   • Even before the start of winter, provide a place where you will store snow. This area will be covered in snow all winter, so plan ahead to save your own time and energy.

3. Study the requirements for landscaping. It's possible that the locals regulations It is your responsibility to clear snow from public spaces adjacent to your property. Check this information with the administration.

   Use machinery and electricity to remove snow and ice

   1. Use a rotary snow blower. If you need to clear a large enough area of ​​snow and do it quickly, it will be easier to use a rotary snow blower.

   2. Take advantage professional services for snow removal. If you need to clear snow from large or geometrically complex public spaces and sidewalks, you may want to hire someone who specializes in snow removal. In most regions with snowy winters, you can find quite a few companies offering snow removal services.

      • Don't wait too long after it starts snowing, otherwise all the cars will soon be occupied. You will need to pay a certain amount for such services. If you want to conclude an agreement on regular snow removal (and are sure that you will need it), start studying this issue in September.
      • Ask about the minimum amount of precipitation at which the company will produce snow removal equipment. Also ask about their methods of working during heavy snowfalls. For example, will they come to you again if necessary or just once.
      • Such companies own specialized snow removal machines, which make it easier to clean large areas. You can find out about their services in your region via the Internet, through someone’s recommendation, or through the organization’s telephone directory. Prices will vary depending on your location, the specific equipment involved and the expected scope of work.

   3. Build a warm sidewalk. To do this you will need to lay under the sidewalk electric wires, which will heat it from below. This will allow the falling snow to melt.

      • Typically, the installation of a warm sidewalk system is done either when creating new or when repairing old sidewalks. However, using such a system will require you additional expenses for electricity.
      • The principle of operation of a warm sidewalk is based on the fact that the wires lying below heat up and give off heat upward, thereby heating and melting the snow, so that there is no need to remove it with a shovel! But this option is usually best suited for sidewalks on your private property.
      • Another option, more suitable for snowy regions, could be liquid sidewalk heating systems.

   How to prevent snow and ice from accumulating

   1. Use liquid magnesium chloride. Apply this chemical to sidewalks and public areas using a garden sprayer just before snowfalls. It is best to apply the treatment two hours before snow falls.

      • The chemical is capable of melting snowfall less than 5 cm thick. In addition, it prevents snow from sticking to hard surfaces (sidewalks and the like).
      • You can also use the de-icer after removing fallen snow.
      • Be prepared to use approximately 4 liters of chemical for every 100 square meters of pavement. You can buy it at hardware stores.
      • Chemical deicers can be very toxic to plants and animals. Follow the instructions that come with them carefully and consider other methods of dealing with snow and ice if you have pets and prized garden plants.

   2. Use rock salt. Rock salt has a pronounced effective effect at air temperatures above -10 °C, but use it on the lawn and concrete pavements- Not best idea. You can buy industrial rock salt, or sodium chloride, in hardware stores, and in supermarkets you will always find edible rock salt.

      • Store salt in an airtight container and spread it into public areas using a hand seeder or mobile salt and sand spreader. The salt will melt the ice and prevent the formation of a slippery crust. Use about a handful of salt for each square meter area.
      • If you are not a fan of using salt, you can try using urea, which is commonly used as a fertilizer and can work in the same way as salt. However, finding urea on sale is somewhat more difficult than salt. It is usually sold in stores that sell gardening supplies. Another deicer that helps melt snow is a fertilizer such as alfalfa meal.
      • Disadvantage rock salt is that it can harm plants and animals, and also completely loses its effectiveness at temperatures below 30 degrees below zero. In addition, it can seep into the soil.

   3. Try using calcium chloride. Calcium chloride granules melt ice faster than rock salt and have other benefits as a deicer.

      • Calcium chloride acts at more than low temperatures than rock salt. It remains effective in temperatures down to -30 °C.
      • But calcium chloride is also harmful to pets and other animals, and it costs significantly more than rock salt. In addition, it can, on the contrary, make walking surfaces slippery.
      • Long-term use of this snow control chemical (if overused) can cause damage to concrete and asphalt. Therefore, use it in moderation.

   4. Sprinkle sand or cat litter onto icy surfaces. Although this method will not remove ice that you cannot clear from the sidewalk, it is still better to use it than to create the risk of falls on slippery ice.

      • Sand and cat litter can create additional friction on icy surfaces. This reduces the risk of falls. Flaw this method is that after the snow and ice melt, the sand and filler will not go anywhere, thereby creating a mess.
      • To combat ice it is necessary to use coarse sand, not fine sand construction quality. You can also sprinkle the paths with grain for the birds with the same success.

Snowfalls and blizzards are getting closer, which means it’s time to think about how to make snow removal easier on your site in winter period. Of course, you can buy a new comfortable shovel, a snow blower, or even hire a janitor. Or maybe it’s worth sprinkling areas around the house with special salt or creating heated paths on which the snow will melt without your daily efforts? Members of our forum discuss how to deal with snow and ice on paths.

Melts on its own

The easiest way to deal with snow is to install a canopy over a platform, path or porch. It can be transparent (for example, made of polycarbonate), let in sunlight and fit well into the architectural ensemble. In addition, such a canopy will protect not only from snow, but also from rain in summer and autumn.

However, building a canopy is not always possible. The plot where a forum member is building a house Manix, is located in a dead end, off the main highway. To prevent the passage to the home from being covered with snow in winter, a forum participant plans to heat the area. Questions about existing technologies, the service life of a warm road and the costs of its construction, he decided to set on.

Forum member Rjavi several years ago I already did an experimental snow melting in the parking lot and the path to the house, choosing a heating option that was structurally similar to a warm water floor. Fundamental difference consists in the fact that a heat exchanger is built into the system, and instead of water, antifreeze is poured into it. Manufacturers recommend installing heated street sections of roads with a power of 200 W/sq.m. But a forum member living in St. Petersburg says that in practice a power of 300-500 W/sq.m. is required, “otherwise you end up with a great skating rink.” However, more power means higher costs.

– Although the system was not completely automatic - it turned on manually as needed, and turned off itself - according to a timer, heating turned out to be a pleasant, but expensive pleasure.

Often, by the middle of winter, huge snowdrifts as high as a fence can be seen near many houses. In order not to wait for the spring sun to melt the piles of snow itself, some homeowners specially design areas for snow storage on their property and arrange heated paving there.

In addition to laying pipes, another option for installing a warm path or platform is laying a heating cable under the tiles. Most often, homeowners use cable to heat the porch - one of the most dangerous places where snow and ice most often cause injuries. The power of the heating cable is also calculated based on climatic conditions: the colder the winter, the higher it should be - snow should fall and melt, and water should evaporate.

Also, some manufacturers offer portable heated tracks - electric a heating element is located between two protective surfaces made of non-slip rubber, the tracks are plugged into a regular outlet. We talked about them in detail earlier in.

Chemistry against snow

But what if the paths on the site were laid a long time ago, and their heating is not provided, or you are not ready to pay more for electricity? You can take an example from municipal road services and sprinkle areas around the house with special chemicals that dissolve snow. Participants discuss their use in our forum.

This method has its advantages. Chemicals work well in temperatures close to freezing, when ice forms and snow becomes sticky, and even some snow blowers become ineffective in dealing with it. Unlike shovels and ice axes, chemicals do not damage paving slabs and do not cause chips or cracks on them.

It is important that the reagents are safe for humans and plants. When melting, the snow-chemical cocktail will inevitably end up in the soil and, unlike in the city, can harm not only leather boots. In addition, chemicals tend to accumulate, which can disrupt the natural balance in your area.

Of course, you can buy ready-made reagents - most often it is calcium chloride. But the participants of our forum give preference folk remedies. Yes, forum member Mariska in February he sprinkles snowdrifts with ash so that they melt faster under sun rays. And some participants fight ice with salt and glycerin.

beckbulat:

– Pharmaceutical glycerin was poured onto a small piece of ice; the air temperature was about minus 10 degrees. I returned two hours later - the ice with glycerin was melting!

Down with the shovels!

But it happens that meter-long snowdrifts on our sites grow overnight. And then no reagents or warm paths will save the situation. In this case, you can quickly deal with the snow using snow removal equipment. There is a whole one on our forum where forum users discuss its varieties and operating features.

Let's just say briefly that snow removal equipment for the home can be either electric - powered from a regular outlet - or run on gasoline. Electric options, as a rule, are cheaper than gasoline ones, but many forum users complain that the wire that needs to be controlled gets in the way when clearing snow.

If you already have a walk-behind tractor, many manufacturers produce mounted snow blowers for them. They come in several types: a snow removal canopy that imitates the work of a professional snow blower, blade shovel and brush for walk-behind tractor.

In addition, home snow removal equipment does not always cope with sticky and compacted snow. Therefore, you should pay attention not only to the design, but also to the power of the device - the higher it is, the greater the chance that the machine will cope with this task.

– I bought an electric snow blower with a power of 1800 W. It is very difficult to remove wet, compacted snow; it is difficult to push the machine forward. If the snow height is more than 10 cm, you have to rest your foot on the body to push forward. The cord gets tangled underfoot. It works fine only paved paths, on the compacted screenings it picks up stones and buries itself.

Prepare for winter correctly! And the advice of our forum members will help you with this. We also recommend watching our video on how to choose the right snow thrower.

One of the main problems of public utilities is always the removal of snow and ice, and despite the constant introduction of new methods of saving from ice, salt is still in use. The Village collected 5 street cleaning technologies in countries where snow falls in winter, learned about their pros and cons, and took comments from environmentalists, shoemakers and ordinary residents.

SALT (NaCl)

PETERSBURG, MOSCOW, Kyiv

Cheapness

Harm. Salt is a chloride, a very active substance. For example, several years ago it led to an accident at the Southern substation (St. Petersburg), when wires laid underground were disconnected. Salt leads to corrosion of pipes, bridges, cars, causes allergies, harms shoes, clothing, animal paws and historical monuments. Not to mention the environment, as it ends up in The groundwater, soil and rivers.

Sidewalks are sprinkled with industrial salt or salt mixtures based on it.
Snow removal in Kyiv

MOSCOW

KYIV

PETERSBURG

FRICTION METHOD:
SAND AND STONE CHIPS

AUSTRIA, FINLAND, GERMANY, SWEDEN AND OTHERS

environmentally friendly, reusable

stays on the roadway for no more than half an hour:
it is blown away by the wind, the wheels of cars and the feet of pedestrians.

In Helsinki, the snow is compacted and sprinkled with stone chips

TORGEIRA VAA METHOD

SWEDEN

efficiency, environmental friendliness, long-term results

requires special expensive equipment

The method invented by Torgeir Vaa is being implemented on an experimental basis in Sweden

In 2004, Sweden introduced new method fight against ice, which was invented by the Swedish scientist Torgeir Vaa. Fine sand in a ratio of 7 to 3 is mixed with hot water 90–95 °C and sprayed on the streets. Hot sand melts into the snow and makes the surface rough. This treatment lasts for 3–7 days with daily traffic of about 1,500 vehicles. Or until another snowfall passes.

ALTERNATIVE CHEMICALS

USA, CANADA, NEW ZEALAND

Magnesium chloride

high efficiency

more expensive than commercial salt and causes
even more severe corrosion of metals

Great Salt Lakes in Utah

Americans and Canadians mainly use magnesium chloride, which is mined in the Great Salt Lakes in Utah, to clean streets and sidewalks. MgCl2 contains less chlorine than other chlorides, and its efficiency is much higher at lower consumption. In the winter of 2010, the state of Maryland spent $50 million on road cleaning, and the state of Virginia spent $79 million. In Canada, $1 billion is allocated annually for winter road maintenance.

NO REMEDY

JAPAN AND THE REST OF 230 COUNTRIES

After snowfall in Aomori Prefecture

In the mountains of Japan, up to several meters of snow falls during the winter, and in cities - 15–20 cm per night. As a result, by the end of winter, sidewalks and intercity roads turn into narrow snow canyons with walls 2 human heights and higher. However, the roads in Japan are not treated in any way, they only clear the snow. Therefore, ice is not such a rare phenomenon in cities. However, studded tires are prohibited in the country. By the way, clearing snow near houses and on sidewalks is the task of the residents themselves.

ECOLOGIST'S OPINION

Winter has not yet arrived (at least calendar winter), but its first signs have already appeared. Although, there are regions of our country, and there are quite a lot of them, where the snow has already fallen, and the frosts have become serious. For example, we have only frosts so far, although not to say that they are severe, but there is no snow at all yet. But, even in frosty conditions and without snow, it often happens that ice forms on the paths near the house. It needs to be treated with something to prevent it from slipping. If you don’t pay attention to it and wait until it melts on its own, then there is a high probability that you yourself will slip on it. And it will lie there for a long time, and will greatly complicate your movement along the paths near the house. So, you still have to process it with something.

What to sprinkle on the ice? Path, steps, porch or paving stones

This is really a problem for those who live in their own home. Although we all walk along the streets, which very often in icy conditions are simply not treated with anything. But this is already a problem for public utilities. After all, you won’t be able to clear the entire street of ice on your own. Another thing is your home and the paths you walk along every day. There is no one to rely on here, and you will have to look for a means yourself that will help you melt the ice, or at least make it porous and non-slippery.

Boiling water

What do we usually sprinkle on paths, porches or paving slabs near the house? The first option is to simply pour boiling water over the path. But this can solve the problem only during a thaw. Yes, the ice will melt after some time, and if the path has a slope, then the water will drain from it, and after the next frost it will not freeze for some time. This method can be adopted.

Salt

Many people sprinkle the paths with salt. Ice, of course, quickly “eats”, but only the salt destroys the path itself just as quickly. Be it paving stones, paving slabs, or simply concrete path, which you filled in with your own hands. In addition, you will carry salt home. This will damage your shoes, as well as anything else in the house. Sprinkling salt on ice is an interesting and effective activity, but it is extremely undesirable. This also includes any anti-ice mixtures that contain salt or other reagents with similar effects.

Sand

Another option, which is also often used, like treating paths with salt, is the use of sand. Here, it seems to us, everything is very simple. The sand will fall on the ice and we will no longer fall from the porch or other surface on which ice has formed. In principle, everything is correct. But very often the wind simply blows it off the ice. And, if it lingers on it in small quantities, then it no longer solves the problem. If we pour in a lot of sand, then we will again “drag” it all home on our shoes, which we also don’t need.

The best remedy!

There is a very simple tool that will help you quickly remove ice from any surface without damaging it. Be it a path with any surface (paving stones, paving slabs, asphalt), steps or a porch. Often, ice freezes there and it is impossible to remove it with a shovel, and breaking it with a crowbar is also not an option. Meanwhile, you can melt the ice using a fairly simple means.

How to cook?

To prepare it we need warm water. We will take water from in this case 2 liters. There we will add any liquid product that you need. Just 6 drops are enough (you can, of course, use more, there will be no harm). And into this amount of water, you will need to pour another 60 grams of alcohol. If you don’t mind 100 grams, then pour 100.

How to use?

That's all the components of our ice melter. Next, mix everything well and you can use it. Convenient to pour it into plastic bottle, for example, and then pour ice from it. As they say, if you pour this product on the ice on the path, it will melt very quickly. You don’t need any salt, sand or other reagents for this.

If your shoes slip during icy conditions, then they can be made almost non-slippery. Read it here. And here in this video craftsmen will offer you a mechanical option for clearing ice from paths. Take a look, maybe you will also want to make such a device for yourself.

Winter has not yet arrived (at least calendar winter), but its first signs have already appeared. Although there are regions of our country, quite a lot of them, where the snow has already fallen, and the frosts have become serious.

For example, we have only frosts so far, although not to say that they are severe, but there is no snow at all yet. But even in frosty conditions and without snow, it often happens that ice forms on the paths near the house.

It needs to be treated with something in order to don't slip . If you don’t pay attention to it and wait until it melts on its own, then there is a high probability that you yourself will slip on it. And it will lie there for a long time, and will greatly complicate your movement along the paths near the house. So, you still have to process it with something.

What to sprinkle on the ice? Path, steps, porch or paving stones

This is really a problem for those who live in their own home. Although we all walk along the streets, which very often in icy conditions are simply not treated with anything. But this is already a problem for public utilities.

After all, you won’t be able to clear the entire street of ice on your own. Another thing is your home and the paths you walk along every day. Here there is no one to rely on and you will have to look for a means yourself that will help you melt the ice or at least make it porous and non-slippery.

Basic methods

What do we usually sprinkle on paths, porches or paving slabs near the house? The first option is to simply pour boiling water over the path. But this can solve the problem only during a thaw.

Yes, the ice will melt after some time and if the path has a slope, then the water will drain from it, and after the next frost it will not freeze for some time. This method can be adopted.

Many people sprinkle the paths with salt. It, of course, quickly “eats” the ice, but the salt destroys the path itself just as quickly. Be it paving stones, paving slabs, or just a concrete path that you poured with your own hands.

In addition, you will carry the salt home on your shoes. From this, and at the same time something else is already in the house. Sprinkling salt on ice, although an interesting and effective activity, is extremely undesirable. This also includes any anti-ice mixtures that contain salt or other reagents with similar effects.

Another option, which is also often used, like treating paths with salt, is the use of sand. Here, it seems to us, everything is very simple. The sand will fall on the ice and we will no longer fall from the porch or other surface on which ice has formed.

In principle, everything is correct. But sand very often is simply blown away from the ice by the wind. And if it lingers on it in small quantities, then it no longer solves the problem. If we pour in a lot of sand, then we will again “drag” it all home on our shoes, which we also don’t need.

A simple and versatile ice treatment tool

There is a very simple tool that will help you quickly remove ice from any surface without damaging it. Be it a path with any surface (paving stones, paving slabs, asphalt), steps or a porch.

Often, ice freezes there and it is impossible to remove it with a shovel, and breaking it with a crowbar is also not an option. Meanwhile, you can melt the ice using a fairly simple means.

To prepare it we need warm water. In this case we will take 2 liters of water. Add any liquid product you use to wash dishes.

Just 6 drops are enough (you can, of course, do more, there will be no harm). And into this amount of water, you will need to pour another 60 grams of alcohol.

If you don’t mind 100 grams, then pour 100. That’s all the components of our ice melting product. Then mix everything well and you can use it. It is convenient to pour it into a plastic bottle, for example, and then pour ice from it.

As they say, if you pour this product on the ice on the path, it will melt very quickly. You don’t need any salt, sand or other reagents for this.