Ice Removal Question

Jason Whipple

What would be the safest ice removal product to use on exterior slate walks and patios? Salt has destroyed my side walk over the years and once I get it repaired I'd like to have it last a little longer than 4 years.

Thanks,
Jason

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Jason E Whipple, General Manager
Historic House Restoration, Cincinnati, Ohio
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JazMan

Salt is cheap, but destroys almost anything it comes in contact with. You should use a non salt ice melter. I think they're made with Potassium Chloride or Magnesium Chloride? Even then it would be best if any concrete product cure for about 1 year before using these better ice melters. Maybe use sand the first year?

Jaz

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WarnerConstInc.

Radiant heat after you tear it out.

MALCO.New.York

^^^^BOTH Salts. And VERY reactive and corrosive!^^^^

HALITE, the most common Ice Breaker, is Sodium Chloride, NaCl, Table Salt!

Salt is a Generic term for an Anonic and Cationic union of elements. Most commonly Meltal Chlorides. And YES!!! Calcium IS a Metal!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_(chemistry)#Nomenclature

Metal Chlorides raise the Boiling temperature of Water and Lower the Freezing point of Water and that is how they work. HALITE and Ice Melters do NOT work in EXTREME temps.!

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Mellison

Calcium Chloride.

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OCRS

Yep

nlgutters

The wife with a hair dryer. They love to feel needed.

olzo55

don't use slate again. choose a frostproof porcelain. slate seems like a poor choice for an exterior application in your neck of the woods.

Jason Whipple

That's going to be a tough one. I live in an area called "Slate Valley" Everything around here seems to be made from slate. Roofs, sidewalks, chimney's, even cladding for buildings. Some work is over 200 years old and all is well.

I'd be hard pressed to tell anyone it's no good for our area when theirs proof everywhere that it is. I do need to give them a clue as to how they can avoid these types of problems by useing an alternate method of ice removal.

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shanekw1

Maybe this?

www.organicmelt.com

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olzo55

Jason, not trying to be arguementative but you have all of those examples around you so maybe you could ask someone there what they use on their sidewalk to keep the ice off. could their be some grout/thinset/sealer they used and you didn't? seems like you're in the right place (slate valley) to ask a manufacturer what they recommend.
olzo

MALCO.New.York

HALITE has been the New England Standard for 100 years. Taint nothin new about it. Maybe it is the CaCl that is causing the problems??? It is "Newer".

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DavidC

A rock is a bad choice for outdoors????

Maybe I missed the punchline.

Good Luck
Dave

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Warmsmeallup

You could definitly install an electric radiant system directly under the slate. It will keep all ice/snow from building and the low voltage elements last 25 years.

This is a driveway in Colchester with low voltage in the asphalt.
(for those who are bound to ask...$1.30 per running hour for this job)

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olzo55

Dave C, not all rock is a great product for outdoor walks. there are slates not as dense as a Vermont slate (if that was indeed used)that spall more than others.
Called Vermont Structual Slate because i want to know the answer to this question. they said it didn't matter what type of salt you used as it is going to wear the surface prematurely. they didn't recommend using a sealer either.