Five green ways to keep your driveway ice free

Snow may be fun to play with among kids and family, ski on among skiers and enjoy with among the tourists, but, for drivers, it is no less than a nightmare. With the white fluffy substance glistening on the driveway under the barely-visible sun, it becomes very difficult in certain cases, impossible to drive on roads without dangerously skidding off the driveway or sticking into snow. At times, snow manages to damage the car-engines by introducing moisture in certain moisture-intolerant areas.

Snow on driveway

Traditionally, to remove snow, people used to go for salt. Salt melts down snow at a faster rate without involving much work. However, there are severe side-effects of using salt, especially for the environment.

Firstly, excess salts accumulate in the soil, changing its nature and affecting its life-giving properties. Secondly, it prevents plants from absorbing moisture and water. Thirdly, salts are basically compounds of metals, and so their presence increase the presence of these metals as well, which render soil useless. Fourthly, salt attracts animals, which may be dangerous for the drivers as well as the beasts themselves when they accidentally venture on to the roads. Lastly, presence of salt in soil makes water falling on it saline, making it unusable for plants.

Because of the above reasons, salting should be avoided. There are, however, other ways to achieve ice-free roads. Though these are costly and demand labor, these practices are good for long-term basis.

1. Snow shovel

It is the most traditional method used by man, and is the easiest. One can do that by picking up a shovel and start removing ice from the road as soon as snow stops falling. He/she can seek the help of neighbors as well, especially children, for whom doing this job is much more fun.

2. Go electric

Snow is light and less dense, and can be blown away quite easily. If one despises labor, has less time and is willing to shell out some money, snow blower is the best option. Snow blower is a small vehicle which sucks snow on which it moves and throws it out at a far-off distance using a discharge tube. This method is comparatively easier and quicker, though it requires much care in handling. Electric blowers are silent and pollution-free, and should be chosen over gas-powered ones, which cause noise and air pollution.

3. Try a "snow melt mat"

If one is futuristic and is not bothered about planning beforehand or shelling about money in the process, snow melt mat is a lucrative option. Not only does it saves one's time and energy but also makes driveway ready for use within a few minutes after heavy rainfall. Snow melt mat is actually interwoven electric wires spread on the driveway. This costs electricity and is not as economical as shoveling, but enables you to save much time that would have otherwise wasted in waiting for snow to melt or removing snow personally.

4. Get a grip

Skidding is a main problem with snow. Even when the snow melts, it remains a problem due to wet roads. This problem is, in fact, more dangerous than unable to drive at all, as a driver tends to lose grip of his/her vehicle, leading to fatal accidents. Moreover, one cannot walk without slipping and falling, which may lead to severe injuries and embarrassment. So the best way to avoid skidding incidents is to increase friction of the snow. This cannot be possible by changing the property of snow - which, in itself, is impossible - but adding substances with high friction-coefficient can help matters. One can spread layers of sand or small seeds or anything rough on the roads that helps in getting more grip on movement. This will not help melting snow away, though.

5. Scrimp on the deicer

Deicer is a machine that loosens snow from the ground, making it easy for shoveling. It is cheaper than other methods, but still does not help in reducing time spent on removing snow from driveway. For those who have a limited budget and love physical work, this is the best option.