Heat melts ice. But if there\’s no sun and a snow blower just pollutes the air too much, what alternatives are there if being eco-friendly is your main priority? Remove the ice manually, of course. But don\’t wait until the snow turn into blocks of ice. With a bit of intelligence, you will get the ice out of the way without too much of an effort and build some fabulous abs.
Human Labor
Get a one-two punch of an ergonomic shovel and an ice chipper. Use the ice chipper to break the ice instead of the shovel. The shovel is made to pick up and move the ice. Attempting to break the ice with the shovel will only slow things down and could even damage the metal edge.
Another piece of advice: protect your back by not lifting the shovel full with snow in each scoop. To reduce strain, consider getting a newer type of shovel that has special handled designed to be ergonomic.
Sand and Cinders
Yeah, it sounds unconventional but sand does make your job easier. Sprinkle some sand for traction when you are trying to break the ice. Be mindful to use it sand sparingly though as it can cloak the drains.
Sand and cinders can be used together to coat the sidewalk to prevent ice buildup later on when the temperature drops.
Calcium Magnesium Acetate-based Deicer
This is a good alternative to salt. It is more eco-friendly because it doesn\’t harm animals and pollute ground water like salt does. Since calcium magnesium acetate-based deicer\’s ice eliminating properties are just as corrosive as tap water, it will help you to get the ice out of the way in no time.
Heat
Another alternative to the sunlight, there are radiant heating systems which can be installed into your driveway directly. Although electricity is needed, use your discretion to energize the driveway in an eco-friendly way.
Additional Reading:
www.doityourself.com
